Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 4-Putt for Dough (Race 6)
Race #1: Selections: 1-2-6
A wide-open turf sprint claimer for older mares kicks off the Friday afternoon card. 1-Annie’s Joy returns to turf, removes the blinkers, and switches to Juan Hernandez. The 5-year-old mare has run some turf Beyers that match up well against this group. 2-Gem Mine exits a pair of troubled trips for trainer Richard Baltas and has more early zip than she’s shown in recent turf sprints. This mare projects to get an upfront pressing trip with a better break. 6-Kitty Kitana (GB) finished a disappointing sixth as the beaten favorite off the mini-freshening for Sadler and is eligible to rebound, making her second try at this $30k claiming NW1 level.
Race #2: Selections: 5-4-3
5-Desert Gate is by multiple Grade 1 winner Omaha Beach, who gets an above-average 17% with his juvenile debuting prodigy. This 2-year-old colt has trained sharply for Baffert, is nicely drawn outside, and attracts Hernandez at first asking. 4-Acknowledgemeplz is one of two Team O’Neill colts debuting here. This colt shows a sharp four-furlong gate work on June 1 in :46.4. 3-Jetway (by Munnings) has trained steadily for conditioner John Sadler, who is 6 for 27 (22%) with sprint debut runners at this venue the past five years. Berrios takes the call and has run well for these top connections.
Race #3: Selections: 2-4-5
A short but tricky field to handicap. 2-Mongolian Max hasn’t shown much in the last pair of fifth-place finishes, but drops back down to the level where he was a commanding winner four back and is reunited with winning pilot Welfin Orantes. 4-Be Punctual was hard to handle when pulling the rider in the most recent wide fifth, and now makes his second try off the Hess claim. This barn is 3 for 14 (21%) with a positive ROI with dirt route second off the claim runners at Santa Anita. 5-Fireman Dan sports the field’s best last-out main track Beyer of (79) while exiting a game runner-up try at 18-1 on May 16. The 6-year-old gelding is only 2 for 37 lifetime, however, and usually prefers to finish underneath.
Race #4: Selections: 1-3-2
1-Big Don’s Smiling defeated several of these on May 10 with a game nose victory and has paired up wins in the past. The 7-time winner moves from an outside post to the rail this afternoon and will need to work out a trip from a tricky inside draw. 3-Whiskeyinateacup was a 2 ½-length winner facing similar when returning here on May 31 and is a logical fit with a similar effort. 2-Donttestyourluck returns to Santa Anita, where he’s 0 for 10, and exits a recent runner-up finish at Los Al on May 31. This hard-trying 5-year-old gelding has been close here despite not finding the winner’s circle yet.
Race #5: Selections: 9-7-4
9-Ellen North was a 10-1 debut Maiden winner for the D’Amato barn that rarely wins at first asking. The 3-year-old filly by Grazen steps up to face winners today and is nicely drawn outside again this afternoon. She’s fully capable of repeating with any normal second-out progression. A sharp off-the-pace winner on debut, 7-Tight Squeeze finished an Ok third when stepped up in class on May 16 in her second start as the beaten favorite. The daughter of Sir Prancealot makes the all-important third career try for Sadler today, and is likely to get a spirited early race flow to close into. 4-Spotted Haze has run well in all three tries for Mullins with a pair of wins and a runner-up finish over turf. She moves back to grass this afternoon, exiting a main track win on May 3, and is reunited with Hernandez.
Race #6: Selections: 4-2-3
A winner of two of three starts, 4-Putt for Dough goes turf to dirt on the class drop and should be tough to overhaul at today’s $8k claiming level. The 4-year-old filly has shown the versatility to take the lead or sit, which gives jockey Diego Herrera several options depending on how the race unfolds. The speedy 2-Toulouse Detrac drops in for a career-low claiming tag this afternoon, exciting a speed and fade against better on May 18. The 4-year-old filly makes her third start of the form cycle today, with an improving Beyer pattern, and will likely try and wire this field. 3–Stellar Cap returns to Santa Anita off a beaten-favorite fifth at Los Al on May 31. This Gary Stute filly was a sharp second two-back when opening up on the field and getting caught late.
Race #7: Selections: 10-6-1
A fourth-place finish in the John Shear S., when last seen, 10-Muscled must negotiate today’s outside draw but returns off the mini-freshening as a first-time gelding for conditioner Paddy Gallagher and has trained well for today’s stretch out. Rispoli sticks. 6-Game Warrior drops into this softer spot this afternoon, exiting four consecutive stakes tries for trainer Peter Miller. The 4-year-old colt adds Lasix, removes the blinkers today, and switches to Hernandez. 1-Lynn The Crocodile (Ire) makes his first stateside start for the D’Amato barn off a 3 ½-month layoff and is a multiple winner over the synthetic surface in Ireland. He adds Lasix today, has trained sharply locally, and gets the hot turf hand of jockey Hector Berrios. He should trip out nicely from the rail.
Race #8: Selections 2-3-5
The lightly raced 2-Eagles Flight shortens up to a sprint today for Sadler, making his third start of the form cycle. The 4-year-old son of Curlin has hit the board in all four career starts, and posted a (100) Beyer with a smashing 4 ½-length win two-back. He’s trained lights-out in the a.m. (including four furlongs in a snappy :45.4 “best of 79” bullet on June 1) and projects to be a major contender on the cutback. The multiple graded-stakes-placed 3-Hejazi has been sidelined roughly 17 months for Baffert but has trained like he is ready to fire big off the extended break. Hernandez lands here. 5-Vlahos is quick off the blocks for Team O’Neill and battled determinedly on the lead in his most recent try on May 4 before tiring late to finish fourth (beaten only a length). He shortens up from 6 ½ to six panels today, and will be in the early hunt once again with aggressive gate pilot Edwin Maldonado.
Race #9: Selections 5-7-4
5-Tees Touch (GB) returns off a 13-month layoff for trainer Phil D’Amato after finishing a sharp second in his only stateside start last May. The 4-year-old gelding earned a strong (84) Beyer for that effort and has trained steadily for today’s return to action. This lucrative jockey-trainer combo is 4 for 12 (33%) with a $3.68 ROI with grass sprint starters returning >180 days the past five years. The 4-year-old colt 7-Say Never No More (Ire) is by Group 1 winner by No Nay Never and makes his long-awaited debut for trainer John Sadler. He’s trained sharply for today’s unveiling, and although the sample is small, this jockey-trainer combo is 3 for 5 (60%) with a lofty $5.44 ROI with grass sprint debut runners. 4-War to Remember has flashed speed in all seven career tries to date and drops another notch for Miller. The gelding goes dirt to turf this afternoon and is reunited with Hernandez.
