Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 4-Enjoy it Straight (Race 5)
Race #1: 1-Birth of Cool comes off a good closing second going this trip against softer and now makes first start off the claim for trainer Reed Saldana. According to TimeformUS this gelding should get another favorable live race flow. 3-Brother Reid makes second start off the bench today after a troubled trip on March 27 and is another who should be closing strongly late. 5-New York Dreams goes two sprints to a route today on the class drop for conditioner Steve Knapp and can improve here.
Selections: 1-3-5
Race #2: 6-Flamina is by multiple G1 winner Stay Thirsty and is drawn nicely outside for Hernandez and Miller. Her works over at San Luis Rey have been solid. 2-Borntostaythirsty debuts off some solid drills for favorable jockey/trainer combo. 1-Conquest Celsius comes in with some snappy a.m. drills and draws the rail with aggressive gate rider. She could be tough with an alert break going this 4 ½ furlong trip.
Selections: 6-2-1
Race #3: 4-Ancient Peace has won back-to-back races in impressive fashion including recent off the turf romp April 8 and appears ready to tackle stakes foes returning to grass. 5-Paris Secret (Ire) was a troubled trip 4th in first stateside start for D’Amato and figures to be much tighter today making second U.S. start off the 5-month freshening. Her sire Zoffany (Ire) was a Grade 1 winner in Ireland. A stakes winner going a mile on turf 3-Broadway Girls stretches back out again today for Team O’Neill and shows a sharp 5-furlong bullet drill in preparation for this on April 23.
Selections: 4-5-3
Race #4: 1-Seldovia draws the rail and appears to have some good gate zip for trainer Luis Mendez. This filly is by Texas Ryano who is 3 for 17 (17%) overall with debuting prodigy but 0 for 7 with juvenile 2-year-olds. 6-Recalcitrant is by Grade 1 winner Pavel who has no 2-year-old first time starters to date, but this jockey/trainer combo are a solid 10 for 38 (26%) with debut runners at Santa Anita sprinting on dirt. 4-Cocktail Cutie (By Stay Thirsty) hails from winning connections off a better than average worktab.
Selections: 1-6-4
Race #5: Northern California invader 4-Enjoy it Strait has won two straight and now makes first start off the Mark Glatt claim. This mile specialist has proven he can handle the main track and this barn has had good success with new acquisitions. 2-Lil Richards Bello makes second start off the mini-freshening for hot barn and projects to be forwardly placed today. 3-Holiday Arousal moves up in class off wire-to-wire win on the stretch-out with an improving Beyer pattern.
Selections: 4-2-3
Race #6: 11-Storming Chrome moves back to grass off the Doug O’Neil claim and has worked well since last April 1 try. This jockey/trainer combo are a strong 4 for 8 (50%) with a $5.86 ROI with new barn purchases and this gelding looms an upset chance from outside draw. 4-Devil Moon makes career start number 11 today but has four second place finishes including two recent runner-up finishes while sprinting on turf. His effort two-back was particularly strong for this class level when finishing sandwiched between a pair of next-out winners. The likely pacesetter again this afternoon. 6-Habeas drops back down into a $50k tag today and switches to Hernandez after fading on the lead against better on March 26.
Selections: 11-4-6
Race #7: 2-Bluegrass Go Go was a well beaten 3rd in last but drops in class today for Team O’Neill and this colt has simply run far superior main track Beyer speed figures than the rest of this field. The likely short-priced favorite looks tough to beat in here racing on or close to the lead. Having said that… strange things often occur at this $20k bottom Maiden claiming level. 6-Irondale makes second start at this reduced level for new barn that has above average numbers with new acquisitions. 7-Notforlackofeffort has shown little in both local grass sprint efforts but moves to the main track today and takes a big class drop for winning barn. Improvement likely.
Selections: 2-6-7
Race #8: 3-El Potente powered away in strong looking off the turf victory on March 11 for trainer Dan Blacker and should relish the additional eighth of a mile this afternoon moving back to grass. His Maiden winning turf Beyer two-back was strong as well. 4-Club Aspen just missed in blanket finish at this level in last and has improved immensely since Aguilar took over. The battle tested 6-Oncoming exits the same race as Club Aspen on March 19 and should get another favorable live race flow to set-up his typical late kick.
Selections: 3-4-6
Race #9: Graded stakes winner 2-Adare Manor has never been worse than first or second over this strip for Baffert and comes off a game recent score over main rival Big Switch on March 31. This talented filly by Uncle Mo makes her third start of the form cycle today. 3-Big Switch was only a head behind top choice sharing the field’s best last out main track Beyer (92) and has come back to work a strong “best of 71” 5-furlongs April 24. She could easily turn the tables on Adare with the right trip. Sadler’s other filly 1-Kirstenbosch stretches back out today to her preferred routing trip where she was a winner of the Grade 3 La Canada three-back.
Selections: 2-3-1
Race #10: 4-Seismic Spirit turns back to a sprint today off a good second at this level April 2 and is one of two Peter Miller-trained geldings lined up in here. His stablemate 10-Virat drops in class off a better than looks fifth place finish in last and projects to get a decent stalking journey this afternoon. 2-Tigerhon (Fr) hasn’t been out in 15 months but returns as a first-time gelding for trainer Mark Glatt who is off to a fast start at this Hollywood meet.
Selections: 4-10-2
Race #11: 3-Danzing Cat has not been seen since an encouraging debut try last July at Del Mar where he flashed good speed and finished second. She adds Lasix today and has trained extremely well for today’s return effort. 2-C Her Beauty is by Mr. Big who gets 13% with his 3-year-old & up prodigy and this jockey/trainer combo are 3 for 13 (23%) when teamed up with first time starters. This gal looks live at first asking for shrewd barn. 4-Whimsical Heir was a sharp beaten favorite 3rd in most recent effort on March 3 where she earned a field’s best last out main track Beyer. Another forward move makes her the one to beat for trainer Mark Glatt.
Selections: 3-2-4
Race #12: In a race where he appears to have had several options, we’ll take lightly raced 5-Lucky for You with Hernandez who makes his downhill debut off a sharp looking wire-to-wire mile Maiden win for Baffert on April 2. This filly appears to have a ton of upside. 11-Carmen Miranda comes off back-to-back strong turf sprint tries including a close-up 3rd over the downhill course March 4. Her versatile running style gives new pilot Vazquez several options for D’Amato. 8-Speed Lane has been freshened for good layoff barn and has proven she can handle the downhill course.
Selections: 5-11-8
