Santa Anita Park (Friday-5/30/2025) By Dean Keppler

Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner

BEST BET: 5-La Ville Lumiere (Race 5)

Race #1: Selections:  6-5-2

6-Queen Bay is by multiple Grade 1 winner Charlatan and is nicely drawn outside. This barn has solid stats with juvenile firsters, and this gal has trained well in her a.m. drills. 5-Copper Luna is by Practical Joke, who gets an average 15% with his debuting prodigy. The 2-year-old filly has trained steadily for today’s unveiling for trainer Adam Kitchingman, but this barn is only 1 for 23 with firsters the past five years. In his defense, however, he has hit the board in 8 of those 23 tries. 2-Can You Dream holds the experience edge over the rest of this field, having finished an even fifth in her May 2 main track debut. She moves to the turf today for start number two and is by Acclamation, a multiple Grade 1 winner on grass.

Race #2: Selections: 2-4-1

2-Auditory kicked away to a dominating 7 ½-length score on the class drop and surface change when returning to action on May 9. The 4-year-old filly sports the field’s best last-out Beyer (63) and now goes first off the claim for trainer Andrew Harris. This filly should prove tough to overhaul with a similar effort. 4-Rose of Jericho is another coming off a solid performance, skipping to a 4 ½-length stalking score over a trio of today’s returning rivals on May 9. She’s the most logical threat to the top choice with the potential to move forward off that last victory. 1-Honorable Gal returns to the Santa Anita main track today off a pair of 1,000-yard efforts under the lights at Los Al. The 5-year-old mare has good speed and the rail draw and figures to be sent early by Aguilar.

Race #3: Selections: 2-1-3

The Leonard Powell-trained 2-Baldoro was a solid runner-up first off the re-claim in last and is a multiple winner going today’s 1 1/8-mile trip. The 6-year-old gelding should sit a favorable stalking journey this afternoon. 1-Kawazaki (Ire) has won two of her last three turf routes for Baltas and exits a career-best grass Beyer (80) on May 2 when finishing behind Baldoro when forced to take up in deep stretch and losing all momentum late. 3-Smooth Salute steps up in class off a solid 13-1 closing score at this trip on May 9.

Race #4: Selections: 2-4-6

A weak field of $12,500 maiden claiming fillies and mares travel 5 ½ furlongs over the main track to kick off the Friday afternoon Pick Six. 2-Charmed Dream exits back-to-back runner-up finishes with competitive Beyers for this level and is a threat right back for trainer Sean McCarthy. 4-Jazz Spot flashed some speed before tiring to finish a well-beaten fifth in his lone try back on Dec. 29 of last year, and now drops a notch for start number two. This barn is 4 for 17 (24%) the past two years with second-time starters at Santa Anita. 6-Go Cami Oh hasn’t shown much in six career starts, but shortens up to a sprint this afternoon, making her second try over the main track.

Race #5: Selections: 5-2-6

5-La Ville Lumiere finished second in a well-backed unveiling on May 16 for trainer Michael McCarthy, posting a solid (74) Beyer. The daughter of City of Light is the horse to beat with a similar effort accompanied by any normal second-out progression. 2-Got the Ring debuts for the Peter Miller barn off a solid and steady work tab. She’s by multiple Grade 1 winner Liam’s Map (9% with juvenile firsters; 15% with turf sprinters). 6-Cara Rose rallied well for the place spot in her May 2 unveiling, but will need to improve Beyer-wise to catch up to the top pick. The juvenile daughter of Caravaggio is nicely drawn outside.

Race #6: Selections: 8-6-2

The lightly raced 8-Pratchett returns off the mini-freshening off a sharp runner-up effort back on March 30 and has trained well in the interim. The Puype-trained 5-year-old gelding may still offer some upside. 6-Cupid’s Crusader is 1 for 15 but sports the field’s best last-out main track Beyer (70), exiting an OK third in a short field on May 3. Berrios is back for the return mount. 2–General Jackson flashed speed and tired to fourth against $32k claimers when making his first try against winners back in April, and now slashes his tag in half for Team O’Neill. The gelding projects to be forwardly placed again this afternoon.

Race #7: Selections: 7-3-5

7-Gavea flashed good speed off the 11-month layoff for trainer Dan Blacker before tiring badly and was eased and walked off the racetrack on April 6. The 4-year-old gelding adds blinkers back on and drops in class today, and it’s hard to gauge how he’ll perform this afternoon with the class relief and equipment change. 3-Zombo Bombo must negotiate an additional furlong this afternoon, but exits a game gate-to-wire score on May 3 against slightly softer and earned a solid (79) Beyer in victory. The 4-year-old gelded son of Munnings might fall into a favorable stalking trip for conditioner George Papaprodromou. A repeat is certainly within reach. Of the Knapp-trained trio, the edge goes to 5-Navy Man. The 5-year-old gelding has been freshened for this and is proven off the bench. There should be plenty of pace for him to sit back and run into late.

Race #8: Selections 3-7-4

The Chilean-bred 3-Shining Star (Chi) is 4-for-5 lifetime, including notching a stakes victory in his home country prior to arriving here in the States. She adds Lasix today, and the Sadler barn has had modest success with these types of imports over the years. The 4-year-old filly has trained well locally and attracts Berrios off the bench. 7-Sugar Hi returns off the nine-month layoff for trainer Phil D’Amato while making her first start in Southern California. This daughter of Twirling Candy broke her maiden at Saratoga in her 2023 debut and has been training sharply over the local venue. The ultra-consistent 4-Wishtheyallcouldbe is a 9-time winner and has hit the board in 11 straight dirt sprint races. The lightly raced 6-Margarita Girl returns off a seven-month layoff for conditioner Mark Glatt off two sharp career tries as the beaten favorite. She adds Lasix today, moves back to the main track, and has trained well for an excellent layoff barn. This daughter of Twirling Candy is expected to be on or near the early pace.

Race #9: Selections 7-9-2

7-Inner Fury (Ire) was a much-improved third on May 4 when stretched out to a route and dropped in for a tag for trainer Phil D’Amato. Today’s cutback to a mile should be ideal for this filly, who surrendered the lead late but managed to save the show spot. She makes her third start of the form cycle today and gets top billing. 9-Nakota (Ire) is a 14-start Maiden that finished in front of the top choice in last and has seen her Beyers improve with each subsequent start this year. 2-Flamengo’s Queen (Ire) hasn’t been out in roughly nine months for trainer Richard Baltas and drops in for a first-time tag for her second career try stateside. She adds Lasix today, stretches out to a mile, and is likely to improve in a field that isn’t all that inspiring.