Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 1-Darya (Race 8)
Race #1: Selections: 3-4-2
3-Lubie’s Music ran a better-than-looks fourth as the beaten favorite on March 8 when battling three-deep for Mandella. The 4-year-old daughter of Maclean’s Music should be quick enough to establish the front against this field this afternoon and prove tough to reel in late. The Irish import 4-Ulysses Rose (Ire) makes her first U.S. start today off a 10-month layoff for conditioner Michael McCarthy after finishing second on debut at Ballinrobe last June. The filly adds Lasix today and lures Hernandez off the bench. The D’Amato-trained 2-Vow to Resiliency finished third in front of the top choice in last, which was her first start in 13 months and initial start in Southern California. A big chance if able to build on that encouraging effort.
Race #2: Selections: 1-6-3
1-Aloha Dreamin scampered away to a solid gate-to-wire N2L win when last seen back in the end of January over the Santa Anita main track, and figures to employ similar tactics with today’s rail draw for the potential repeat. 6-Sei Bella is also coming off a win, going long, and earning the field’s best last-out dirt Beyer (61). The 4-year-old daughter of Om does not project to be too far off the pace today despite the cutback. 3-Miz Clubcali has not hit the board in six straight and is winless since 2024, but drops in for a career-low claiming tag this afternoon, moving back to dirt.
Race #3: Selections: 6-2-1
Never worse than first or second in four tries, 6-Romantic Ride has won two straight for trainer Vladimir Cerin in solid fashion and will be tough to overhaul if able to repeat that lofty March 1 (78) turf Beyer around two turns. 2-Uecker goes dirt to turf after flashing solid early zip before fading late to second at 18-1 when trying a mile for the first time on March 20. The 3-year-old gelding by Sir Prancealot looks like the commanding speed today, and is a serious gate-to-wire threat with an alert break. Regular rider Adrian Escobedo is back aboard. 1-Ventry Strand moves to the rail today, exiting a solid closing effort to grab the place spot on Feb. 21 when stretched out for the initial time. The Bolt d’Oro 3-year-old projects to get another ground-saving journey.
Race #4: Selections: 2-5-7
The 8-year-old gelding 2-Ghazaaly has never strung two wins together, but exits a solid 6-1 winning effort and career-best (95) Beyer on March 8, when defeating a trio of today’s returning rivals. The Doug O’Neill charge has had two maintenance drills since that big performance. The lightly raced 5-Magnify was runner-up to the top choice off a very long layoff and figures to move forward off that effort for conditioner Tim Yakteen. 7-Spearfish has run poorly in his only pair of main track tries, but gets some class relief today on the stretch out, and his a.m. dirt drills suggest he gets over the main course fine.
Race #5: Selections: 1-9-4
1-Christa McAuliffe must negotiate the tricky rail draw this afternoon, but put forth a career-best effort in start number three on March 8 with the addition of blinkers. The Grazen filly should prove tough to beat today if able to replicate that (60) Beyer over a field of several inexperienced fillies and uninspiring sire and trainer stats. 9-Redheaded Reba is by multiple Grade 1 winner Om, who gets a strong 17% with 3-year-olds & up firsters and is nicely drawn outside with solid a.m. drills. However, this barn is only 1-for-25 with first-time starters the past five years. 4-Taking a Joy Ride is by Clubhouse Ride, who gets an ordinary 9% with 3-year-old & up debut runners, but this filly debuts with Lasix and lures Hernandez at first-asking.
Race #6: Selections: 7-4-8
Class dropping 7-Smart Code gets the tepid vote in this wide-open turf sprint for trainer Mark Glatt while making his third try of the form cycle. 4-Gregory’s Pride ran an OK fifth behind the top choice in last, considering he was returning off 470 days’ rest on March 8 for D’Amato. The veteran 8-year-old gelding is only 2-for-24 lifetime but takes a class drop today, second off the bench, and can move forward. 8-Tapalo flashed good speed before tiring to fifth as the beaten favorite when making his initial grass try on March 6. He goes first off the claim today for trainer Steve Knapp, who is a solid 6-for-29 (21%) with a positive ROI with grass sprint new acquisitions at Santa Anita the past five years.
Race #7: Selections: 3-1-6
3-Tate Batz goes turf to dirt as the most experienced filly in the field for Team O’Neill on the turnback, and showed enough main track ability in her first two starts to beat this suspect field this afternoon with Kimura getting the return mount. 1-La Silenciosa adds blinkers and Lasix for career try number two, exiting a well-beaten third after breaking a step slow on March 8. The 3-year-old filly projects to be sent along from the get-go with the rail draw and retains the meet’s leading pilot. 6-Jacklyn Lucas returns from a seven-month layoff today, off a steady but uninspiring work tab for Miyadi. The Grazen filly adds Lasix today and finished second over this course when last seen back in September.
Race #8: Selections: 1-3-4
One of two D’Amato fillies entered here, 1-Darya (Ire) looked visually impressive when drawing off to a 2 ¾-length maiden win on March 21 at today’s 1 1/8-mile trip in her second U.S. try, and may be ready to tackle stakes foes off that dominant performance. The daughter of multiple G1 winner Persian King offers plenty of upside. Her stablemate, 3-Inbox (by multiple G1 winner Ectot), is also exiting a sharp maiden-winning score back in late January and has trained well in the interim over the synthetic course. The stakes-placed 4-Wild Like the West is a logical fit based on back-to-back second-place efforts for Baltas and Hernandez. The 3-year-old filly is bred to relish the additional eighth of a mile, but her last two efforts do not entirely make a solid case for it.
Race #9: Selections: 3-1-6
Turf to dirt 3-Commander (Fr) is winless since September 2024 but drops in for a career-low $12,500 claiming tag today and sports the field’s best late pace figure. The 9-year-old gelding switches to Jaramillo this afternoon and should be motoring home late if the projected TimeformUS pace projection comes to fruition. Upset chance. 1-Dirty Words saw his three-race win streak come to a halt on Feb. 15 off the claim when weakening to sixth at even money. The 4-year-old gelding was a dominant eight-length winner two back with a lofty (95) Beyer, which would potentially crush this group if he could run back to that breakout performance. 6-Captain Sparrow was a sharp 2 ¼-length six-furlong winner when last seen at the end of January and has had plenty of recovery time for the Glatt barn.
Race #10: Selections: 4-3-6
A tricky N2L grass route closes out the Easter Sunday multi-race exotics. 4-Tribal must avoid an early pace tussle with Typhoon Tommy, but shortens back up to a mile this afternoon for Team O’Neill on the class drop and figures to work out a favorable upfront-pressing trip, second off the bench. This barn has solid stats with the quick turnaround. 3-Goodfella (Ire) finished an even fifth on March 1 with his return to Santa Anita, where he posted the field’s best last-out (77) grass Beyer. The 1-for-17 gelding takes a sizable class drop today and is a logical threat if able to replicate that last turf figure. 6-Six Magpies (Ire) has picked up the late pieces in all three turf route starts of 2026 and can do so again today for conditioner Steve Sherman.
