Santa Anita (Saturday-10/31/2026) By Dean Keppler

Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner

BEST BET: 2-Doo Wop Don  (Race 5)

Race #1: Selections: 3-5-2

3-Hard to Figure goes second off the Ron Ellis claim, and this barn is 6-for-21 (29%) with a $2.90 ROI overall with this maneuver the past four years. Back-to-back main-track figures of 81 and 85 make this 6-year-old gelding the one to beat in the Saturday afternoon opener. 5-Sendit Mo has speed and drops in class for the Papaprodromou barn. The 3-year-old gelded son of Yaupon shows five solid drills since his last race at Del Mar on Sept. 7. A beaten short-priced favorite and voided claim in last, 2-See Through It returns to Santa Anita and still has some gritty fight left in him at the ripe age of nine. Berrios back on.

Race #2: Selections: 3-6-4

Trainer Michael McCarthy has two solid chances to win here. 3-Royal Pearl, the daughter of Mandaloun, improved 25 Beyer points with the move to turf on the stretch-out on Oct. 2, coming up just a nose shy in a sharp effort when grabbing the lead in deep stretch and then allowing the inside runner to re-rally and nab her at the wire. Her stablemate 6-D’yquem sat behind her in that same race, angled out and closed stoutly to just miss, while running past the top two finishers past the wire. The daughter of Golden Pal continues to improve and could easily reverse that last decision. 4-Nineteen Forty Two finished an even fourth on debut for trainer Dan Blacker and now stretches out in start number two, removing the blinkers.

Race #3: Selections: 1-5-2

1-Early Encore coasted to a 6 ¼-length dominating win in the I’m Smokin S. over a trio of today’s returning rivals, and a stakes repeat looks well within reach for the Sadler barn. The Early Voting colt sports the best last-out main-track Beyer (76). The obvious knock is the short number. 5-Golden Club moves back to dirt off an impressive turf maiden-breaking win on Sept. 27, breaking slowly and rallying late to run down the opposition. Three horses have since won out of that event, and this colt has already proven he can handle the main track. 2-Angel’s Ember drew off to a 4-length maiden win Oct. 3 and looks ready to tackle stakes colts as he continues to progress for trainer Antonio Garcia.

Race #4: Selections: 5-1-8

5-Dr. Filkins makes career try number 11 today but exits a career-best grass Beyer (72) and effort when finishing second on Sept. 26 for trainer Sean McCarthy. That race has produced a pair of next-out winners, and this gelding makes his third start of the current campaign this afternoon. 1-Chalky’s Gold drops in for a first-time tag today for conditioner Leonard Powell off a non-threatening fifth at 31-1 while making his second start in Southern California. The colt has been working steadily over the Santa Anita synthetic course. The Baltas-trained 8-One Last Strike is by One Bad Boy, a multiple stakes winner on grass, so he’s eligible to move forward in start number two, switching to turf. He was off slowly and raced greenly on debut.

Race #5: Selections: 2-4-5

2-Doo Wop Don scampered away to a solid 2 ¾ length win Oct. 2 off an 11-month hiatus for trainer Jeff Mullins with a lofty (84) Beyer and should prove tough if able to move forward off that effort, second off the bench. Jockey Armando Aguilar lands here while also guiding Midnite Musket to his most recent Los Al score Sept. 19. The aforementioned 4-Midnite Musket exits a career-best Beyer (85) over at Los Al when drawing off to a 4 ¾-length win versus cheaper and will make his initial start over the Santa Anita main track. The 5-year-old gelding appears to be the speed of the speed, with Maldonado inheriting the mount. 5-Tapalo finished third behind the top choice in last and second behind Dirty Words two-back.

Race #6: Selections: 5-6-1

5-Milken Cookies finished a wide sixth at this level off an extended break on Sept. 3 and followed up that effort with a bullet five furlongs over at San Luis Rey on Oct. 25. Improvement likely for D’Amato with Spencer hopping aboard. 6-Joe Vittori finished fourth but was DQ’d to last when returning off a 13-month break on Oct. 10 and now stretches out to two turns this afternoon, second off the bench. By Acclamation (a multiple G1 winner routing on grass), this colt could take to the additional real estate in a suspect field while dropping back in for a tag. 1-Gray Thunder finished an even seventh off the five-month layoff Oct. 16 and now drops in for a first-time tag, second off the bench for Knapp. The gray 4-year-old gelding is set for a ground-saving journey from the fence.

Race #7: Selections: 3-9-11

Not entirely thrilled with the firsters in here, so we’ll stick with the top two runners with past racing experience. 3-Swift Appeal steps up from $50k maiden claimers to MDSW in start number two, off a sharp runner-up try back on June 20 at Los Al, and has trained steadily at San Luis Rey for Miller since returning to the worktab in mid-September. 9-High Hull Gull flashed improved speed before tiring to finish fourth in an improved effort when switching to the main track Oct. 3 and now makes the all-important third start today. 11-M C Dreams (by Halladay) has some nice-looking a.m. drills on the worktab for conditioner Jeff Bond, who is an above-average 19% with dirt sprint firsters at Santa Anita the past four years. This juvenile colt looks best of those that haven’t started and draws a cozy outside post.

Race #8: Selections: 1-7-4

1-Miss Nightfall (GB) won an allowance race at Saratoga in her first Stateside start on Sept. 7 and draws well for her initial Southern California try. The Jonathan Thomas-trained filly looks well placed for her first graded-stakes try on American soil. Her stablemate 7-Ambaya hasn’t raced since winning the Grade 1 American Oaks over the strip in December 2025, but has been training smartly at Turfway in recent weeks. This barn excels with these layoff types. 4-Little Jamie ships in for trainer Saffie Joseph off a sharp win at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 3, and this barn has sent out all live runners this meet. The 5-year-old mare by Collected has excelled since moving to grass this current campaign.

Race #9: Selections: 8-7-6

8-Ember Royale (by Halladay) demolished a field of eight on debut by 17 ½ lengths for trainer Jeff Bonde, with an (85) main-track Beyer, and should prove tough to beat in her stakes debut if she can run anywhere near that last figure in start number two. Reddam Racing’s 7-Free Closer shortens back up to seven panels this afternoon and drops out G1 Del Mar Debutante and G2 Oak Leaf into this much softer spot today for trainer Michael McCarthy. The dark bay daughter of Pavel figures to get a live race flow to close into. 6-Daytona Diamond has won two straight for trainer Carla Gaines, including defeating four returning rivals in the Generous Portion S. last time out on Sept. 4 despite stumbling badly at the gate.

Race #10: Selections: 1-5-11

1-Magnify has never tried turf in nine starts for trainer Tim Yakteen, but the newly gelded 5-year-old by Justify out of Champion dam Stellar Wind (11-5-2-1 with turf routers) may find the new footing appealing, and he’s worked well since his last Aug. 22 main-track try. 5-Prince Dolce finished second at this level last time and is 1-for-1 going this 1 1/8 mile trip, with all four of his wins coming on this grass course. The Michael McCarthy-trained 11-Poor Connection must negotiate a tough outside draw but exits a sharp runner-up try when last seen back on Aug. 6 at Del Mar and has run well routing over this grass course.