Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 2-Darlin Sugaree (Race 2)
Race #1: Selections: 1-6-3
1-Singlemore ran an even fifth when ignored at 30-1 in his Sept. 7 unveiling for trainer Tim Yakteen, but earned a strong Beyer (78) in defeat. The Distorted Humor 4-year-old gelding now drops in for a first-time tag ($20k) off the four-month layoff and should prove tough if able to run back to something resembling that first-out speed figure. 6-P Town Prancer drops another notch off a much-improved runner-up try at Los Al on Dec. 14 for Team O’Neill. Hernandez is back aboard for the return mount. 3-Brahms Mendelssohn has yet to hit the board in six career tries, but moves back to the main track on the turnback and drops in for a first-time tag after facing better MDSW types all last year.
Race #2: Selections: 2-1-6
2-Darlin Sugaree has improved Beyer-wise in each subsequent start for trainer Jeff Mullins and ran well in defeat as the odds-on choice in a short field behind repeat winner My Kat when stepping up to face winners on Nov. 23. The 3-year-old filly adds Lasix today and returns to Santa Anita, where he was a 4 ½-length six-furlong maiden winner two back. 1-Gracies Gem scampered away to a decisive 4-length maiden-breaking win in start number two at Los Al on Dec. 7 and adds Lasix today for her first crack against winners. The Stay Thirsty filly figures to be aggressively sent away again from the rail draw. 6-Bobs Honey shipped from Emerald to Del Mar for her first Southern California try in last, when finishing behind the top choice, and also adds the Lasix medication for her second try off the bench.
Race #3: Selections: 2-1-4
The Richard Baltas-trained 2-Jennys Wine Girl moves back to dirt after showing improved early zip in her grass route effort in start number two and will likely try to employ similar upfront racing tactics back on the main track with excellent gate pilot Edwin Maldonado back aboard. 1-Della Terra goes turf to dirt on the class drop, making her third try of the form cycle this afternoon for conditioner Mark Glatt. This barn is a strong 6-for-17 (35%) with a $3.87 ROI with MDSW to MDCLM dropdowns on dirt at Santa Anita the past five years. 4-Dad’s Bad Bunny hasn’t been out in roughly 11 months and did little running on debut from breaking from the tricky rail, but drops in for a tag today off a steady worktab at San Luis Rey.
Race #4: Selections: 6-3-1
6-Uncle Evco finally broke through the maiden ranks in start number 14 at Los Al on Dec. 7, posting the field’s best last-out dirt Beyer. Perhaps the light bulb angle is in play here, as he meets a weak $10k claiming group and looks for the repeat. The 1-for-21 3-Nobel Gary looks to bounce back after a wide trip debacle at Los Al on Dec. 12 when being eased late and walked off the course. The 6-year-old’s three subsequent one-mile tries produced Beyers of (71,62, 72), which are certainly fast enough to win today. 1-Gentlemen’s Club is 1-for-17 but removes the blinkers today for the first time for trainer Craig Lewis and has run some main track route figures that put him in the mix.
Race #5: Selections: 6-3-5
6-Hardtobebetternow has run well in both turf tries for trainer Tim Yakteen, who is off to a fast start this meet. The Hard Spun 4-year-old makes his second try off the extended layoff today and is the horse to beat with any normal second-out progression. The Glatt-trained 3-Big Bill has hit the board in three of five turf starts, co-tops the field’s best last-out grass Beyer (68), and exits some competitive races that have produced multiple next-out winners. 5-Rich Reward does not have a ton of grass pedigree to speak of, but has shown solid early zip in all three starts over dirt for owner/trainer Paula Capestro and may try to bottom out this field from the get-go.
Race #6: Selections: 5-4-1
Trainer Bob Baffert has won the Grade 3 Las Flores S. six times and has a pair entered this afternoon. His mare 5-Ooty (Arg) is a late threat as the Argentina-bred looks for her first victory Stateside, returning off a four-month freshening. She’s a Group 1 winner in her home country and figures to be rolling late on the turnback with Hernandez taking over the riding assignment. 4-Thermal found the return to the Santa Anita main track to his liking for conditioner John Sadler when scampering away to a 3 ¾-length score and the field’s best last-out (93) Beyer going today’s six furlongs. The 5-year-old daughter of Nyquist will have some other speed to deal with this afternoon, however, and she is certainly no slam dunk. The lightly raced 1-Magnificat (by Omaha Beach) has been super sharp in all three starts for trainer Richard Mandella, winning back-to-back and just missing by a head on debut. She will need to work out a trip from the rail with Demuro.
Race #7: Selections: 2-6-1
2-Honey’s Choice shortens up off a series of turf routes for D’Amato, where he has hit the board in all four tries. The son of Liam’s Map adds Lasix today and may appreciate the cutback in distance. The colt should prove tough as the most experienced runner in this field. 6-Ruler of Law has been training swiftly in his a.m. drills for conditioner Luis Mendez and lures Hernandez at first asking. He’s by Tiz the Law, who gets an impressive 26% with his sophomore debuting prodigy and is a respectable 15% with grass sprint starters. 1-Plattenberg Bay is a debuting sophomore by multiple G1 winner Blame from the Sadler barn that has been working steadily in the a.m. The colt attracts Berrios, but this top outfit is only 2-for-30 (7%) with their 3-year-old grass firsters over the past five years.
Race #8: Selections: 9-6-3
9-Winds of Freedom has hit the board in four of his last five dirt sprint starts and now goes first off the claim for conditioner Steve Knapp, co-toping the field’s best last-out Beyer. The Stanford gelding is nicely drawn outside with good positional speed, and this barn is 10 for 46 (22%) with dirt sprint newly acquired purchases at Santa Anita the past five years. The 14-time winner, 9-year-old gelding 6-Howbeit, has had a successful career grinding away in the claiming ranks, banking over $500k in lifetime earnings. He has a steady closing kick and lands in a field that is projected to have some solid early pace. The other Knapp gelding, 3-Zombo Bombo, drops from $16k claimers to today’s $10,000 level and likes the Santa Anita main track.
Race #9: Selections: 9-10-3
A tricky turf sprint for fillies and mares closes the last leg of the card, where none are offered for the optional $20,000 claiming tag. The speedy 9-Fancy Facts finished in a dead heat for fourth in last but drops a notch, second off the bench for trainer Mike Puype, and looks like a solid gate-to-wire threat in the Sunday nightcap. 10-Christel Clean (by Violence) has run well in all four main track sprint tries for Sadler (4-2-1-1) and has enough grass pedigree to suggest that she will make the surface switch transition successfully. The lightly raced 3-Clubhouse Cutie returns off the mini-freshening after a maiden-breaking main track score back in late October and ran well to finish third in her lone grass try over this course last April. The 4-year-old filly picks up the hot hand of Mirco Demuro.
