Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 1-Maniae (Race 3)
Race #1: Selections: 1-2-5
1-Rehearsal just missed second in a sharp try when stepped up to face winners on Nov. 29 for trainer Phil D’Amato, earning the field’s best last-out grass Beyer (70). The 5-year-old mare moves all the way inside to the rail today, retains Hernandez, and should work out a favorable ground-saving journey. 2-Garden Party was in a tough spot, trying to make headway from post 10, in her most recent try when finishing sixth behind the top choice. She also moves inside to a more advantageous draw today. She ran par for this class level two-back when sprinting. Recent maiden winner 5-Wildfire Princess has speed from the outside in this short field and returned to fire a sharp bullet “best of 36” four furlongs in :46.4 on Jan. 3.
Race #2: Selections: 1-4-2
1-Della Terra goes turf to dirt and drops in for a first-time tag this afternoon for conditioner Mark Glatt, who sports a strong 6 for 15 (40%; $4.39 ROI) with MDSW to MDCLM dirt sprint dropdowns at Santa Anita the past five years. This mare’s debut main track runner-up finish indicates she handles the surface just fine. 4-Jennys Wine Girl moves back to the main track on the turnback after flashing improved speed on the grass stretch-out in start number two, facing similar. She is likely to show good early zip again today for jockey Emisael Jaramillo, who racked up several wins last week and has found his groove rather quickly since moving his tack from Florida. The McCarthy-trained 2-Stubborn has not been out in eight months and showed little in three starts prior to hitting the sidelines. The filly’s wide rally for second on debut last February over this course, however, gives her a chance today on the class plunge.
Race #3: Selections: 1-7-2
The potential for a spirited early race flow should enhance the chances of 1-Maniae, who slashes his claiming tag in half today off three solid tries at Los Al and Del Mar. The 5-year-old mare holds a double Beyer advantage over the rest of the field and should mow these down late with the return of winning pilot Mirco Demuro. The lightly raced 7-Angi’s Tipsy steps up in class off a sharp win at Los Al against $6,250 claimers on Dec. 12 and is eligible to improve further, making her third start of the form cycle for trainer Steve Sherman. Back in Southern California, 2-Eltonsinganother has flashed solid early zip in most of his dirt sprint tries and takes a sizable class drop today, exiting an allowance optional claimer at Turf Paradise.
Race #4: Selections: 1-6-3
Turf to dirt 1-Typhoon Tommy has speed and the rail this afternoon, making his second start off the claim today for trainer Edwin Alvarez. This 4-year-old gelded son of Sir Prancealot has never been offered this cheaply and should prove tough to reel in late with an alert break. 6-Uncle Evco finally broke through the maiden ranks in start number 14 at Los Al on Dec. 7. Perhaps the proverbial light bulb angle is in play here, as he meets a weak $10k claiming group and looks for the repeat. 3-Gentlemen’s Club is 1-for-17 but removes the blinkers today for the first time for trainer Craig Lewis and has run some main track route figures that put him in the mix.
Race #5: Selections: 1-3-7
1-Miss Meagher (Ire) exits a best last-out and career-top Beyer (80) with her most recent second on Nov. 24 over a pair of today’s returning rivals and gets the tepid vote in the closing leg of the early pick five. She draws the rail again and retains Berrios. The lightly raced 3-Going Lucky is an interesting shipper for trainer Jonathan Thomas. A winner of two of three starts on the all-weather surface, the Lookin At Lucky filly makes her turf debut this afternoon off a series of recent local works over the SA synthetic track and lures Rispoli off the mini-freshening. 7-Giggle Giggle steps up in class off the Nov. 14 claim for conditioner Wayne Baker and has run well routing over this grass course. The 4-year-old daughter of Practical Joke projects to get a live race flow to close into and co-tops the field’s best last pace figure.
Race #6: Selections: 1-3-5
The Baffert-trained 1-Winterfell has not been out in over a year (386 days) but has been training superbly in his a.m. drills for an excellent layoff barn and is a proven stakes winner at seven furlongs. The barn’s go-to pilot, Juan Hernandez, lands here instead of stablemate 3-Pilot Commander. This 5-year-old son of Justify returns off a 10-month layoff of his own. A winner of the G3 San Carlos when last seen last March, he’s also trained swiftly, firing back-to-back five-furlong bullets over the Santa Anita synthetic track. He’s been first or second in six of seven career tries and is also proven at seven panels. 5-Bullard is back in Southern California after a brief stint in Kentucky last spring and turns back to sprinting, his preferred forte off the layoff. The Gun Runner colt is a Grade 3 winner, adds blinkers today, and has trained well locally for McCarthy.
Race #7: Selections: 1-6-2
1-Man Child steps up slightly in class off a solid runner-up at Los Al on Dec. 14 and may fall into a favorable stalking ground-saving trip from the fence. The 6-year-old gelding has run some main track Beyers that match up well here. 6-Raging Waters kicked away to a decisive four-length score at Los Al on Dec. 7, earning a career-best (80) Beyer in the process. He steps up in class this afternoon, but fired a bullet four furlongs in :47 flat since that winning effort, and the six-time winner appears to be holding his sharp recent form. A beaten odds-on favorite in the last, 2-The Big Cheeseola has enough early zip to be on or close to the lead this afternoon, but is somewhat questionable at today’s 6 ½-furlong trip.
Race #8: Selections: 10-5-2
A voided claim off his Nov. 8 grass sprint win, 10-Harcyn returns off the mini-freshening this afternoon, sporting the field’s best last-out grass Beyer (84), and could perhaps catch another live race flow to close into. The 5-time winning 6-year-old gelding fired a bullet five furlongs since that winning effort. 5-Please Focus has solid early zip and moves back to the grass off the recent Steve Knapp claim. This gelding has a solid resume (10-3-3-0) over the Santa Anita turf course and figures to be hustled along by excellent gate rider Edwin Maldonado. 2-Code Dello returns to the turf this afternoon after spending all of last year sprinting over the main track at Los Al and Santa Anita. The Dollase-trained veteran 8-year-old gelding drops in class today and is 2-for-2 going six furlongs over this grass course. He attracts top turf rider Hector Berrios.
