Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 3-Flatterwithjewels (Race 4)
Race #1: 1-Caribbean King drops in for a first-time tag and has finished third in half of his career tries thus far while flashing good speed in several of those turf route efforts. Today’s class plunge, rail draw, and addition of Prat make him the one to beat in the Friday opener. 6-Ghost Coast drops in class while making the third start of the form cycle today and has run close to par for this level on multiple occasions for Mullins. 3-Smooth Salute was a much-improved closing second when dropped to this $50k level in most recent start Nov. 10. The 3-year-old gelding moves inside this afternoon and has worked well since that solid try.
Selections: 1-6-3
Race #2: 3-Soul of Midnight exits a sharp runner-up finish at Los Al on Dec. 8 against slightly better and is proven over this racetrack. The gelding switches to jockey Edwin Maldonado (who had a pair of double digit winners opening day) and is projected to be sent to the front here. 5-Stan From Malibu returns off the mini-freshening after being overmatched when last seen Sept. 9. He drops below $25k claiming tag price from two-back–when finishing second by a neck– and posting a Beyer figure above par for this level. 6-Eagles Landing was a beaten favorite in the last start when exiting the same race as the top choice but also gets some class relief this afternoon and makes his third start off the bench.
Selections: 3-5-6
Race #3: The lightly raced 1-Double Jab has hit the board in all four career starts and posted the field’s best last-out turf Beyer (86) with a recent runner-up try at this same level on Nov. 18 at Del Mar. The gelding makes the second start off the bench today for trainer Andy Mathis, and Prat is back for the return ride. 5-Eddie’s Last exits two sharp grass sprint tries in November for Team O’Neill against stiffer competition than he faces this afternoon and makes the all-important third start of the form cycle today. 6-Man O Rose was a sharp gate-to-wire Maiden winner going this five-furlong trip on Nov. 17 and has run well in both grass sprint tries over this course. The gelding looks appropriately placed this afternoon for the first crack against winners.
Selections: 1-5-6
Race #4: 2-Flatterwithjewels has run consistently well (and above Beyer par for this level) in the last several starts and makes the third start off the bench today. This 6-year-old mare’s last three tries at Santa Anita resulted in a win and two runner-up finishes. 5-Irish Wahine has won four of her last five starts and posted the field’s best last-out main track Beyer (74) with a recent off-the-pace Los Al score on Dec. 10 when returning off an 11-month layoff. She will be a big threat again if she can repeat that career-top figure. Class dropping 1-Wishtheyallcouldbe has finished a disappointing seventh in the last pair of efforts but is back on the Santa Anita main track today, where he sports a perfect 3-for-3 record.
Selections: 2-5-1
Race #5: Grade two winner 3–Chatalas is unproven on grass but looks like she’ll be the front-runner–or at the very least forwardly placed– in this field with Dettori climbing aboard and may be able to carve out some moderate fractions and take these all the way. 6-Zona Verde (Ire) has now won two of three U.S. starts for D’Amato including a recent 10-1 gate-to-wire score in the one-mile grade 3 Jimmy Durante at Del Mar. This filly’s Beyer figures have improved with each subsequent start since arriving in the United States. 2–Antifona (Fr) finished a decent fourth in her first stateside effort despite a bad start when dismissed at 42-1 in the after-mentioned grade 3 Jimmy Durante on Dec. 2.
Selections: 3-6-2
Race #6: The lightly raced Empire Maker colt 3-Matanzas Creek skipped away to an impressive 2 ¼-length Maiden win on Nov. 19 in career start number two posting an eye-catching (96) Beyer in that impressive victory. The colt is bred to stretch out and looms the one to beat again if he can replicate that performance. 1-Clouseau was a decent runner-up in the most recent try at Del Mar on Nov. 11 and is now back on the Santa Anita main track, where he’s posted all three of his career wins. He projects to get a favorable trip with today’s rail draw. 5-Americaredwhiteblu goes turf to dirt this afternoon on the class drop for trainer Mark Glatt and Frankie Dettori. The 5-year-old gelding was a 6 ½-length runaway winner when last seen on dirt.
Selections: 3-1-5
Race #7: 3-Practically Broke dashed away to an 8-1 upset debut turf sprint win Nov. 23 at Del Mar and now looks to stretch out to a mile today while jumping into the stakes ranks. His sire was a multiple grade 1 winner going seven furlongs and a mile, so today’s additional real estate is certainly within his wheelhouse. 9-Stay Hot defeated several of these from today’s same post in gamely winning the grade 3 Cecil B. Demille Stakes Dec. 3, and there’s no reason to believe this juvenile can’t repeat that top try for trainer Peter Eurton. 8-American Hope exits a game Maiden win going this mile trip in the second start for D’Amato on Nov. 12, and another move forward makes this son of American Pharoah a dangerous contender in his first stakes try.
Selections: 3-9-8
Race #8: 7-Splendora is by grade 1 Florida Derby winner Audible who debuts for Team Baffert off a string of impressive bullet drills. Dettiori takes the call on this juvenile filly who appears super quick. Her stablemate 6-Kinza is by multiple grade 1 winner Carpe Diem who lures Hernandez and has flashed the barn’s typical snappy a.m. drills working in tandem with barnmate. 1-Where’s My Ring has something the top pair does not, which is valuable racing experience. The Twirling Candy filly Maiden exits a disappointing try in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies but should appreciate today’s turnback to a sprint where she just missed in the first two starts of her career.
Selections: 7-6-1
Race #9: The Friday Maiden Special Weight turf route nightcap features a competitive lineup with several runners posting similar recent turf Beyer figures. 7-Let Seamus Go flashed improved pressing speed on the stretch-out in career start number two before tiring late and figures to build off that effort, making the all-important third career start this afternoon. A potential gate-to-wire threat. 4-Potential Spam has run well in the last pair of grass route tries despite some compromising trips and trainer Doug O’Neill and jockey Antonio Fresu have teamed up with good success on turf. 2-Guy Named Joe is a logical fit once again, having hit the board in the last three grass route attempts at this level and finishing in front of today’s top choice Dec. 3.
Selections: 7-4-2
