Santa Anita (Saturday-02/21/2026) By Dean Keppler

Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner

BEST BET: 10-Yurak (Race 10)

Race #1: Selections: 4-6-3

4-Third Beer drops out of three consecutive stake tries, which included the G3 Zuma Beach and BC Juvenile Turf (G1), into this much softer spot this afternoon for conditioner Tim Yakteen. The 3-year-old Mendelssohn colt makes his second try off the mini-freshening and never had a realistic chance in the Eddie Logan S., stuck behind a sluggish pace. A more favorable race flow should improve his chances today, as he reunites with the winning pilot, Antonio Fresu. 6-Ventry Strand (by Violence) goes two sprints to a route today, having won half of his grass sprint tries for Sadler. The sophomore colt exits an odds-on even money score Jan. 19 versus similar, and should have little issue with today’s one-mile trip. The Michael McCarthy-trained 3-Dark Blue added Lasix and blinkers for the maiden score when stretched out to today’s one-mile conditions on Jan. 15 and looks well-placed for his first crack against winners. Hernandez sticks.

Race #2: Selections: 2-5-3

2-Morello shortens back in distance today and drops back down to the 5k claiming purchase price from two-back for conditioner Andrew Harris. The 7-year-old gelding has enough positional speed to clear this field if sent by jockey Edwin Maldonado in a paceless affair, and could prove tough to reel in with an alert break. 5-Carol’s Comic was a winner when last trying this level over this course four-back and figures to get a favorable upfront-pressing journey today in the short field. The veteran 8-year-old gelding 3-Alpine Thunder drops to a career-low claiming tag today, exiting a well-beaten second route when routing on Jan. 18.

Race #3: Selections: 1-10-9-3

The late-closing 1-Lila moves all the way inside to the rail this afternoon on the class drop for Baltas and projects to get a spirited race flow to close into. The 4-year-old daughter of Audible switches to the red-hot Kimura and has trained well off the mini-freshening. 10-Resolve rallied for the place spot, versus similar on Jan. 24, and now shortens back up to a mile for the Leonard Powell barn. This filly prefers to finish underneath, however, evidenced by her 15-1-4-3 career mark. The speedy 9-Delightful Laura has run well in all four of her last four route turf tries, with a win, two seconds, and a third, but projects to have other company today on the frontend. The lightly raised 3-Claire Austin goes two sprints to a route for the Papaprodromou barn and is bred to relish two turns.

Race #4: Selections: 4-7-8

The Steve Knapp-trained 4-Play for Me rallied wide for third when facing a trio of today’s returning rivals in a well-backed debut Jan. 25 and is dangerous with any normal second-out progression. 7-Daddygaveittome and 8-Tom’s Star are a combined 0-for-27, but both have run dirt Beyers quick enough to beat this weak field. The latter has finished second in six of her last eight tries, including finishing in front of the top pick in last.

Race #5: Selections: 2-3-7

The last leg of the early pick five is an ultra-competitive $32,000 claiming turf sprint, with many to consider for the ticket. 2-Central Dispatch flashed speed and tired to sixth at the $50k claiming level when returning off 383 days’ rest for Sadler. The 6-year-old gelding drops in class today, makes his second try off that long layoff, and should move forward this afternoon with another upfront-pressing trip. Class dropping 3-Donic rallied for the place spot when facing both Central Dispatch and Tigerhon on Jan. 15. The veteran 8-year-old gelding sports a strong (88) last-out Beyer and retains Hernandez, making the second try off the mini-freshening. The 8-year-old gelding 7-Code Duello was a sharp 2 ¾-length winner in fast time (1.08.41) with his return to turf on Jan. 16 for trainer Craig Dollase, and is dangerous with a similar top effort and upfront trip.

Race #6: Selections: 5-2-6

5-Bowtie Boys has finished second in his last three one-mile main track tries for trainer Tim Yakteen and looks like the commanding speed again today, making his second start off the 10-month layoff. 2-Spun Not Stirred rallied for the place spot as the beaten odds-on choice on Feb. 13 and now goes first off the claim for the new barn. The 1-for-13 4-year-old gelding sports the field’s best last-out dirt Beyer (71). Blinkers off 6-Smiling Tizze was third behind the top pair in the last, but goes first off the claim for conditioner Jose Valdez, who won with recent acquisition Broadway Unions last Sunday.

Race #7: Selections: 6-4-8-3

6-Gratefully is 4-for-4 and undefeated for Falcone, proven to be effective on both dirt and turf, and exiting a career-best grass Beyer (91) on Jan. 8 when returning off the mini-freshening. The 4-year-old makes her stakes debut today in tremendous form and projects to get another upfront journey this afternoon. 4-Saratoga Special (Ire) is a stakes winner overseas and makes her initial try Stateside for trainer Richard Baltas. The 4-year-old filly has proven she can fire fresh, and she has worked extremely well over the local synthetic surface in preparation for this. 8-Egyptian Mau (Saf) closed mildly to round out the superfecta on Jan. 11 when facing a trio of today’s returning rivals in the Las Ciengas (G3). Her three turf sprints prior were sharp, and she switches to Hernandez today, second off the bench. 3-Imaboutago (Ire) finished third behind the top choice two-back, but exits a game neck score on Feb. 6.

Race #8: Selections: 8-5-7

The Jeff Bonde-trained 8-Twisted Humor has flashed speed in both local sprint tries, running back-to-back seconds, and should be all set for a career-best effort with lifetime try number three. 5-Shady Stripes rounded out the Bonde trifecta when behind the top choice in last but had an eventful trip. The 3-year-old filly checked at the break, dropped back to last, and then made a strong 5-wide rally into contention, entering the top of the stretch. She finished a good third, while posing no threat to the top pair. The daughter of Smiling Tiger makes her third start of the form cycle this afternoon. 7-Meridian Mae was beaten by double digits in both sprint starts (dirt and turf), but drops in for a first-time tag today for trainer Mike Puype, who is 5-for-19, 26% with MDSW to MDCLM dropdowns on dirt the past five years.

Race #9: Selections: 10-2-5

Downhill course specialist 10-Anmer Hall lost all chance when crowded, pulled up, eased, and walked off the course when last seen back on Dec. 28 for trainer Peter Eurton, but had won two prior grass sprint tries to that last mishap. The 7-year-old gelding has worked well in the interim and should bounce back today with a cleaner journey. 2-Lyle The Crocodile (Ire) drops out of the G2 Mathis Mile into this softer spot this afternoon for D’Amato on the cutback in distance and may find the downhill course to his liking. The gelding is still looking for his first Stateside win, however. 5-Yacowlef (Ire) rallied for the runner-up spot, exiting the same event as the top choice when trying this course for the first time off the claim. The 6-time winner has worked a half dozen times since that sharp try, and is dangerous with a similar repeat performance for Berrios and Mullins.

Race #10: Selections: 10-1-4-5

10-Yurak is a logical contender in the Saturday afternoon nightcap based on her two runner-up turf finishes to start her career. The daughter of Tapit stretches back out for the all-important third try for Sadler, goes second-time Lasix, and defeated several of these (including two next-out winners) on Jan. 11. 1-Channel Place is slowly improving for Team O’Neill and has not had the best of trips in her three lifetime tries. She fired a sharp bullet four furlongs in :46 flat on Feb. 12 over the synthetic track, indicating a career-best try should be forthcoming. 4-Darya (Ire) and 5-Cortina d’ Amprezzo (Ire) are a pair of imports from the D’Amato barn that are hard to separate. The former makes her Stateside debut off one third-place finish at Dundalk five months ago in a bulky field of 13. She adds Lasix and has trained well for her initial U.S. unveiling, and is by the multiple Group 1 winner Persian King. Cortina also finished third when making her first start over the Del Mar grass course last summer, finishing behind the top choice. This gal also adds Lasix and has trained sharply for her first try off the bench.