Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 4-Smoovin Saturday (Race 8)
Race #1: Selections: 9-7-8
Happy Cal Cup Day! There are 5 stakes on today’s Saturday program.
9-Vicky Lyn attracted solid tote support in her Nov. 7 unveiling but was antsy post-race, hard to load, and then hopped at the start. She finished a wide, non-threatening sixth but is eligible to improve quickly with a better break and that racing experience behind her. Jockey Juan Hernandez hops on for trainer Brendan Galvin. 7-Danzing Daisy was overmatched in her most recent try in the Soviet Problem S. at Los Al, but drops back in class this afternoon, moving back to turf, where she has finished second in three prior grass tries. Lasix on. 8-Balaza finished third behind Danzing Daisy on Nov. 9, but makes the all-important third career start for the red-hot Mullins barn and can improve further.
Race #2: Selections: 4-1-5
4-Speedy Wilson drops out of the G1 Malibu into this softer spot for conditioner Phil D’Amato after closing to round out the trifecta. The colt has hit the board in seven of nine lifetime starts and fired a field’s best last-out (100) Beyer on Dec. 28. The speedy 1-Book Smart returns to the main track today for Hess and figures to be sent along aggressively from the rail by Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith. The multiple-stakes winning 5-Man O Rose has won three straight for Mullins and is a perfect 3-for-3 at Santa Anita.
Race #3: Selections: 11-9-7
11-Stars Hallow was a good second behind Libel Proof in her well-backed Nov. 7 grass sprint debut for trainer Dan Blacker and is a logical fit with any normal second-out progression. She adds Lasix today, along with all the other recently turned 3-year-olds in this lineup. 9-Meridian Mae goes dirt to turf in start number two after finishing an even fourth on debut Dec. 29. She’s by Stanford, who gets an above average 17% with grass sprint starters and can move forward in this spot for a barn that’s 4-for-21 (19%) with second-time grass sprint starters at Santa Anita the past five years. 7-Troisieme Etoile (by I’ll Have Another) has trained well for her sophomore debut for Team O’Neill and lures Rispoli at first asking. This barn has been hitting on all cylinders as of late.
Race #4: Selections: 1-3-10
1-Remember April moves back to a sprint today for trainer Tim Yakteen, exiting a well-beaten second at Los Al on Dec. 14. The 3-year-old daughter of Grazen adds Lasix today and meets a suspect group. 3-One Time Gal was overmatched in her last pair of starts but drops from $50k maiden claimers to today’s $20k level and can improve with the class relief. She rallied for second from far back after a tardy beginning against similar on debut three-back. 10-Love Lock is one of the two first-time starters entered by conditioner Isidro Tamayo, who is 4 for 27 (15%) with dirt sprint maiden claiming debut runners the past four years. She’s nicely drawn outside with Maldonado and does not need much to compete today.
Race #5: Selections: 1-8-2
1-Hey Jessie had little chance in the Red Carpet (G3) when stuck behind a sluggish pace in her most recent try on Nov. 23 for trainer Sean McCarthy. The 4-year-old daughter of Grazen receives some class relief today and should benefit from a live race flow to help utilize her late kick. Her last two turf route Beyers match up well here. 8-Vodka Vodka was hardly disgraced when finishing fourth behind Nysos and Nevada Beach in the G2 Laffit Pincay, and has proven to be equally effective on turf. The 5-year-old gelding won two straight prior to the last effort against far better for trainer Aggie Ordonez and has a versatile running style to easily adjust to any pace scenario. 2-Mr. Disrespectful has never gone this far and steps back up in class to face stakes competition, having won three of her last five starts, but figures for another up-front pressing trip on or close to the lead.
Race #6: Selections: 3-6-4
3-Coach Cronin kicked away to a decisive 3 ¼-length seven-furlong win over five rivals at Los Al on Dec. 14 for Glatt and shortens back up to six panels today, where he is a multiple winner. The 6-year-old gelding sports the field’s best last-out Beyer (82) and looms a likely repeater. 6-Titanic Thompson moves back to the main track, off the mini-freshening, and exits a sharp grass sprint win back on Nov. 7. This 4-year-old colt did earn above par for this class level on dirt at Del Mar this past summer. 4-Mr. Machupicchu is 1-for-23 but consistently fills out the underneath vertical exotics for trainer Jeff Bonde and drops out of a tougher spot when last seen at the end of last month.
Race #7: Selections: 3-5-6
The Dan Blacker-trained 3-Cee Draw never got on track in the Nov. 29 Jimmy Durante (G3) from a tough outside draw but moves inside this afternoon, makes career start number three, and was a solid grass winner on debut over this course. That last stake event has produced a pair of next-out winners. The stakes-winning 5-Too Sassy has plenty of early zip for a low-profile barn and projects to be on or close to the lead in here this afternoon. She makes her grass debut, but is by Om (15% turf routes) and should readily handle the surface switch. 6-Cecilia Street is in top form for conditioner Leonard Powell, having won two of her last three starts, and is a winner at today’s one-mile trip. The daughter of Stanford is 2-for-2 with jockey Mirco Demuro.
Race #8: Selections: 4-6-7
The undefeated 4-Smoovin Saturday is 2-for-2 for trainer Michael McCarthy, and kicked away nicely to win the King Glorios S. at Los Al on Dec. 14 over four of today’s returning rivals. The 3-year-old sophomore son of I’ll Have Another is likely to get another live race flow to close into, stretching out an additional sixteenth of a mile. 6-Ocean Bear has done little wrong for the Papaprodromou barn, having won three straight, including the Golden State Juvenile S. on Halloween. His Beyers have increased with each subsequent start, and his running style suggests two turns should be in his wheelhouse. 7-John Metcalfe exits three consecutive runner-up finishes for trainer Craig Lewis, finishing behind the top choice in both of his last two tries. His pedigree, however, suggests that going longer may be more beneficial.
Race #9: Selections: 3-5-8
The multiple stakes winning 3-Grand Slam Smile has hit the board in all 16 lifetime starts (9-6-1) and has continued her winning ways and consistency since being transferred to trainer Sean McCarthy last summer. A proven winner over the downhill layout, this gritty 5-year-old mare has worked well in recent winners and looks primed for a top try off the mini-freshening. 5-Sneaker returns to her preferred turf surface today and has had success over the downhill course in both local tries. She’s also a multiple stakes winner and has run grass Beyers that are certainly fast enough to win this. The Oscar Performance mare adds blinkers this afternoon and projects to get a favorable close-up tracking trip. 8-Take Another Card shortens back up in distance for her first try over the downhill course, making the third start of the form cycle. This 4-year-old filly owns the top late pace figure in this field and should be motoring home late with Rispoli.
