Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 3-Buetane (Race 5)
Race #1: Selections: 6-4-7
Recent maiden winner 6-Expressive Love kicked away to a solid 3 ¼-length gate-to-wire win on Dec. 12, going this one-mile trip with a field’s best last-out (62) Beyer, and looks well-spotted for her first crack against winners. 4-Perfect Life threw his head at the start and broke slowly when facing better less than two weeks ago over the main track, and now drops in class on the stretch out. 7-Only Reputation has yet to hit the board since breaking his maiden on debut back in August 2024, but drops to a career-low $10k claiming tag this afternoon and is eligible to improve at this reduced level.
Race #2: Selections: 3-5-1
3-Bint Al Dandy (Ire) has had several close-up finishes, hitting the board in five of six turf route starts, but has surrendered clear leads in the last three efforts. She switches to Rispoli off the mini-freshening and gets the tepid vote in here. 5-Claire Austin rallied strongly late to grab the place spot when ignored at 18-1 on debut Nov. 28 at Del Mar and is dangerous with any normal second-out progression. The Papaprodromou barn is only 2 for 45 (4%) with second-time turf starters the past five years, however. 1-Sandy Street (by Street Sense) was a $500k purchase, making her long-awaited 5-year-old debut for a lucrative jockey-trainer combo off a solid worktab. She must negotiate the rail break today, but looks to have some ability.
Race #3: Selections: 5-1-2
Trainer Bob Baffert has won the Santa Ynez Stakes a record seven times and has three of the five sophomore fillies in the 2026 edition. The talented daughter of Blame 5-Explora leads the trio off a pair of seconds in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and Del Mar Debutante and the dominating 4 ¼-length win in the G2 Oak Leaf over this strip on Oct. 4. She shortens back up to seven panels this afternoon and should be on or close to the lead today. Her stablemate, the G3-winning 1-Himika, was run down as the odds-on choice by Revera in the Desi Arnaz S. on Nov. 16 but returns to Santa Anita, where she was a decisive winner of the Anoakia S. two back. 2-La Wally chased a fast opening quarter in the aforementioned BC Juvenile Fillies before calling it an afternoon and is eligible to bounce back on the cutback today for trainer Mark Glatt.
Race #4: Selections: 4-8-7
4-Romantic Ride goes first off the claim for trainer Vladimir Cerin after an encouraging runner-up finish at 26-1 on debut at Churchill on Nov. 12. The 3-year-old colt by Clubhouse Ride switches to turf and is confidently stepped up to face MDSW types off the acquisition and lures Hernandez for his first try in Southern California. He fired an eye-catching “best of 99” four-furlong bullet in :46 flat over the local main track on Dec. 29. Lasix on. 8-Sirnami rallied wide for the place spot in a sharp grass debut sprint try on Nov. 24 at Del Mar for conditioner Mike Puype and figures to be a handful with any second-out improvement. This barn is a solid 6 for 24 (25%) with second-time turf sprint starters the past five years. This gelded son of Sir Prancealot is also adding Lasix. 7-Almost There is a logical fit based on his pair of seconds to start his career, sprinting on grass. He returns from a 10-week mini-freshening with Lasix and was runner-up to repeat winner Cal’s Goal when last seen in late October.
Race #5: Selections: 3-4-1
3-Buetane was no match for the undefeated and early Kentucky Derby favorite Ted Noffey in the G1 Hopeful, but has had a few months to mature since then for Team Baffert, and has been training swiftly in his a.m. drills leading up to today’s San Vicente—a race this conditioner has won a record 14 times. 4-Acknowledgemeplz took a step backwards when stepping up into the graded stakes ranks in the Dec. 13 Los Al Futurity (G2) but is eligible to bounce back this afternoon, adding blinkers, shortening up to seven panels, and returning to Santa Anita. The sophomore earned a field’s best (93) Beyer speed figure in his maiden-breaking effort two back. The other Baffert 1-Greenwich Village (by Quality Road) was a game winner on debut at Los Al on Dec. 6 and has trained sharply since that winning effort.
Race #6: Selections: 6-3-5
6-Cloudy Women rallied for the place spot when last seen back in mid-October for trainer John Sadler, earning the field’s best last-out and a career-best grass Beyer (75). The 4-year-old filly has worked well in the interim and should fall into a favorable stalking journey. 3-Hey Lil Lady has been outrun in her most recent efforts but takes a sizable class plunge this afternoon for trainer Bob Hess on the turnback and switches to Rispoli. The lightly raced 5-Pocket Venus has run well in all three career starts for Glatt and now moves to the turf off a three-month freshening. Her pedigree does not scream grass, but this 4-year-old filly figures to be on the front-end this afternoon.
Race #7: Selections: 6-2-7
The Glatt-trained 6-Handsome Ticket has been plagued by layoff lines and has not been out in 11 months. The 7-year-old gelding returns for a drastically suspicious reduced $10k claiming tag but merits a look against this soft group despite the obvious red flag concerns. 2-No More Ding Dongs has seen his Beyers increase in each of his last three subsequent starts and exits a good second behind repeat winner, Dirty Words, in his most recent try. The 1-for-30 7-Last Call Paul has managed to fill out the underneath exotics on several occasions and figures to be on or close to the lead again this afternoon with Maldonado. He can certainly grab a share of this again this afternoon, but he is hard to endorse on the win end.
Race #8: Selections: 8-4-3
8-Russels Hustle gets another outside draw but takes a sizable class drop today for Miller and has run some of the top turf Beyers in this field. Berrios climbs back aboard, and this 6-year-old gelding gets the tepid vote in a wide-open affair to kick off the bettor-friendly low takeout $3 Pick 3. 4-Jimmy Blue Jeans goes first off the claim for trainer George Paprodromou, who is a solid 9 for 24 (38%) with a $4.13 ROI the past four years with grass route newly acquired purchases. He finished third behind the next-out winner, Mr. Disrespectful, when last seen on Nov. 30. 3-Castle Leoch rallied up the fence to defeat several of these at 7-1 when last seen back on Oct. 19 over this grass course and is back in for the same $25k claiming tag. The 7-year-old gelding has never strung wins together, however.
Race #9: Selections: 8-2-3-4
8-Dial a Friend ships in off a series of 1,000-yard tries under the lights at Los Al and looks fast enough to clear this field from the get-go for trainer Jesus Mendoza. Buried deep in the past performances is a solid win in his sole try over this main track, and I’m encouraged to see Berrios take the call this afternoon. 2-She’s Splendid steps up in class after kicking away to a decisive four-length score at Los Al on Dec. 7. That field’s best last-out (67) Beyer is just one point shy of par for this level, and this 5-year-old mare lands in a field she can easily repeat for conditioner Brendan Galvin. Kimura is back aboard for the return mount. 3-Empress of Grace goes for her third straight win this afternoon for trainer Steve Knapp, dropping from a $25k tag to today’s $10,000 level. 4-Rousing Jewel goes second off the claim for trainer George Lopez, and just missed by a nose at Los Al when facing slightly cheaper two back.
Race #10: Selections: 2-4-12
2-King of Dragons ran well for second off the 10-month layoff for trainer Peter Eurton on Nov. 8, posting the field’s best last-out turf Beyer (83). The 4-year-old gelding worked a solid four furlongs in :48 flat over the Santa Anita synthetic track on Jan. 4 in preparation for this, and should get a live race flow to close into off a ground-saving trip with red-hot Demuro. The multiple stakes-placed 4-Cali Cat returns off a three-month freshening at today’s reduced level for Sadler and is a logical win threat in the Saturday afternoon nightcap. Recent maiden winner 12-Warm Sun and Brew has run well in both turf tries for Glatt and switches to Hernandez this afternoon for his initial try against winners. The son of Clubhouse Ride must negotiate the far outside post this afternoon, but has shown a versatile running style to start his career, and is dangerous with another move forward.
