Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 2-Knightwithlouis (Race 2)
Race #1: Selections: 5-1-6
Second off the claim 5-News At Ten (GB) goes two sprints to a route this afternoon for trainer Peter Eurton and projects to get an upfront pressing trip on the stretch-out. The 5-year-old gelding switches back to Hernandez today and has worked well over the synthetic track since his last runner-up effort. 1-Time Song returns off a six-month layoff for a new barn while making his first Southern California appearance. The gelding’s turf tries on the east coast from last spring/summer match up well here. 6-Bold Supremacy is 1 for 19 but finished in front of News At Ten in his last try on May 3 when running a career-best grass Beyer (82) and is also stretching out to two turns.
Race #2: Selections: 2-6-3
Class dropping 2-Knightwithlouis is a multiple winner over the track and distance and sports the field’s best last-out main track Beyer (67). The 3-year-old filly looks like a serious gate-to-wire threat today at this reduced level and is the day’s best bet. 6-Lady of Sky goes turf to dirt today for conditioner Jorge Periban while finishing behind Knightwithlouis two back. However, she should appreciate moving back to the main track where she broke her maiden in her debut. This 3-year-old filly fired an eye-catching “best of 39” bullet four-furlong drill in :46.2 on May 30. 3-Petite Treat is also going turf to dirt for her second try off the bench and ran Ok over the main track at Del Mar last year.
Race #3: Selections: 5-1-7
5-Man Child was no match for runaway winner Atomic Bomb on May 11, but did finish in front of a pair of today’s returning rivals. The 5-year-old gelding now goes first off the claim for conditioner Sergio Morfin, who has above-average stats with new barn acquisitions. 1-Leyas Candy stretches back out to a mile today off the May 2 claim when finishing behind Man Child when last seen. This gelding has proven to be a better one-mile horse, however, having won at the distance three times. 7-Contrary Chieftain fired a career-best (78) main track Beyer when finishing a sharp second off the claim at 35-1 on May 17. The 6-year-old gelding moves up another notch for a barn that’s had a solid meet.
Race #4: Selections: 9-5-7
9-Miles Finch has hit the board in all four career grass tries for trainer John Sadler and now returns off the mini-freshening on the turnback. The 3-year-old son of Vronsky is a logical fit again with Hernandez back for the return mount. 5-Milken Cookies (by Acclamation) has strained sharply in the a.m. for today’s debut for the D’Amato barn. However, this top outfit has a below-average 7 for 81 (9%) win clip over the past five years, with grass sprint firsters. This jockey-trainer combo did score with turf sprint firster Ellen Jorth ($23.80) on 5/25. A beaten favorite in last, 7-Curlin Command has now run second in his last pair of sprint turf tries for trainer Brendan Galvin. He finished behind the 2-for-2 Sadler-trained Flyover in last.
Race #5: Selections: 6-8-3
6-Big City Miss hasn’t shown much in both grass tries to start her career, but moves to the main track today while dropping in for a first-time tag. Her sire Mr. Big, gets 16% with dirt sprint prodigy, and Hernandez is back for the return mount. Trainer Michael McCarthy is 4 for 15 (27%) with turf-to-dirt MDSW to MDCLM dropdowns. 8-Lil’ Boom Noom hasn’t been out in roughly eight months but finished second in three consecutive Maiden Special Weight main track sprints last year. She adds Lasix this afternoon. 3-Elsa Dutton finished a much-improved second on the surface switch and class drop on May 3 for D’Amato and deserves another chance at today’s $50k Maiden Claiming level.
Race #6: Selections: 7-4-11
A challenging, wide-open 1X allowance grass sprint event for colts and geldings over the downhill layout kicks off the late pick five. 7-Annan finished a solid second in his first crack against winners on May 11 and now shortens up to a sprint today off a series of one-mile races. Hernandez takes over as Berrios lands on the second choice. A runner-up in last and third over the downhill two-back, 4-Catmansue makes his third start of the form cycle today for Mullins on the class hike and figures to come with his customary late run. The colt’s five-furlong drill on May 30 indicates he remains sharp. The lightly raced 11–Papa Loves Vegas steps up in class off his May 3 maiden-breaking main track score and now moves back to turf while making his first try over the downhill course. He has good speed, adds blinkers today, and figures to be winging it from the start with today’s outside draw for trainer Val Brinkerhoff.
Race #7: Selections: 7-6-1
Trainer Bob Baffert has three of the seven fillies entered in this year’s edition of the Grade 3 Summertime Oaks. 7-Cash Call looks best of the trio exiting back-to-back sharp wins to start off her 2025 campaign. The $600k daughter of McKinzie makes her first start around two turns today and initial stakes try, but looks ready to assert herself as one of the top ladies in the division. She does lose Lasix today, however. Her stablemate, the stakes-winning 6-Silent Law (by Tiz the Law) has been freshened since a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks on April 5 and has trained well in the interim. 1-Thought Process returns off a seven-month freshening for trainer Phil D’Amato and has not been seen since flashing good speed and tiring in the BC Juvenile filly Turf (G1) back in November. She moves back to dirt today to start off the season and has trained well over the Santa Anita main track. The daughter of Grade 1-winning Collected has enough speed from the rail to ensure a decent trip and retains Berrios.
Race #8: Selections 8-1-11
8-Zalamo (Fr) shortens back up to a mile today, which should prove key for this gelding who exits a pair of solid tries going longer. The 5-year-old was a winner when last trying this one-mile trip over this course and Berrios is back aboard. 1-Ottoman Prince (Ire) steps up in class off back-to-back wins for D’Amato and sports the field’s best last-out grass Beyer (91) with that most recent May 4 victory over cheaper. The 5-year-old gelding moves to the rail this afternoon and figures to work out another favorable ground-saving trip. Fresu replaces Rispoli, who is in New York to ride Preakness winner Journalism. A winner of two of his last three turf routes, 11-Jeweled Shillelagh is drawn way outside today but has plenty of gate speed to grab a spot early on for conditioner Michael McCarthy. This gritty gelding has been ultra-consistent the past two years and figures in the hunt again today with his maiden-winning pilot back aboard.
Race #9: Selections 6-8-2
6-Cela Hall ran on well to grab the show spot in her well-backed May 26 debut for trainer Steve Miyadi and now drops in for today’s $50k claiming tag in career try number two. The daughter of Jimmy Creed should appreciate getting off the rail this afternoon and is eligible to move forward off that decent unveiling. 8-Sav’s Thirsty Star flashed decent speed in his April 20 debut before fading late, and now drops in for a tag in start number two. This barn has solid stats with MDSW to Maiden Claiming dropdowns and second-time starters. 2-Empress of Grace had a tough trip in her first start back off a 10-month layoff on May 18 when getting bounced around at the start, shuffled back, and racing wide thereafter for trainer Steve Knapp. She’s likely to show more in her all-important third career start while dropping in for a first-time tag.
Race #10: Selections 12-1-2
A full field of Maiden fillies closes out the Saturday program, going one mile over the turf course. On paper, this looks like a wide-open scramble. 12-Church Lady (Ire) could potentially be hampered by today’s outside draw, but makes her third try of the form cycle today for D’Amato and exits a tough trip third on May 17 when bumped and shuffled back in tight quarters. The daughter of multiple Grade 1 winner Churchill (Ire) switches to Hernandez today and should prove tough late with clear sailing in the lane. 1-Miss Artois returns off a six-month layoff for conditioner Richard Baltas off a spirited work tab over the Santa Anita main track. The 3-year-old filly by Mucho Macho Man adds Lasix, blinkers, and makes her first try on turf. She’s bred to handle grass and figures to be sent along from the rail. 2-Auntie goes two sprints to a route this afternoon for conditioner Michael McCarthy, off of back-to-back fifth-place finishes. She’s by Uncle Mo (15% turf routes) and should relish the extra real estate. 4-Runyon Canyon makes her third start off the bench this afternoon and adds blinkers for trainer Simon Callaghan. She finished behind Church Lady in last, but could easily reverse that decision with the right trip. Jockey Hector Berrios has almost become a must-include on the Santa Anita grass course.
