Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 2-Mirahmadi (Race 5)
Race #1: Selections: 3-4-6
3-Yogi Boy has returned from the layoff in stellar form, with a win and two runner-up finishes in three tries for conditioner Mike Puype. The 6-year-old gelded son of Twirling Candy has seen his Beyers increase with each subsequent start, and would have won his last as well if not for a stumble at the start. 4-Agency looks like the main threat to the top choice, exiting a solid second with a lofty (91) Beyer on May 16. The Glatt gelding makes his third start of the form cycle today. 6-Our Bucky Charm has good speed to coincide with today’s outside draw and ran a bang-up second when switched back to turf off the mini-freshening on May 17.
Race #2: Selections: 1-3-4
1-Himika must negotiate today’s rail draw, but is a pricey $900k daughter of Curlin by an Into Mischief mare for Team Baffert. She’s been training smartly in the a.m. and looks like she has solid talent. Her stablemate, 3-Bottle of Rouge, arrives on the scene off a spirited work tab, which includes back-to-back bullet drills. This juvenile filly is by multiple Grade 1 winner Vino Rosso (9% with debuting prodigy) and should also come out running with Kimura. 4-Stuffy Mist (by Maximus Mischief) has trained sharply for conditioner Victor Garcia, which includes a “best of 65” four-furlong bullet gate drill in :46.2 on May 25.
Race #3: Selections: 1-4-6
1-Dontgetfooledagain showed improved early speed on the May 24 stretch-out for trainer Craig Lewis and drops another notch this afternoon. The 3-year-old gelded son of Karakontie sports the field’s best last-out main track Beyer. 4-Master Jacques goes two sprints to a route today for the Papaprodromou barn and deserves another chance at this reduced level, stretching out. He’s by Clubhouse Ride, who gets an above-average 19% with dirt route runners. 6-Webster is slowly improving and exits a career-best try with the addition of Lasix.
Race #4: Selections: 6-3-5
6-Empress Ellie scampered away to a solid 2 ¾-length win on May 16 and now makes her first start off the George Papaprodromou claim. This shrewd barn is 7 for 20 (35%) with a $4.16 ROI with turf route recent acquisitions over the past three years. This 6-year-old daughter of American Pharoah is likely to be closer to the pace today. 3-Sareeha (Ire) is an eight-time winner for trainer Mark Glatt and loves this one-mile trip (18-7-5-0). The 6-year-old mare takes a sizable class drop today with some of the fastest turf Beyers in the field and looks like the main threat to the top choice. 5-Vronsky Feint stretches back out for her second try off the seven-month layoff and should be on or close to the lead in a paceless affair.
Race #5: Selections: 2-1-3
2-Mirahmadi was overmatched when last seen in the Grade 1 Santa Anita H. back in March but has been freshened for Baffert and turns back to a mile today off a solid work tab. The 4-year-old colt’s last try at the distance two-back resulted in a gate-to-wire win with a lofty (97) Beyer speed figure. 1-Momad holds the recency edge over Mirahmadi, exiting a game one-mile win on May 11 with a (96) Beyer. The gelded son of Nyquist steps up in class today but returned to fire a “best of 23” four-furlong bullet drill in :46.1 since that last win. The Mark Glatt-trained 3-Ultimate Gamble makes his second start off the 10-month layoff and is likely to move forward off that even sixth-place effort.
Race #6: Selections: 3-8-6
A voided claim when last seen back in August of last year, 3-Disposition returns for a career-low $20k maiden claiming tag today for trainer Michael McCarthy. The 4-year-old filly has been training steadily for today’s return to action and looks like a gate-to-wire threat with an alert break for an above-average layoff barn. 8–Waiting for My Cue finished a wide fifth in her May 26 unveiling for conditioner Blaine Wright and drops in for the tag in career try number two. The 3-year-old filly by Smiling Tiger attracted decent tote support that afternoon and is likely to improve substantially with a better journey. This barn is a solid 21% with dirt sprint second-time starters. 6-Arya’s Ride did not show much in her May 18 unveiling when finishing sixth by double digits, but is quickly dropped into this lower level for the George Papaprodromou barn. This outfit is only 5 for 105 (5%) over the past five years with second-time starters, however.
Race #7: Selections: 4-5-2
4-Cornelia Fort exits back-to-back runner-up finishes at today’s one-mile trip, including a most recent second in the Valentine S. on May 24. The 5-year-old Grazen mare switches to Rispoli this afternoon. 5-Andiamo Ragazza goes two sprints to a route today for trainer Peter Miller and gets jockey Antonio Fresu back in the saddle. He finished a fast-closing second aboard this filly two back. 2-Super Ellie has not broken sharply in her last two tries for trainer Mark Glatt, but was a solid 3 ½-length winner over this trip three-back in her first turf try. A solid chance if she shows more interest in the early stages this afternoon
Race #8: Selections 6-7-5
6-Grievous Angel debuts for trainer Phil D’Amato off a solid work tab at Los Al. This barn, known for its turf prowess, is a solid 5 for 29 (17%) with a $3.01 ROI with dirt sprint firsters at Santa Anita the past five years. This 3-year-old filly is by Tough Sunday, who is (6-3-0-1) with first-time starters according to DRF Formulator. 7-Honey Jo (by Stay Thirsty) debuts for the Peter Eurton barn off a spirited work tab. This jockey-trainer combo has two wins and a runner-up finish when teamed up with their last three debut runners. 5-Darlin Tami moves back to the main track, having hit the board in five of six career tries for conditioner Jeff Bonde. She finished a solid second with a (68) dirt Beyer two-back going 5 ½ furlongs.
Race #9: Selections 7-1-2
7-Pacific Quest is worth a flyer in the Thursday afternoon nightcap returning to turf and dropping another notch for trainer Bob Hess. The 4-year-old gelded son of Nyquist had an excusable trip in his lone debut grass attempt last June and has trained solidly over the synthetic surface since his most recent main track try. He stretches out today, is bred to relish two turns, and could pull the upset in a suspect field. 1-Crazy Cavalier is a 10-start Maiden that has hit the board seven times at varied turf distances. The gelding moves to the rail this afternoon and figures to get a favorable ground-saving trip. 2-Skyquist hasn’t shown much facing Maiden Special Weight types routing on turf in his first two tries, but returns as a first-time gelding today, dropping in for a tag. This barn is an above-average 4 for 19 (21%) with MDSW to MDCLM dropdowns routing on grass.
