Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 1-Mighty Kai (Ire) (Race 2)
Race #1: Selections: 2-4-1
2-Unbinding (GB) has won two of her last three turf sprints for trainer Mark Glatt, including back-to-back scores this campaign. The 4-year-old filly looks quick enough to clear her main rivals early, and that should prove key to the threepeat. The ultra-consistent 4-Mayacama shortens back up to a sprint off a seven-month freshening for Mullins and loves the Santa Anita lawn (4-1-3-0). 1-Young Love rallied for the place spot behind Little Opal, who remained undefeated, taking the Grade 3 JC Harris last weekend and has run above par for this level in the last pair of turf tries.
Race #2: Selections: 1-2-6
1-Mighty Kai was a solid winner two-back with an (80) Beyer, which is above par for this $20k claiming level. The 5-year-old gelding goes first off the claim for Team O’Neill, which is off to another fast start this autumn meet and is 3-for-9 (33%) with first-off-the-claim dirt-route runners at Santa Anita over the past five years from limited sample. Kai has hit the board in eight of nine tries over the SA course (9-2-4-3) and figures to work out a favorable trip from the rail. 2-Joint Venture goes second off the Steve Sherman purchase and puts blinkers back on this afternoon on the class drop. This gelding’s better efforts have come over this course. 6-Del Mar Jerry goes two sprints to a route, exiting a wide trip fifth at Los Al on Sept. 12. Improvement likely.
Race #3: Selections: 8-5-3
Little Read Feather Racing’s 8-Arrakis drops in class while making his third start of the current form cycle for conditioner Phil D’Amato and sports the field’s best last-out grass Beyer (89). The gelded son of Bernardini should be able to run down this field late. 5-Burning Rubber flashed speed and tired to fourth at this level in his most recent try on Aug. 30 and should improve again today, his third try in the current form cycle. Hernandez sticks. 3-Prime Artist (Fr) posted the 37-1 upset with a sizable Beyer boost with his most recent Del Mar five-furlong sprint score Sept. 6 and followed up that win with a solid three-furlong drill Sept. 27.
Race #4: Selections: 8-3-4
8-Tiger Smiling goes turf to dirt on the class drop, and that July 19 grass event has produced three next-out winners. The gelded son of Smiling Tiger (16% dirt sprints) should improve substantially, making his second try off the long layoff and getting the class relief. 3-Hemet Gold ran a decent third on debut for trainer Hector Palma with a (71) Beyer and now drops in for a tag in start number two. The gray gelding figures to be tough today with Kimura, with any normal second-out progression. 4-Delaneys Dreamer finished a much-improved second when dropped to this level on Aug. 29 and figures to get another favorable up-front pressing journey.
Race #5: Selections: 1-9-3
1-Sutura ships west, having run well in several starts in his seven lifetime tries, and exits a runner-up at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 9 over that tricky layout for trainer Jack Sisterson. The Vekoma filly should prove tough here if she can transform that form to Sata Anita. 9-First Or Last returns to turf where she finished second two-back with a lofty (79) Beyer behind stakes winner Little Opal. A logical fit back on grass this afternoon and a switch to Rispoli. 3-Hazey Jane (Jpn) is by multiple Group 1 winner Contrail, who has trained smartly for Glatt, and is likely to come out running with Kimura aboard.
Race #6: Selections: 1-2-8
1-King Apollo kicked away to a solid score at Los Al in his second start this campaign for Hess, earning a solid (83) Beyer for this class level and looming as a potential repeater if this 7-year-old gelding can put forth a similar performance back at Santa Anita. 2-Doo Wop Don hasn’t been seen since being claimed back in November 2025 for Mullins, but this veteran 8-year-old gelding is a 13-time winner from 47 career tries, and this barn usually fires fresh. He lures Rosario off the bench and has never started this cheaply. 8-Tapalo exits back-to-back runner-up finishes at Los Al and Del Mar, and his best races have come at this venue, where he has recorded all three wins.
Race #7: Selections: 5-2-6
A beaten odds-on choice last time, 5-Raw Ability (Ire) drops a notch while making her third start of the current form cycle for Sadler and should get a spirited race flow to help her late closing kick today. The three-time winning mare switches to Rosario. The D’Amato-trained 2-Canto Della Terra (Ire) drops out of the Grade 2 John C. Mabee into this softer spot this afternoon and is a perfect 2-for-2 over the Santa Anita lawn. Her stablemate 6-Goodies has won two straight since switching to a mile and has become quite tactical for Berrios, too. The lightly raced daughter of Collected drilled a nice five panels in :59.2 on Sept. 26 and still offers plenty of upside.
Race #8: Selections: 8-1-3
8-Cecilia Street has far more underneath finishes than wins, but shortens back up to a sprint this afternoon for trainer Leonard Powell, with the best late pace figure in the field, and should get a spirited race flow to close into with Rosario. The lightly raced 1-Tiosimage ships in from Emerald Downs off back-to-back wins by a combined 14 ¾ lengths and has won three of four lifetime starts for conditioner Blaine Wright. The dark bay filly’s Beyer speed figures have improved with each subsequent try, and she’s definitely the gal to beat if she can transform that hot form to Southern California. 3-Kool Kitten kicked away to an eye-catching debut maiden score by 7 ¾ widening lengths on debut over at Del Mar Sept. 4 and looks well-placed for her first crack against winners.
Race #9: Selections: 4-1-8
4-Royal Pearl goes two sprints to a route while switching to turf for trainer Michael McCarthy and could improve this afternoon with the surface switch and additional real estate. The juvenile filly is by Mandaloun, who is 3-for10 (30%) from a small sample with turf routers and this gal switches to Hernandez in the Friday nightcap. Her stablemate 1-D’yquem (by Golden Pal) was hardly disgraced on debut Sept. 5 going this one-mile trip, finishing an even third when run down for the place spot late, and moves inside today for career try number two. A beaten tepid favorite in last 8-Forewarn adds blinkers for Richard Mandella in her second grass try and can improve, making the all-important third career start.
