Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 4-Darlin Tami (Race 8)
Race #1: Selections: 4-7-2
4-Grubauer is a bit of a reach in the Saturday opener, but at likely double-digit odds, the 5-year-old gelding is worth a flier. He comes off an 11-month layoff and makes his initial start for trainer Mark Glatt on grass. The 5-year-old by Frosted has plenty of turf pedigree on his dam side to suggest he may take to the green, figures to grab the lead here, and gets the red-hot Jaramillo in the saddle. He fired a sharp “best of 60” bullet five furlongs in :59 flat in preparation for this on Oct. 4. 7-Matt At Five has been equally effective on dirt and turf for trainer Peter Miller. He gets back to grass today at six panels, where he’s 2-for-2. The other Glatt entrant is the consistent 2-Private Gem, who has been knocking on the door at this level in recent starts and is two-for-three on the Santa Anita sod. He switches to Rosario this afternoon and had a nice five-furlong main track prep for this on Sept. 27.
Race #2: Selections: 4-2-1
A short but interesting field of maiden older colts and geldings that have been somewhat disappointing thus far lines up here. 4-Roast is a $725k colt by Practical Joke who adds blinkers for start number three and is perhaps slowly rounding into form for trainer Michael McCarthy. He makes the all-important start number three and drilled a “best of 77” bullet five furlongs in :45.4 on Oct. 4. The Baffert-trained 2-Lank started for a maiden claimer back in October 2025 and hasn’t been seen since, when he flashed speed and finished fifth of six. He shows up in a MDSW today with solid a.m. drills, so perhaps he’s improved over the past year or whatever issues he might have had have been worked out. His stablemate 1-Collmus has broken slowly in both one-mile tries over at Del Mar and now must negotiate the tricky rail draw, which can’t help.
Race #3: Selections: 6-9-4
6-Wild West Coast drew off to a solid 2 ¾ length one-mile score on Aug. 23 with a field’s best (79) turf Beyer and now shorten up to a sprint looking for a repeat. Recent maiden winner 9-Maggles McGee steps up to face winners this afternoon for the Papaprodromou barn, and the filly she defeated last out also won her next start. The daughter of Maclean’s Music has now hit the board in five of six career starts. Reddam Racing’s 4-Troisieme Etoile moves back to turf where she’s run some of her better races for Team O’Neill over the Santa Anita lawn.
Race #4: Selections: 4-6-1
4-Midway Lane came up empty in his last start but returns to the Santa Anita main track today for Sadler, where he’s 2-for-2, and switches to Hernandez for his first try at seven furlongs. The 4-year-old gelding should get a favorable, pressing trip. 6-Mr. Disrespectful drops out of the E. B. Johnston S. into this softer spot this afternoon and was a solid 3 ¼-length winner going seven furlongs over at Los Al four-back. This 6-year-old gelding likes this main track (9-2-1-3). 1-Native Land scampered away to a 22-1 gate-to-wire upset win with a lofty (94) Beyer when last seen on July 18 in his first Southern California start and is expected to be hustled along from the fence.
Race #5: Selections: 1-4-7
1-Famous Forza drove clear late for a good-looking 11-1 upset score on Sept. 7 over at Del Mar for trainer Bill McLean, posting a field and career-best (77) grass Beyer, and a repeat looks well within reach with a similar set-up. 4-Ellen Jorth makes her third start of the current form cycle this campaign for D’Amato on the turnback and may be set for best, with Jamie Spencer scheduled to ride. The filly 7-Miss Kona has little, if any, turf pedigree to speak of, but she makes the third start of the current form cycle for trainer Peter Eurton and has the right come-from-behind running style to pick up the pieces late in a field that looks top-heavy with speed-types.
Race #6: Selections: 7-4-2
A tricky $50k maiden claiming sprint for juvenile fillies with many question marks makes the opening leg of the Pick Five extremely wide open. 7-Vegas Del Oro has flashed speed and tired in both sprint tries at Del Mar, including really backing up in her most recent try in start number two when she faded to last. She adds blinkers today, looking for a better effort with the new equipment. 4-Take Revenge hasn’t shown much in both local sprint main-track tries at Del Mar but drops in for a first-time tag today and reunites with Hernandez. Turf-to-dirt 2-Mama Loves Vegas drops in for a first-time tag while making the all-important third career try for trainer Val Brinkerhoff and can improve with the surface switch and class relief.
Race #7: Selections: 10-3-1
10-Sirnami rallied for the place spot in his most recent try when facing a trio of today’s returning rivals and now makes his first start in the barn of trainer Leonard Powell. The gelded son of Sir Prancealot makes his third try of the current form cycle and should be all set for a top effort with Van Dyk back for the return mount. 3-Throwthefirstpunch makes career try number 13 today after crossing the line first and getting DQ’d four back at Los Al for O’Neill and is reunited with Kimura this afternoon, looking to get back on track after a speed-and-fade routing subpar effort on Sept. 7. 1-The Max Factor hasn’t been out since November of 2025 but has trained well for Glatt for his return to action. This barn is 14 for 54 (26%) with a $2.38 ROI with grass sprint runners returning >180 days at Santa Anita the past four years.
Race #8: Selections: 4-11-3
Turf to dirt 4-Darlin Tami slices his claiming tag in half off the eight-month layoff for trainer Jeff Bonde and should get plenty of pace to run into. The 4-year-old filly sports the best late pace figure in this field and should be picking up the pieces late. 11-Busy Making Munny shortens back up to a sprint today off back-to-back solid efforts at this level. This filly might be able to sit further off the pace today and come running late. 3-Marvelousmissmabel pulled off an 84-1 maiden-winning shocker on Sept. 7 with a 66 main-track Beyer, which matches up well here for her first crack against winners.
Race #9: Selections: 1-4-5
1-Lonesome Stew powered away to an impressive one-mile 6-1 win on Aug. 22 over at Del Mar with a lofty (99) Beyer for Glatt and now shortens back up to the downhill course looking for the repeat. The 7-time winning Grazen gelding is 2-for-2 over the tricky layout and switches to the more-than-capable Rispoli, moving inside to the fence. Back-to-back bullet drills at five panels hint that another big effort is forthcoming. A winner of two of three grass stakes in his last three starts, 4-Flyover looks fastest off the blocks here for Sadler and figures to take these as far as he can on the front end. 5-Steak Fries steps up to face stakes competition, having won two straight, and both the second- and third-place finishers from last have returned to win.
Race #10: Selections: 3-4-2
3-Muscled surged clear for a solid score Sept. 6 at 1 1/8 miles for Paddy Gallagher and rallied second at this one-mile trip two back, posting back-to-back (79) grass Beyers in both starts. The gelding moves inside this afternoon and looms a strong repeat candidate. 4-Santa Barbarian drops out of the Del Mar Handicap (G2) into this softer spot for D’Amato when outrun at 88-1 and should find this group more fitting after facing steeper in recent tries. First of the claim 2-Marcus Performance has never tried turf, but is by Cistron, a graded stakes winner on grass, and this gelding could be the frontrunner here for his new barn.
