Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 7-Morning Addiction (Race 4)
Race #1: Selections: 2-3-5
2-Max n’ Lou shortens back up to a sprint this afternoon, exiting a troubled trip seventh at this level on Jan. 3. The 3-year-old gelding gets a solid rider upgrade to top grass pilot Hector Berrios this afternoon and deserves another chance. 3-Lord Dunmore has flashed speed and tired against straight Maiden Special Weight types in all three grass sprint starts thus far but could get brave this afternoon with the class relief. 5-Dirty Words ran a better-than-looks-on-paper fifth in his Nov. 16 grass sprint unveiling for D’Amato and now returns three months later on the class drop.
Race #2: Selections: 1-2-5
Turf to dirt 1-Handsome Ticket flashed speed and tired on Jan. 23 when returning off a nine-month freshening and should be much tighter today, making his second try off the bench. The last time he tried the main track, the gelding was a five-length Maiden winner at Los Al. 2-Jerry’s Spirit returns off a two-month break for conditioner Dean Pederson and has run well at this level. 5-Zombo Bombo returns as a first-time gelding off an extended layoff for trainer George Papaprodromou. The 4-year-old gelding has trained steadily for today’s return to action.
Race #3: Selections: 1-3-6
The lightly raced 4-year-old filly 1-Headed for Om returns off a six-month break for trainer John Sadler off a spirited work tab. She projects to get a favorable ground-saving trip from the rail and is reunited with the winning pilot, Hector Berrios. 3-Ms McWhinney finished behind Long Mayshe Reign in her most recent try on Jan. 20 but is eligible to improve today for Team O’Neill while making her second start off the bench. 6-Long Mayshe Reign has good early zip from the outside slot this afternoon and has run extremely well in her last four turf sprint tries (a win and three runner-up efforts). She’s a logical fit once again.
Race #4: Selections: 7-4-1
7-Morning Addiction has run some of the faster main track Beyers in this field, and this 10 for 35 8-year-old mare looks to lay over this field solely on numbers. She drops to a career-low $5k claiming tag with pressing speed and a good post. The obvious knock is the short price. 4-La Popis was a winner facing similar when last seen beating N2x claimers at Pleasanton on Dec. 7. She will be making her first start in Southern California off the mini-freshening. That last race has produced a pair of next-out winners. 1-Broadway Tiger has good speed to coincide with today’s inside rail draw and drops to a career-low claiming tag off of some dull efforts against better. She’ll likely be hustled along from the rail by jockey Manuel Americano.
Race #5: Selections: 7-4-5
7-Elwood Blues has never tried grass but is fast and fresh for Team Baffert. The 5-year-old by Justify has never been off the board in six career starts, and may be the speed of the speed from the outside. Justify gets an OK 15% with grass sprint prodigy and his dam was a graded stakes turf winner. The five-furlong specialist 4-Unconquerable Keen (Ire) was eased through the final furlong when taking up at the start when overmatched in the G2 Joe Hernandez on Dec. 28. The 6-year-old gelding drops down into a softer spot today on the turnback for trainer Phil D’Amato and should work out a solid stalking journey behind the speed. His stablemate, 5-Turn On The Jets (Ire), has finished behind Unconquerable Keen on multiple occasions but enters this afternoon as a fresh horse. She drilled a sharp five furlongs in a bullet :59.1 over the synthetic track on Feb. 9.
Race #6: Selections: 5-4-6
5-Not My Rodeo returns to afternoon racing, exiting back-to-back efforts under the lights at Los Al on Jan. 5 and 19. The 6-year-old gelding drops into a career-low claiming tag this afternoon and could be tough to reel in late if able to establish a clear lead. 4-Getemdusty broke through on Jan. 16 in career try number 14 when driving clear late to win by 3 ¾ lengths. The 5-year-old gelding looks well-placed for his first crack against winners. 6-One Big Smile finished second in front of Galloping Major and Six Hot Grands when facing winners off the Nov. 30 Maiden victory. The 1 for 20 gelding projects to get another favorable upfront pressing trip.
Race #7: Selections: 6-1-2
6-Black as My Heart had an awful and forgivable trip when returning off a three-month layoff in his most recent grass route try on Dec. 28. He finished a decent third two-back at Del Mar at this $50k Maiden Claiming level and is worth a shot at a price today on the cutback. 1-Crazy Cavalier is a logical fit based on his back-to-back runner-up grass finishes at this level in his last pair and now makes his second start off the Team O’Neill claim. Blinkers on 2-Feel the Magic returns as a first-time gelding with Prat after an eight-month layoff for trainer Michael McCarthy. The 4-year-old has shown solid form on dirt but has yet to try turf. He’s by Good Magic, only 4 for 106 (3%) with grass sprint prodigy. Mixed feelings. 8-Maxville makes career start number 15 today off an eight-month layoff. He drops in for a first-time tag off several dull route turf efforts but has run grass Beyers that match up well with this group, and his synthetic drills have been steady.
Race #8: Selections 7-6-1
7-Respect the Crown moves up in class off the Feb. 8 Los Al claim after finishing a solid closing second and earning a competitive (64) Beyer. The 4-year-old filly can run this suspect field down late for new owner/trainer Jesus Uranga, who has done well during this meet from limited starts. 6-Icy Mischief just missed by a nose when dropped to this $8k Claiming N3L level on Jan. 20 on the turnback and is a logical fit again today if she manages to string together two sharp efforts. 1-Candyinthemorning flashed speed and tired as the beaten favorite when facing a trio of returning rivals in the aforementioned Jan. 20 event. The 5-year-old mare goes out for a new barn this afternoon and figures to be hustled along from the rail.
Race #9: Selections 5-6-4
Blinkers off and recent Maiden winner 5-Scipio moves back up to face stakes foes after previously placing second and third in a pair of graded stakes events for trainer Richard Baltas. The 3-year-old may find the shorter downhill layout most fitting, and he has returned to fire a “best of 101” bullet five-furlong drill in :47 flat on Feb. 10 over the synthetic track. The Mark Glatt-trained 6-Freedom’s Not Free moves up in class off a sharp Maiden score on Jan. 5 (in his first turf start), earning a solid (83) turf Beyer. The son of Omaha Beach switches to the downhill course for his first try against winners. The carefully handled 4-Fomo Joe ran well to finish a game second in the Eddie Logan Stakes in career start number two on Dec. 29 and now shortens up from a mile for his initial downhill try.
Race #10: Selections 4-6-2
A half dozen runners return here from the same one-mile Maiden Special Weight turf route on Jan. 20. 4-Inner Fury (Ire) is not one of those fillies. She makes her first stateside start off a five-month layoff for trainer Phil D’Amato, who specializes in these lightly-raced grass imports. This 3-year-old adds Lasix today after finishing fourth in her Sept. 30 Down Royal debut and has trained well over the local synthetic footing. Rispoli on indicates that she is likely well-meant. Blinkers off 6-Pura Vida Princesa flashed good early zip through some taxing early splits on the stretch-out in that aforementioned Jan. 20 event and now makes her second try off the bench for Team O’Neill. She’s trained well since that top effort. 2-Lila finished a much-improved second in start number two with the addition of Lasix and is a logical fit right back sporting the field’s best last-out grass Beyer (73).
