Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 5-Sweet Delta Dawn (Race 2)
Race #1: Selections: 7-5-6
7-Danzing Wild Cat finished an even fifth at 40-1 when returning from a 13-month hiatus for trainer Brendan Galvin in what was likely a solid prep for today’s stretch out to a mile. Hernandez sticks, and he’s likely to show more speed today. 5-Bennys Puzzle just missed last month by a nose when rallying strongly late, when he earned a career and field’s best (66) turf Beyer. The colt makes the third try of the form cycle this afternoon. 6-Nineteenth Holde left alertly through a sharp opening quarter mile before fading as the beaten favorite when dropped in for a $50k tag last week. The 4-year-old gelding returns quickly for the Yakteen barn, moving back up to face MDSW types.
Race #2: Selections: 5-4-1
5-Sweet Delta Dawn has never tried dirt in 10 career starts but takes a sizable class drop this afternoon from a $25k claimers to today’s $10,000 level, and her breeding suggests the main track should be fine. The gray 5-year-old mare is by multiple G1 winner Air Force Blue, who gets an above-average 18% with dirt route runners. She’s reunited with winning rider Ayuso. 4-A Fleet Ride adds blinkers and drops in for a career-low claiming tag, while making the all-important third start off the bench. 1-Union Heiress made a strong middle move after breaking a step slow when dropped to this level and returning to the main track on Feb. 13 only to fall a neck shy of the score. The 1-for-21 daughter of Union Rags will need a better break from the fence.
Race #3: Selections: 3-4-2
The 12-for-19 3-Man O Rose has won five straight stake races for Mullins, including a score in the California Flag H. over the downhill course with a (95) Beyer back in October. The talented 6-year-old gelding knows where the wire is and is tough to beat and play against at short odds. 4-On the Whim shortens up and moves back up to stakes company after finishing a late closing third to the streaking Captain Choochies. The Dean Pederson trainee also took the 2024 edition of the aforementioned California Flag and makes his second start off the bench today. 2-Drop Um may be better on dirt, but has finished second to the top choice at 29-1 and 26-1 on multiple occasions.
Race #4: Selections: 2-3-1
2-Dutton’s Song was a much-improved third when dropped to this level and switched to the main track in last, and sports the field’s best last-out dirt Beyer (66). First-time gelding 3-Sharon’s Angels was a well-beaten fifth when last seen back on Jan. 23, a race that has produced a pair of next-out winners. The 3-year-old by Tiz the Law goes second time Lasix today off an improving Beyer pattern. 1-Rich Night (by Street Sense) hasn’t been out in seven months but returns as a first-time gelding off a spirited work tab, which included a :59.4 five-furlong drill on March 15.
Race #5: Selections: 3-11-1
Route to sprint 3-O K Rose returns off a two-month mini-freshening and drops back down in class today after facing considerably better in recent tries. The 5-year-old mare was a winner when last seen at this reduced level last summer at Del Mar and should be rallying strongly late on the cutback. The lightly raced 11-Spotted Haze has good speed to coincide with today’s outside draw for Hernandez and Mullins. The Stanford filly has proven she can fire fresh and looks ready to rumble off the nine-month layoff. Her ability to sit and pounce should serve her well this afternoon. 1-Orange Thunder returns off a 13-month layoff after breaking his maiden in start number seven last February, after several close-up finishes. The 4-year-old filly has been training steadily over the Santa Anita synthetic course for today’s return against winners.
Race #6: Selections: 2-3-4
The 1-for-18 2-Uncle Evco is certainly no slam dunk, but just missed the place spot in his most recent try on Feb. 21 at this level and does hold the field’s best last-out dirt Beyer (71). He switches to jockey Armando Ayuso this afternoon, who has been riding well as of late. Perhaps the light bulb angle is in place, as 3-Irish Element broke through in career try number 12 in his last start for team O’Neill with a solid three-length maiden claiming triumph. 4-One Happy Dude has won two of his last three starts, including beating a short field of $25k claimers in his most recent effort on Feb. 20. The colt shows up for a $16,000 tag today on the stretch out and career-best figure.
Race #7: Selections: 8-1-4
Class-dropping 8-Broheim has been plagued by layoff lines, but returns today off a 2 ½-month mini-freshening as a first-time gelding and moves back to turf, where he ran a pair of his best efforts (back-to-back seconds on the Del Mar lawn back in 2024). The Not this Time 5-year-old has been working well in the a.m. for McCarthy and retains Hernandez. 1-Irish Rebel moves back to a sprint, where he finished a bang-up second two-back at this $50k maiden claiming level, and makes his third start off the long layoff today for conditioner Ryan Hanson. The Gary Stute-trained 4-Sand Bagger has hit the board in five of eight career tries, and now makes his second start off the 11-month layoff.
Race #8: Selections: 6-4-3
6-Binging slices his claiming tag in half today, offered for a career-low level, while running fairly decently in recent starts, including a 5 ½-furlong score two-back with a competitive (74) Beyer. 4-Alpine Thunder kicked away to a 3 ¼-length sharp win at this level on Feb. 21 and now goes first off the claim for a low-profile barn that is a strong 3-for-11 (27%) with a $3.18 ROI with new sprint dirt acquisitions the past three years. The graded stakes-placed 3-Barsabas has seen better days, but drops in for a career-low $5k claiming tag today off an even fourth under the lights at Los Al and is eligible to wake up at this reduced level.
Race #9: Selections: 1-2-9
1-Have Style finished a much-improved third when switched to grass on the stretch out in start number two, when finishing in front of several of today’s returning rivals, and now adds blinkers today for the all-important third career try. 2-Maggles McGee is a logical win threat based on her back-to-back runner-up grass sprint finishes and competitive Beyers over the local lawn, and now tries two turns today for the Papaprodromou barn. A tepid co-favorite in the last 9-Baby Needs Shoes was fourth behind Have Style, while not having the smoothest of journeys for trainer Peter Miller. She removes the blinker today while going on her second round of Lasix.
