Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 7-Channel Place (Race 1)
Race #1: Selections: 7-2-1
7-Channel Place drops in for a first-time tag today for Team O’Neill on the quick turnaround. This barn is 7-for-22; 32%, with turf route MDSW to MDCLM runners at SA the past five years. The filly rallied well to finish fifth just six days ago, despite hitting the gate and breaking a step slow. 2-Photogenic has improved Beyer-wise each subsequent start for trainer Leonard Powell and ran a solid fourth when dropped into this level on Jan. 23. The 3-year-old filly got hemmed in traffic late, shook free, and finished up well when facing a pair of today’s returning rivals, including next-out winner Flamingo Star. Lasix on for the third try of the form cycle. Dirt to turf 1-Can’t Say That does not have a ton of grass pedigree, but exits a sharp second (and near miss) off a voided claim back on Nov. 22 for conditioner George Papaprodromou and adds Lasix this afternoon off the mini-freshening.
Race #2: Selections: 1-2-4
1-Willow Cove goes turf to dirt on the class drop today for trainer Blaine Wright and figures to get the lead this afternoon with an alert break from the fence. The 6-year-old mare has run equally well on dirt and turf from limited lifetime career tries. The Dan Blacker-trained 2-Deep Blue takes a huge (and perhaps suspicious) class plunge this afternoon from a $50k tag to today’s reduced $10,000 level, while moving back to the main track. Nonetheless, the 4-year-old filly has been facing far superior fillies and has run main track Beyers that are the swiftest in this field. 4-Booster Club exits a runner-up finish at this level in last, but will need to find another 5 to 7 lengths to compete with the top pair.
Race #3: Selections: 4-5-6
A half dozen geldings exit the same Jan. 30 turf allowance starter. 4-Trusty Rusty rallied for the place spot from a tough spot when running out of racetrack and sports the field’s best late pace figure in what is projected to be a spirited race flow. The Tapiture 6-year-old rarely misfires. 5-Please Focus went gate-to-wire for the 11-1 upset when defeating several of these in the aforementioned Jan. 30 event and loves this grass course, evidenced by his 12-4-3-0 mark. The question is whether he’ll face considerably more pace pressure this afternoon. 6-Maniatic (Ire) returns to the turf, where he was a stakes winner overseas, and is another who figures to be making up solid ground late if the swift projected race flow comes to fruition.
Race #4: Selections: 1-5-2
A two-day Pick Six carryover of $198,741 begins here with a short five-horse field. 1-Bandolero stretches back out today and ran his career-best effort at this one-mile trip two-back when flashing good speed and tiring to fourth. The 3-year-old gelded son of Stay Thirty drops again for new conditioner Steve Knapp, adds Lasix, and should prove tough to reel in late. 5-Oswald ships in from Turf Paradise off a recent rallying second on Jan. 26. Not sure how he matches up with these $20k maiden claiming Southern California rivals, but he did return to fire a sharp five-furlong bullet in :58.4 (2/11) since that last encouraging run. Dirt to turf 2-Bossing Mo adds blinkers today and drops in for a career-low claiming tag. He finished an OK third in his main track debut try on Jan. 18.
Race #5: Selections: 7-1-2
The late-closing 7-She’s a Joker has not had the most pace-friendly races to fully utilize her late kick, and exits a recent fourth when facing several of these on Jan. 31. The 7-year-old mare makes her second try off the mini-freshening today for trainer Peter Miller and should be right there with an adequate race flow. Another mare that is usually at the mercy of the race splits is 1-Quantum Innergy. She made a nice, long, sustained run from last to finish third in front of the top choice in the blanket finish and now moves inside to the rail today. Although she is usually close, this 5-year-old has lost 12 straight and is winless since December 2024. 2-Mayacama is a logical contender, with a stellar 13-4-5-1 career mark, and having finished first or second in her last four starts for Mullins. She just missed as the even-money choice when getting the best of many of these in the aforementioned Jan. 31 grass route and doesn’t need the lead to win.
Race #6: Selections: 5-4-3
5-Toulouse Detrac battled determinedly on the front end in a solid runner-up try when facing a pair of today’s returning rivals on Jan. 16, and now makes her third start of the form cycle this afternoon for the Papaprodromou barn. 4-Maniae finished a wide fifth in a decent effort against better, considering she was an overlay 80-1 on Feb. 1. The 5-year-old daughter of Vronsky makes her second start off the claim, dropping back down to the $10k purchase level, and figures to bounce back today for trainer Gary Stute. 3-Tiger Fire collected immediate dividends for the new ownership off the Jan. 6 claim when taking a 1,000-yard allowance event at Los Al on Feb. 1 under the lights. The 4-year-old filly broke her maiden by 3 ¾ lengths going six panels over this course three back.
Race #7: Selections: 1-2-6
1-Nesso’s Lastharrah was beaten by double digits in the last pair but takes a significant class plunge today for trainer Peter Eurton and appears to have regrouped off the mini freshening. The 5-year-old shortens back up to six furlongs today, where he is 2-for-2, and a recent three-furlong bullet blowout in :35 flat indicates his readiness. 2-Proof He Rides co-tops the field’s best last-out turf Beyer (88) off a 10-1 upset downhill win back on Dec. 28 over a bulky field including next-out winner Yacowlef. The 8-year-old veteran gelding is back on the straight turf course today for Mullins, and is an impressive 4-3-0-1 over the SA turf. The ultra-consistent 6-Cuban Confusion has hit the board in all seven starts since arriving Stateside for D’Amato and has been freshened since his one-mile Oct. 4 win. He switches to Kimura today, on the turnback, and has been training sharply over the last several weeks.
Race #8: Selections: 1-2-3
1-Latitude is back on dirt after a solid runner-up grass finish on Feb. 13 while making his third start of the form cycle for Sadler. The Candy Ride colt looms a big threat if he can run back to that (92) dirt Beyer on debut last September. Two sprints to a route 2-Winston Ave, adds Lasix on the stretch-out for Baffert, and has trained swiftly off the two-month mini-freshening, including a “best of 70” bullet drill on Feb. 7 in :59.1. The Quality Road colt is bred to relish two turns and adds Lasix. The other Baffert 3-Cherokee Nation by Not This Time drops out of the Robert B. Lewis (G3) back into the maiden ranks today and just missed in two other route Maiden efforts. The pricey $1.15 million Keeneland purchase looms as a big threat today for the top barn.
Race #9: Selections: 2-4-7-8
2-Nezha was 10th and last when behind several of these on Dec. 29, but adds Lasix today on the drop into maiden claimers and can move forward. 4-Biggiebiggiebiggie makes career start number nine today, but his second try at today’s $50k maiden claiming level for Team O’Neill, after rallying for second over a pair of today’s returning rivals on Jan. 30. The sophomore colt sports the field’s best last-out turf Beyer (72) and is a logical threat again today. 7-Prime Artist (Fr) drops in for a first-time tag, second off the bench, and can move forward again for conditioner Leonard Powell. He finished fifth behind next-out winner Charlie’s Curlin on Jan. 25. 8-Mendel’s Tune was badly outrun in both MDSW turf routes to begin his career, but gets a complete makeover today for Sadler. He removes the blinkers, returns as a first-time gelding, second-time Lasix, and drops into a first-time tag.
