Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 9-Rosa Parks (Race 9)
Race #1: Selections: 7-1-4
7-Nineteenth Hole rallied for a game fourth in an encouraging Feb. 15 turf unveiling for trainer Tim Yakteen, with a competitive (65) Beyer, and now drops into maiden claimers in start number two. The 4-year-old gelded son of Clubhouse Ride gets off the rail today and should prove tough with any normal second-out progression. 1-Star of Delhi makes career try number eight this afternoon for conditioner Wayne Baker, but drops in for a first-time tag with enough early positional speed to ensure a favorable upfront-pressing trip with an alert break. 4-Going Nowhere has not been seen since a solid runner-up finish against MDSW foes last March and returns for a $50k tag off a steady work tab.
Race #2: Selections: 1-5-3
1-Legal Fiction was trounced when returning from a 484-day hiatus for Team O’Neill over the downhill turf course on Feb. 22, but takes a sizable class drop today and returns to the main track. Improvement is likely switching to jockey Emisael Jaramillo, who is clicking at a solid 25% when teamed up with this barn. The scratch of Uffda leaves 5-Outrageous as the likely lone frontrunner looking for the repeat for trainer Marcia Stortz and the 5-year-old mare returns protected this afternoon. She sports the field’s best last-out Beyer (71). 3-Unbridled Scholar shortens up to a sprint today on the class rise, exiting an 8 ½-length romp against softer.
Race #3: Selections: 2-6-1-3
2-Bright Eye Bungle (Ire) makes his first Stateside start for D’Amato, exiting a second of 14 runners in his Dec. 19 debut at Dundalk last year. This barn traditionally does well with these types of imports, and a recent five-furlong bullet drill in :59.2 over the local synthetic course indicates he is ready to fire. 6-Diaghilev finished a beaten favorite third on Feb. 15 when rallying wide for the show spot. He goes second time on Lasix, making the second try off the mini-freshening for a favorable jockey-trainer combo. Trainer Bob Baffert sends out a pair of pricey firsters in 1-Newton and 3-Kelce, who have both trained super in the a.m. Newton is a $975k Fasig Tipton purchase by Munnings and Kelce, an $850k sophomore son of Quality Road. This barn, however, is only 1-for-27 with grass newcomers over the past five years.
Race #4: Selections: 2-4-1
2-Mischiefs Causeway has been outrun in recent tries, but drops in for a career-low claiming tag this afternoon, and is likely to show more gate speed than he did in his most recent start on Feb. 22. The 5-year-old gelding was a gate-to-wire winner going one mile over this strip last October. 4-Contrary Chieftain was overmatched in the last, but drops from a $16k claimer to today’s $6,250 level and pounded similar two back. The Librado Barocio barn has been firing on all cylinders in recent weeks, clicking close to 40%. 1-Mother’s Prayer has good speed from the fence and drops a notch in the short field.
Race #5: Selections: 1-7-3
1-Kokosan moves from an outside post to today’s rail draw for trainer John Sadler, exiting an even fifth-place effort as the tepid betting choice. Two-back, the 4-year-old colt was a convincing 5 ¼-length maiden grass winner, and he’s eligible to bounce back in this spot today, facing similar. 7-Beef Winslow looks for his third consecutive turf victory this afternoon for conditioner Bob Hess and is reunited with the meet’s leading rider, Juan Hernandez. The 7-year-old gelding has proven to be equally effective in sprints and routes and loves this turf course. 3-Baldoro exits back-to-back runner-up tries at this level, falling just a ½-length short of the streaking Captain Choochies in last.
Race #6: Selections: 5-2-1
The John Sadler-trained 5-Thermal looks quickest out of the gate this afternoon after flashing speed and tiring to fourth in the Las Flores (G3) back on Jan. 11. Two-back, he drew off to a sharp 3 ¾-length win with a lofty (93) Beyer. The 5-year-old mare has trained swiftly in recent weeks, including a “best of 114” four-furlong bullet in :45.4 on March 8. The lightly raced 2-Cash Call has won three of her last four starts for Baffert, including a win in the Grade 3 Summer Oaks last June. The talented filly returns from a seven-month layoff today off a spirited work tab and has already proven she can fire fresh. 1-Magnificat was a well-beaten fifth in the aforementioned Las Flores behind Thermal, but won back-to-back races prior to that subpar effort for Mandella.
Race #7: Selections: 3-2-7
3-Paradise Lake sports a solid (4-1-4) record from 11 career tries for trainer Peter Eurton, with all of her wins coming over this turf course. A winner of three of her last five turf routes, the daughter of Uncle Mo has been well-rested off her most recent game win back on Jan. 8, and she owns the field’s best last-out grass Beyer (85). 5-Public Assembly has been battling several of these in a series of recent Grade 3 turf route efforts and now stretches out to 1 ¼ miles this afternoon, where she’s had good success. The 5-year-old mare had some traffic issues in her recent fifth-place effort in the Megahertz (G3). 7-Starry Night just missed to the top choice at 28-1 when losing a tough head bob in the Robert. J. Frankel (G3) in her first Southern California try, and figures to get another favorable upfront journey today for conditioner Jonathan Thomas.
Race #8: Selections: 6-2-7
6-Twisted Humor has hit the board in all three dirt sprint tries for trainer Jeff Bonde and now drops back down to the $20k maiden claiming level after facing better in the last pair. The 3-year-old filly holds a distinctive Beyers edge over the rest of this weak field and is a logical choice to break through this afternoon. 2-Cash in Toknight was fifth behind the top choice in her most recent try on Jan. 23 and drops another notch for Team O’Neill. The month gap since a public work is a concern, however. 7-Big Miss improved substantially in career try number two on the class drop, finishing a close-up fourth (beaten less than two lengths). She adds Lasix this afternoon, and another move forward puts her in the mix for the win honors.
Race #9: Selections: 9-1-4
9-Rosa Parks finished a solid closing second off the nine-month layoff for D’Amato and is likely to move forward today, second off the bench. She figures to fall into a nice stalking trip, directly off the pacesetters. 1-Miyako has won two of her last three grass tries for the Papaprodromou barn, and looks primed for the repeat if able to run back to the last (85) winning Beyer on Feb. 22. She’ll likely have a ton of early speed to deal with today, however, and is by no means a slam dunk. 4-Shared Future returns to turf on the cutback after racing over the main track the past couple of seasons for conditioner Mark Rheinford. This 7-year-old mare lands in a race that has plenty of early zip, and she’s more than capable of picking up the late pieces at a price.
