Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 4-Charley Pride (Race 4)
Race #1: Selections: 5-2-3
5-Going Nowhere was a solid runner-up going this trip against similar in last, and is a logical fit right back. This jockey-trainer combo has had great success. 2-Gray Thunder was off slowly with a wide trip in a non-threatening fifth-place debut back on Jan. 19. The 3-year-old colt is eligible to move forward in start number two for conditioner Richard Baltas. 3-Outworker goes dirt to turf on the stretch-out today for trainer Tim Yakteen and fired a sharp “best of 58” five-furlong bullet drill on May 4. The colt is by Outwork, who gets an average of 12% with grass route prodigy.
Race #2: Selections: 4-2-5
4-Auditory moves back to dirt on the turnback for trainer Steve Miyadi and drops in for a career-low claiming tag. This 4-year-old daughter of Audible figures to get a favorable stalking journey with the apprentice Carmona climbing aboard. 2-Lucky Sermon steps up to face winners off a March 7 Maiden score and does not meet the toughest group of fillies and mares. 5-Crypto Crush goes turf to dirt on the class plunge off a two-month freshening and is eligible to wake up against this softer group.
Race #3: Selections: 5-3-4
5- Mr. Disrespectful is unproven on turf, but is projected to clear this field rather easily for this low-profile barn, and is a gate-to-wire threat with top turf pilot, Hector Berrios, climbing aboard. 3-Dealers Special steps up in class off a sharp 4 ½-length turf score back on March 8 and sports the field’s bets last-out grass Beyer for Baltas. 4-Rastaman Vibe (0 for 11 on the Santa Anita lawn) has finished third at this level in three consecutive tries for trainer Peter Eurton. This 4-year-old has trained well for his return from the mini-freshening.
Race #4: Selections: 4-5-3
4-Charley Pride tossed his head and broke slowly in his most recent try on April 6 but showed interest late for the D’Amato barn. The 5-year-old gelded son of Arrogate drops from $50k Maiden claimers to today’s $12,500 level and should be tough to overhaul if he runs back to that (65) Beyer from two-back. 5-Riding By finished behind Charley Pride in that aforementioned April 6 event and is also taking a significant class drop. 3-James J. Braddock is another class dropper, exiting the same race as the top pair when a wide seventh.
Race #5: Selections: 6-3-2
6-Lamporghini drops in class today for Team O’Neill off the mini-freshening, and a pair of runners have returned to win out of her last race. She was a winner at this shorter six-furlong trip four back. The 8-year-old mare 3-Ultimate Hy returns to her preferred grass surface today after a well-beaten main track try on April 25. She was a game winner in a close finish two-back when facing similar. 2-Danzingwith Maxine has won two of her last three turf starts for conditioner Cliff Sise at today’s six-furlong trip and Smith is off to a fast start this current meet.
Race #6: Selections: 6-7-5
6-Pio Nono unleashed a strong eight-wide rally in his March 15 debut to finish a fast-closing second. The 3-year-old gelded son of Catholic Boy figures to be a handful if he shows any normal second-out progression off that encouraging unveiling. 7-Magaton Man goes turf to dirt and drops in for a tag in career start number two off a well-beaten fifth in his grass debut. 5–Salsa On the Beach (by Circumference) has worked well for today’s first start for trainer Sergio Morfin, but this barn is only 2 for 52 (4%) with firsters the past five years.
Race #7: Selections: 7-5-2
7-Khinjani (GB) hasn’t been out in roughly 15 months for D’Amato, but has already proven she can fire fresh when winning in her first stateside effort off a layoff. The 5-year-old mare has trained exceptionally well for today’s return to action and lures Berrios off the bench. 5-Runamileinmyshoes was a sharp gate-to-wire winner on March 22 when stretching back out to this one-mile trip for Mullins and has fired two bullet drills since that winning effort. The 4-year-old filly steps up in class in top form. The other Glatt runner, 2-Sareeha (Ire), is a multiple winner over this track and distance and finished a solid runner-up at this level when last seen on St. Patrick’s Day.
Race #8: Selections 1-5-6
Five runners return out of the April 6 six-furlong main track sprint. 1-I’m a Risque Girl makes her second start off the eight-month layoff off an even fourth-place finish and now goes first off the claim for conditioner Francisco Rodriguez. This barn is 4 for 14 (29%) with a $3.27 ROI with new acquisitions, and this mare can move forward for her new connections. 5-Woodbine Way was overmatched in the last but defeated several of these two-back. She figures to get another upfront pressing trip. 6-Tessa (GB) was a good second to Woodbine Way in last and now makes her third try off the bench for conditioner Bill McLean. The 5-year-old mare could easily reverse that last decision, making her second start at this reduced level.
Race #9: Selections 1-8-5
1-One of These Days (Ire) returns off a seven-month layoff for trainer Phil D’Amato and is in for today’s reduced $25k claiming tag. This 5-year-old gelding has worked very well for a barn that is solid off the bench, and he’s run above par for this class level on several occasions. 8-Naismith is 1 for 16 overall and 0-for-11 over the Santa Anita grass course. However, this 7-year-old gelding stretches out to 1 1/8 miles today for the first time and figures to be forwardly placed for the longtime successful Desormeaux/Hess jockey-trainer combo. He broke a step slow in his most recent effort on April 6 and rallied to finish third ahead of a pair of today’s returning rivals. 5-Gentlemen’s Club takes a sizable class drop this afternoon for trainer Craig Lewis and fired a sharp four-furlong main track drill on May 2.
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