Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 4-Cash Call (Race 2)
Race #1: Selections: 5-2-7
The lightly raced 5-Yellow Sun Dress has run well in all four career tries for Glatt and exits a good second behind next-out winner Certitude, who came back to win her third straight last Sunday. The 4-year-old filly makes her second try off the 10-month freshening this afternoon and figures to be a handful with a progressive move off that last effort. 2-Headed for Om was third behind the top choice in last and now makes her third start off the form cycle for Sadler. Hernandez is back aboard. 7-Ms McWhinney finished a flat seventh when last seen on April 4, but shortens back up to a sprint today for Team O’Neill and was a sharp runner-up two back going today’s six-furlong trip.
Race #2: Selections: 4-3-2
4-Cash Call removes the blinkers and adds Lasix today, while returning off an eight-month layoff for Baffert. The $600k daughter of multiple Grade 1-winner McKinzie lost twice as the beaten favorite in both local sprint tries last fall but has trained sharply for this afternoon’s return effort. Her stablemate 3-Cooey pressed the pace, was forced to steady, and then misfired when last seen back on Feb. 21. This 3-year-old filly by Girvin finished a sharp second in her debut and is likely to rebound today in career start number three. She’s also trained smartly in the a.m. 2-Eastwick finished an OK fourth in her March 29 grass sprint debut and now moves to the main track for her second start. The Richard Mandella trainee is by Ghostzapper, who gets an above-average 19% with his dirt prodigy.
Race #3: Selections: 4-6-5
4-Resolve was outrun at Turfway Park in the Bourbonette Oaks on March 22, but returns to the Southern California turf today for conditioner Leonard Powell. The 3-year-old filly just missed two and three-back going today’s one-mile trip at today’s class level, and she figures to bounce back in a big way this afternoon. 6-Empress Matilda (GB) stretches out today for her second stateside start for Hess and is likely to move forward off her fourth-place finish on March 9. This filly is by Al Kazeem, who is a multiple Grade 1 winner going long on grass. 5-Preem gets a stiff class test this afternoon, facing winners, but lands in a small field lacking any substantial early pace and will likely look to go gate-to-wire again for McCarthy.
Race #4: Selections: 4-1-6
There’s a $68,636 Pick Six carryover that begins here, with the traditional $2 increment. 4-Dazzle the Command just missed by a nose when finishing in front of several of today’s returning rivals on March 30. The 1 for 21 6-year-old gelding deserves another chance at today’s reduced level. 1-Devilnthebluegras ships in from Turf Paradise for a new barn, and despite his 0 for 4 record at Santa Anita, the gelding has run some of the better main track Beyers in the field. Blinkers off 6-Acero had a very wide journey exiting the aforementioned March 30 event and now goes first off the claim for conditioner Lorenzo Campuzano. The 5-year-old gelding removes the blinkers today and makes his second try off the eight-month layoff.
Race #5: Selections: 7-5-9
7-Kikuride finished a solid closing third at 22-1 in his April 5 unveiling for conditioner Craig Lewis, and should move forward off that encouraging debut, stretching out in career start number two. Hernandez sticks. 5-We the Hobby got nailed late by a 45-1 shot in her most recent try on March 23 when adding Lasix, and projects to get another upfront pressing trip for a good barn that’s struggled as of late. 9-Less Is More has good speed from the outside for trainer Doug O’Neill and stretches back out today off a subpar sprint effort on April 5. This daughter of Nyquist has posted some of her better turf figures routing.
Race #6: Selections: 3-1-4
This one-mile optional $20k 1X Claimer is a wide-open scramble that is projected to have a quick early tempo. 3-Lady Mendelssohn goes turf to dirt on the class drop for trainer Carla Gaines and should handle the main track just fine. She’s by Mendelssohn (17% with dirt routers), and her a.m. main track drills have been encouraging. A “best of 79” four-furlong bullet drill in :46.2 back on March 17 proves her affinity for dirt. 1-Stop Digging stretches back out off the mini-freshening for trainer Simon Callaghan and is reunited with Hernandez. This 4-year-old filly has finished second in three of four one-mile attempts. 4–Sweet Hello was runner-up in a short field at this level on March 16 for Desormeaux and Hess.
Race #7: Selections: 2-7-3
2-Impractical Diva ships west for her initial try in Southern California while exiting a trio of sprint synthetic efforts at Turfway Park. The 4-year-old daughter of Practical Joke is confidently moved up in class this afternoon and may find herself alone on the lead with a favorable inside draw. 7-Notime for Squalls was a sharp runner-up off the 10-month layoff on March 9 for trainer Mark Glatt when flashing good speed and surrendering late. This daughter of Not This Time is a logical threat, making her second try off the bench. 3-Ms Brightside (Ire) has run well in all three turf routes this year for trainer Phil D’Amato, with two of her better finishes coming at today’s one-mile trip.
Race #8: Selections 9-2-1
9-Barbara T returns off a year hiatus for conditioner Michael McCarthy and was a dominant 11 ¾-length blowout winner at Keeneland when last seen last spring. This daughter of Army Mule has been training sharply locally for today’s return to action and drew a cozy outside post for this six-furlong main track event. 2-Our Moonlight has been freshened for trainer Dean Pederson since an impressive 2 ¾-length 8-1 debut win back in December and has been training sharply for her first crack against winners. A “best of 88” five-furlong bullet on April 13 in :59.1 and a four-furlong drill in :47 flat on April 20 indicate this daughter of Tapit may be ready to win again despite meeting tougher gals this afternoon. 1-Nokie returns off a six-month freshening for trainer Vladimir Cerin and has proven she can fire off the bench. This lightly raced, consistent 6-year-old mare has hit the board in seven of nine career tries and has run par or better for this class level. 8-Wishtheyallcouldbe has hit the board in ten consecutive races and has never finished worse than third at Santa Anita.
Race #9: Selections 6-9-1
6-Garden Party was a strong runner-up when stretched out to today’s one-mile trip in her most recent try on March 28, and is a logical win threat this afternoon for Powell while making her third start of the form cycle. 9-Sei Bella goes two sprints to a route for McCarthy today after showing ability in both local grass sprint tries. The 3-year-old filly by Om is projected to show more upfront pressing speed going two turns for the first time. Draw a line through the last effort by 1-Winter Snow after she was eased and walked off before being escorted off the track by an equine ambulance after bleeding badly. This 5-year-old mare has been bet solidly in both career tries for Mullins, and you have to believe she has more ability than she’s shown in two well-beaten subpar efforts. An encouraging sign that Berrios sticks and there is no panicky class drop.
