Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 1-Exultation (Race 8)
Race #1: Selections: 3-7-2
A wide-open $50k maiden claiming grass route for fillies and mares kicks off the Sunday afternoon race card. 3-Holly Goquickly (Fr) lost all chance when the rider slipped from his irons in her April 6 turf route and deserves another crack at this $50K Maiden claiming level for trainer Michael McCarthy. This 4-year-old filly finished an OK closing third in consecutive races two and three-back and retains Hernandez. 7-Tavolara flashed improved speed in start number two for trainer Carla Gaines when finishing third and fits here with another progressive move forward. 2-Authentic Grace has improved with each subsequent start and drops another notch for Drysdale.
Race #2: Selections: 4-7-2
The Doug O’Neill-trained 4-Rank makes career start number 12 today, but exits a top (89) Beyer speed figure in his most recent route try. The son of Honor A. P. shortens back up to a sprint this afternoon, has had several close-up finishes, and may have finally found a field he can handle. Turf to dirt 7-Charlie Foxtrot makes the all-important third career start for Glatt and his “best of 63” bullet four-furlong drill in :46.2 on April 26 certainly catches the eye. 2-Concord Bridge drops back down into the maiden claiming ranks off a well-beaten fourth-place effort on April 6. This 4-year-old is making his second try off the bench for conditioner Ron Ellis, and is eligible to move forward. 6-War to Remember returns to the main track on the quick turnaround and finished second at this level three-back.
Race #3: Selections: 1-4-2
1-Fionello must negotiate a tricky inside rail draw for this 4 ½-furlong Maiden Special Weight sprint dash, but just might be up to the task. This juvenile colt is by multiple Grade 1-winner Stay Thirsty, who gets an ordinary 10% with his debuting prodigy. However, he’s trained well in his a.m. drills, and this jockey-trainer combo is 7 for 29 (24%) with a $3.38 ROI when teamed up with firsters the past five years. 4-Flashy Fritz goes out for the Steve Miyadi barn that scored with runaway winning firster, Jaguar Jon last Sunday. This colt has the barn’s typical slow works leading up to his unveiling. Watch the early wagering action for more clues of intent. The same can be said for stablemate 2-Mr. Pippens, who is also by Stay Thirsty.
Race #4: Selections: 6-5-1
6-Mrs. Astor has run well in all three of her last turf marathon starts against Grade 3 competition for conditioner Jonathan Thomas. She was runner-up in the Santa Ana on March 15 despite traffic troubles and is likely to move forward today, making her second try off the bench. The 5-year-old mare sports the field’s best last-out grass Beyer (89). The D’Amato-trained 5-Starry Heavens (Ire) finished third behind the top choice in the aforementioned Santa Ana and is likely to improve substantially in her second stateside start off the eight-month layoff. 1-Sophisticate drops out of the Grade 3 Wilshire into this softer spot on the stretch-out today for trainer John Shirreffs. This 4-year-old filly has run well in both starts from the rail and retains top turf pilot Hector Berrios.
Race #5: Selections: 7-1-4
7-Letmein steps up to face winners off a smashing 12-length maiden claiming six-furlong blowout score on April 6 for conditioner Mark Glatt. The gelded son of Mr. Big earned a (78) main track Beyer for that impressive score, and he can repeat. 1-Western Freedom was equally impressive, defeating a bulky Maiden field on April 5 in career start number two from the rail and registered a field’s best (79) Beyer for that score. 4-Check’s On the Way goes turf to dirt on the turnback and was a winner over this racetrack four back. The 3-year-old gelding is reunited winning pilot Umberto Risploi, who is off to a fast start this current meet.
Race #6: Selections: 3-7-10
3-Yogi Boy kicked away to a solid six-furlong grass sprint score on March 22 and is projected to get a similar tracking journey this afternoon. The Mike Puype trainee only makes his third start since September 2023 and can repeat. 7-Known Idea returns off an eight-month hiatus for an excellent layoff barn and lures Hernandez off the bench. The D’Amato-trained 10–Rexford drops in for today’s $30k claiming tag off the mini-freshening. The 5-year-old gelded son of Tapiture fired back-to-back bullet drills in preparation for this and has proven he can fire fresh.
Race #7: Selections: 2-6-14
Blinkers on 2-Chasing Ryter goes turf to dirt, dropping in for a first-time tag for Mullins. This 3-year-old gelding will be tough to overhaul if he can run back to that (63) main track debut Beyer from January. Considering he only cost $5k, this is a realistic spot. 6-Got Your Six flashed improved speed in career start number two when a well-beaten sixth at 69-1. The 5-year-old gelded Maiden takes a sizable class plunge this afternoon from $50k to $12,500 maiden claimers and will look to wire this field with Ayuso. 14-Pax a Punch gets the extreme outside draw but is a threat to hit the vertical exotics on today’s sizable class drop.
Race #8: Selections 1-2-8
The hard-hitting 10-year-old veteran gelding 1-Exultation has racked up 10 career victories from 30 starts and has been freshened since his last Jan. 16 win. He loves the Santa Anita grass course (19-6-6-2) and has trained well over the local synthetic track for today’s second start of the year. Equally effective is 9-year-old veteran 2-Vantastic, who sports the field’s best last-out turf Beyer (90). He finished a solid second facing similar on Feb. 9 and now makes his second try off the four-month break. Hernandez lands on the top choice, however. Blinkers on 8-Mackinnon makes his third start of the form cycle today for Team O’Neill and may try to wire this field with the shades back on.
Race #9: Selections 5-1-7
The stakes-winning 5-Vlahos removes the blinkers this afternoon, dropping out of the Grade 3 San Carlos. The Doug O’Neill trainee fired a sharp-looking five-furlong drill in :59.4 on April 27 in preparation for this. He’ll likely attempt to wire this field with aggressive gate pilot Edwin Maldonado back aboard. 1-Judge Miller makes his first start in nearly a year for trainer Mark Glatt off a steady work tab. The multiple graded-stakes placed son of Curlin posted the only triple-digit Beyer (105) in the field with a runaway allowance score three back. He’s likely to come out running for a good layoff barn. The Chilean-bred 7-Ga Mo Tak (Chi) is Grade 1-placed in his home country and makes his U.S. unveiling for trainer John Sadler. He adds Lasix off the five-month freshening and can be any kind.
Race #10: Selections 7-10-1
7-Blevys Tiger just missed by a nose when finishing in front of a pair of today’s returning rivals, earning a field’s best last-out (81) grass Beyer. The 4-year-old daughter of Smiling Tiger makes her second start off the seven-month layoff and is a logical threat with a progressive move off that runner-up effort. 10-Blue Wildcat is winless since November 2023, but has had several close-up finishes at this level, and has run over the Santa Anita straight turf course. Blinkers off 1-Elegant Sway goes second off the claim for conditioner Andy Mathis and should get a favorable ground-saving trip from the rail.
