Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 5-Todo Fino (Chi) (Race 2)
Race #1: 2-Daniel’s Magic has been ultra-consistent sprinting on turf and has won 2 of his last 3 tries for trainer Eoin Harty. The gelding gets a capable rider replacement today in Hernandez and makes 3rd start off the mini freshening. 6-Bochombo moves back to grass off the Ron Ellis claim and this 3-year-old colt has been equally effective on both dirt and turf. The sample is not giant, but this barn is 3 for 9 (33%) with new barn purchases at Santa Anita. 9-Commander Khai has good positional speed with outside draw and got bottled up in tight quarters in most recent start September 10.
Selections: 2-6-9
Race #2: 5-Todo Fino (Chi) now 10 for 15 lifetime and made his U.S. unveiling a winning one with impressive score and Beyer over three next-out winners September 3. This 5-year-old Chilean bred has come back with two strong back-to-back 4-furlong drills since that strong effort and makes 2nd start back since April. A likely repeat winner. 2-Canandian Pride heads back west off the freshening when finishing a beaten favorite 4th when last seen at Keeneland back in April. The gelding owns the only triple Beyer in the field and has trained smartly for today’s return effort. 3-City Rage seeks 3rd straight for trainer Mark Glatt and comes off career best Beyer speed figure (94). The waters get a tad deeper today, however, with the move up in class.
Selections: 5-2-3
Race #3: The speedy 3-Leggs Galore is one of two D’Amato runners and certainly the most accomplished of the pair. She’s 2 for 2 over the SA downhill turf course and lone graded stakes winner. She’ll try to wire them to close out her illustrious career and will be singled on most early pick 5 tickets. 4-Eddie’s New Dream goes route to sprint and drops out of the G2 John C. Mabee Stakes. This filly has a win over the course and projects to be rallying on strongly late. 1-Kleen Karma faces still class test but has a win and runner-up finish over this course at double digit odds.
Selections: 3-4-1
Race #4: 2-Ever Smart is a multiple winner over this turf course and should be on or close to the lead today stretching back out to 1 1/8 miles. The 5-year-old mare was a winner at this trip 4-back. 5-Quattroelle (Ire) is 0 for 2 going this far but that was against Graded 3 types and comes off career best turf Beyer with runner-up finish in last against similar. 3-Kirstenbosch added blinkers and was a strong wire-to-wire winner in most recent dirt start down at Del Mar. She’s returned to work a “best of 59” 5-furlongs in :58.1 indicating she remains razor sharp for Sadler. The filly broke her Maiden on grass at this trip in April.
Selections: 2-5-3
Race #5: This the first leg of the 20-cent mandatory Rainbow pick six. 7-Reef City is on the improve making 3rd career start for trainer Jeff Bonde and Maldonado lands here replacing Rispoli who heads east to Kentucky to ride Bellabel in the G1 Queen Elizabeth Challenge Cup Stakes. The juvenile colt made up a ton of ground late to grab the 4th spot with a wide long sustained rally. 2-King Zog deserves another long look again this afternoon getting a 7 lb. apprentice weight break and coming off a runner-up finish against slightly cheaper at Los Al where he earned a field’s best last out (53) Beyer speed figure. The gelding figures to be on or close to the lead in here. 3-Menitrosa appears to be on the improve after 3rd place finish behind King Zog in last and returned to put forth a pair of decent drills since that try.
Selections: 7-2-3
20 Cent Pick 6: 2,3,4,7 With 2,6 With 3,4,7 With 1,3,5 With 2,3,7 With 8,9= $86.40
Race #6: 2-U R Pressed ran extremely well in Golden Gate debut for Team O’Neill. The 3-year-old gelding broke slowly; dropped back to the rear of the small field; and then made a strong eye-catching 4-wide rally entering the top of the stretch. He ran on gamely for the show spot and galloped out in front. The gelding’s sire Brody’s Cause is only 1 for 45 with turf sprint runners, but he drops in for a tag today and hard to fault how well he ran in debut. 11-An Army of Light moves back to turf for Miller where he earned a solid debut Beyer (74) going 5 furlongs against straight MDSW types. The gelding has shown enough speed to get good position despite outside draw. 7-Icy Flavor is the other O’Neill entrant who makes first start in southern California after non-threatening 6th place finish at Gulfstream. The 3-year-old colt moves to turf today; adds blinkers and drops in for a tag. An encouraging 5-furlong gate drill October 9 hints at ability. 8-Our Shining Light (Ire) adds blinkers and Lasix for U.S unveiling and has trained well at Golden Gate for Jonathan Wong.
Selections: 2-11-7
Race #7: 4-Trojan Way improved with the switch to dirt running above par for this class level in second career start and now goes out for new barn after being snagged for $20k claiming price. This filly returns at same level; goes 2nd time blinkers; and switches to aggressive gate rider while projecting to be on or close to the lead today. 3-Charlotte Harbor stretches out today but was an improved runner-up in most recent effort when dropped to this bottom level last month. Cerin and Hernandez are a strong 5 for 8 (63%) with a $3.78 ROI with dirt route runners overall. Beaten favorite 7-Kitten Calls stretches back out today; drops to a career low claiming tag; and has run some competitive Beyer numbers for this class level.
Selections: 4-3-7
Race #8: 5-Gallovie (GB) is 0 for 9 going a mile but looks like the clear-cut frontrunner in here; drops in class; and shows four a.m. drills since that last tiring 7th place finish when chasing a wicked pace. 3-Feathers has never strung two wins together but must be respected off recent DMR victory against this class level when surging late to get up after a troubled journey for Hernandez and Miller. 1-Kittyhawk Lass makes 3rd start off the extended layoff today; drops in class; and finished ahead of a pair of next out winners in most recent effort September 1 closing from far back behind a ton of traffic. This mare is a multiple winner over this turf course and distance.
Selections: 5-3-1
Race #9: 2-La Paloma Blanca goes turf to dirt and makes first start for a tag this afternoon for trainer Peter Miller. These are both productive moves for this winning barn and this lucrative jockey/trainer combo had 3 wins here last weekend. 3-Modera ran on well to grab the show spot in debut after breaking a step slow from the tricky 1 hole. This filly is eligible to move forward off that initial effort. 7-Hialeah Hottie must be respected shipping in from Gulfstream and dropping in for a tag for new barn. 4-Bruins Mastery has trained well enough for Rene Amescua who is 6 for 27 (22%) with a $3.50 ROI with MDCLM debut runners. This filly’s sire Mastery is, however, only 3 for 87 (3%) with his 2-year-old prodigy. 7-Hialeah Hottie must be respected shipping in from Gulfstream and dropping in for a tag for new barn.
Selections: 2-3-7
Race #10: 1-In Your Face drew off sharply in recent Maiden score at DMR August 26 earning a field’s best last out (79) Beyer and ran well here in lone start back in June. This 4-year-old filly doesn’t meet the strongest field of winners and could win right back at a decent price for trainer Peter Eurton. Gulfstream shipper 9-School Dance has been freshened since synthetic Maiden score at Gulfstream and now makes first start for the D’Amato barn. This barn does well with new acquisitions and this 3-year-old filly has trained well for Southern California unveiling. 10-Dolly May (Ire) is 0 for 5 on the Santa Anita grass and at today’s mile trip but comes off a decent runner-up effort at DMR and has been freshened for Sadler. This jockey/trainer combo are 4 for 12 (33%) with a $2.73 ROI with horses returning off 61-180 days at SA. This filly has faced considerably better in the past.
Selections: 1-9-10
