Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 1-Joker Went Wild (Race 4)
Race #1: Selections: 3-6-1
A beaten favorite in last, 3-Mr. Leasure stretches out to 1 1/8 miles for the first time for trainer Tim Yakteen and switches to Kimura. This jockey-trainer combo has had good recent success, winning three of their last five together. That last race has produced a pair of next-out winners. 6-City Exile (GB) goes first off the claim for trainer George Papaprodromou, exiting a troubled trip fifth when finishing behind Time Song. This barn has solid success with new acquisitions on grass, and the gelding is reunited with Hernandez. 1-Time Song flashed speed and tired two weeks ago to finish fourth (beaten less than two lengths) for trainer Jonathan Thomas, earning a field’s best last-out (90) grass Beyer. The 5-year-old gelded son of Not This Time moves inside to the rail today, with good positional speed, and figures to work out a favorable upfront-pressing trip. He’s winless since April 2024, however.
Race #2: Selections: 3-1-2
3-Wolf Hill has hit the board in all three tries for Powell, exiting a career and field’s best (68) Beyer when stretched out to today’s one-mile trip on Jan. 2. The Upstart filly looms a solid win candidate with a similar effort. 1-Luckiest (by Into Mischief) returns to routing on dirt in the all-important third career start for Team Baffert. The 3-year-old filly gets the advantageous rail draw today, exiting a closing troubled trip fourth from a tough post on Dec. 28. Her Nov. 14 debut resulted in a wide trip for most of the way with pre-race antics. Improvement likely. Her stablemate, 2-Forced Entry, also goes turf to dirt today, after flashing good early speed and tiring badly on Jan. 11. She’s by multiple G1 winner Charlatan, and this lucrative jockey-trainer combo is 8 for 19 (42%) with dirt route second-time starters at Santa Anita the past four years.
Race #3: Selections: 1-4-2
1-Everydayissaturday moves inside and shortens up to a sprint today for conditioner Tim McCanna, exiting a third-place effort on Jan. 9. The 5-year-old gelding owns the best late pace figure in the field and should be able to work out a favorable ground-saving journey from the fence and tip out late with new pilot Kaz Kimura. Dirt to turf 4-Bazooka Charlie did not show much in her two turf tries to start her career, but has improved and matured significantly since then, and exits a good runner-up try on Jan. 11. Recent Los Al main track maiden winner 2-B Grayson moves back to grass for her first crack against winners and has run turf Beyers that match up well here.
Race #4: Selections: 1-2-7
1-Joker Went Wild drops in for a first-time tag today and has enough speed to clear this field for conditioner Brian Koriner. The 3-year-old son of Practical Joke goes second-time Lasix today and should be tough to beat at this reduced level. 2-Lake Smokin finished a solid runner-up at 16-1 two weeks ago for trainer Jorge Periban and now drops from $50k to today’s $20,000 maiden claiming level in start number two. 7-Tiggrrr Whitworth drops again after a beaten-favorite fifth when finishing behind Lake Smokin in the aforementioned Jan. 18 event. Veteran rider Victor Espinoza takes the call and has been clicking at 40% from limited starts this meet, given limited opportunities.
Race #5: Selections: 5-3-8-1
5-Not With a Fox debuts for trainer Phil D’Amato with Lasix off a steady work tab. This 3-year-old filly is by Not This Time, who gets a solid 16% with 3-year-old & up debuting prodigy and turf sprinters. This top barn is an ordinary 7 for 79 (9%) with grass firsters the past five years, however. 3-Surfin’ U.S.A. finished a troubled trip fourth on Jan. 11 (beaten two lengths) and can improve today with a better journey. She ran a very competitive (66) grass sprint Beyer in start number two and is dangerous if she can run back that race. An Irish import from the D’Amato barn, 8-Silkie Sevei (Ire) has trained steadily over the Santa Anita synthetic track for her first U.S. try, adds Lasix, and was second of 15 when last seen at Naval back in October. 1-Red Cherry flashed speed and tired badly at 13-1 in her Jan. 8 debut for Sadler, but moves to the grass in career try number two for a barn that has a solid dirt to turf second time starter record (8-for-30/27%).
Race #6: Selections: 7-4-5
7-The Big Cheeseola is the projected frontrunner on the cutback from 6 ½ to 5 ½ furlongs today for trainer Steve Knapp and finished a good second as the odds-on choice two-back at this level. The 6-year-old gelding is reunited with winning pilot Kaz Kimura and looms a solid gate-to-wire threat. The veteran 10-year-old gelding 4-Windribbon is a 10-time winner and was third behind the top choice back on Dec. 13. He figures to be the main threat again today with an upfront-pressing journey. Route to sprint 5-Morello wasn’t too far behind the top choice when they met back in October, finishing fourth, and now goes second off the claim for conditioner Andy Harris. This barn has solid stats with this claiming angle from a limited sample.
Race #7: Selections: 7-5-8
The speedy 7-Little Tinker Elle has won two straight under the lights at Los Al, going 1,000 yards, and figures to take these as far as she can on the lead, making her first try at Santa Anita. The daughter of Maximum Security should prove tough to reel in with an alert break with Ramirez. 5-Darlin Sugaree returns off the mini-freshening for Mullins, exiting a runner-up beaten odds-on favorite on Nov. 23, going this 5 ½-furlong trip behind repeat winner My Kat. She adds Lasix today, drops in class, and is likely to attract plenty of support again with Hernandez back in the saddle. Turf to dirt 8-Tiger Lady drops out of back-to-back stake tries into this softer spot this afternoon for conditioner Any Mathis, while making her third start of the form cycle. The Smiling Tiger filly broke her maiden sprinting on dirt and returns to the main track on the turnback today.
Race #8: Selections: 12-8-10
12-Miss Practical has hit the board in three of four career tries for trainer Carla Gaines and exits a sharp closing second on Dec. 28, when making her first start in eight months. The 4-year-old filly by Practical Joke defeated several of these returning rivals that afternoon, and projects to get another live race flow to close into. 8-Stay in Line was beaten by double digits in the last pair, but takes a substantial class drop today and was a winner at this level three-back when snagged by her current connections. The 6-year-old mare is 3-for-5 at Santa Anita and 3-for-4 going this trip. 10-Petite Treat looks for back-to-back wins today off an improving Beyer pattern for Mike Puype, and defeated two next-out winners with her recent score. She co-tops the field’s best late pace figure with the top choice and should be rallying strongly through the lane, making her third try off the bench.
