Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 9-Rastaman Vibe (Race 7)
Race #1: Selections: 6-4-2
A tricky opening leg of the early pick five features a five-furlong turf sprint. The speedy 6-Golden Ale returns to Santa Anita and moves back to turf after a solid runner-up dirt effort over at Turf Paradise on March 18. A voided claim two-back, the 7-year-old gelding looks like the speed of the speed this afternoon and should prove tough to reel in late, second off the bench. The Peter Miller-trained 4-Tigerhon (Fr) has run par or better for this class level on multiple occasions and exits a game second on March 20. Claimed out of his last pair, 2-One Smokin Dude removes the blinkers and goes dirt to turf for new conditioner Librado Barocio. Both of his grass tries were disappointing, but we will give him another look today based on his turf pedigree on the dam side, reuniting with winning pilot Kyle Frey.
Race #2: Selections: 3-4-1
The Sadler-trained 3-Midway Lane (by Quality Road) moves back to dirt after a pair of strong turf efforts, and his debut try last November at Del Mar indicates he handles the main track. 4-Montana Jet finished a much-improved second at this level in start number two and is a logical threat with another potential move forward in career try number three. The 3-year-old colt figures for another upfront-pressing trip for Miller. 1-Ghostwritten moves back to dirt for the all-important third career try, and both of his races he’s entered for Yakteen have been tough heats, producing multiple repeat winners. The Ghostzapper gelding should sit a favorable ground-saving trip from the fence with Geroux.
Race #3: Selections: 4-2-5
4-Empress Matilda (GB) returns off a year’s layoff for the lucrative veteran jockey-trainer combo of Desormeaux and Hess. This 4-year-old filly has trained steadily for today’s return to action, and slashes her claiming tag from $100k to today’s $50,000 purchase price. She should be motoring home late. 2-Nikolina has run well in both turf efforts to kick off the 2026 season for D’Amato and sports the field’s best last-out grass Beyer (81). This filly is the horse to beat with a similar effort, making the third try of the form cycle. 5-Eva Lea drops in class off the mini-freshening for Sadler and has trained smartly in the interim, including a five-furlong bullet in :59 flat over the synthetic course on April 10. The daughter of Gift Box makes the all-important third career try today.
Race #4: Selections: 6-1-4
6-Mongolian Max scampered away to a sharp 4 ¼-length win on March 14 but was disqualified and placed sixth for interference involving a bumping incident that unseated a rival’s rider. This 5-year-old gelding has run some of the swiftest dirt Beyers in the field and should make amends this afternoon. 1-Last Call Paul prefers to finish underneath, evidenced by his 33-2-10-7 career mark, but has speed he can utilize from the fence and is quick enough to clear this field. Maldonado has been aboard for both of the gelding’s career victories. 4-Tee N Off is a Steve Knapp re-claim, exiting a disappointing seventh and last on Feb. 28. The 4-year-old can bounce back today on the stretch out.
Race #5: Selections: 5-9-7
5-Scatalotadingdong has won two of his last three starts, both on turf, including a 12-1 upset on April 5. The 3-year-old Sir Prancealot gelding shortens up to a sprint today for trainer Leonard Powell and should be making up solid ground late. 9-Tamarando Beach makes his first grass try this afternoon, after a five-month freshening for Sadler. The 3-year-old gelding is by Tamarando (16% turf sprinters) and, when last seen last in the fall in November, scored an impressive 7 ½-length runaway maiden victory. 7-Joker Went Wild is one of two from the O’Neill barn. The 3-year-old colt makes his initial turf try this afternoon off back-to-back solid main track efforts, including a nose short when facing winners for the first time on March 27.
Race #6: Selections: 7-2-5
The 11-time winning veteran 10-year-old 7-Windribbon exits a recent 1,000-yard third under the lights at Los Al two weeks ago and has already beaten several of these in the past over this strip. He figures to get a perfect stalking trip with the move outside and should prove tough to beat late. 2-Morello flashed speed but tired badly as the favorite when last seen back on Feb. 21 against slightly cheaper. The 7-year-old gelding makes his second try off the mini-freshening and can improve today, second off the bench. He’s winless since March 2024, but previous dirt Beyers match up well in this spot. 5-Carol’s Comic has finished behind the top choice on more than one occasion, but is capable of getting a slice of this with the right trip. She was an excusable wide fifth in his most recent try against better.
Race #7: Selections: 9-3-1
The late-closing 9-Rastaman Vibe drops into a winning spot ($80k to $50k claimers) today for conditioner Mark Glatt, exiting a better-than-looks wide fifth (beaten less than a length) on March 14. The More Than Ready 5-year-old makes his third try of the form cycle today, has the best late pace figure in the field, and should get a spirited race flow to close into. 3-Catch the Breeze was hardly disgraced when finishing third when making his first crack against winners back in mid-February, posting a field’s best last-out (92) turf Beyer. The gelding returns off the mini-freshening and is back at his maiden-breaking 1 1/8 winning distance. 1-Cali Cat flashed early speed before tiring late on March 15 for Sadler and moves inside to the rail today, switching to the red-hot Jaramillo. A much-improved five-furlong bullet drill over the synthetic course on April 12 indicates improvement is likely forthcoming.
Race #8: Selections: 5-4-2
The Bob Baffert-trained 5-Nafisa has won three of her last four and drops out of the Grade 1 Beholder Mile into this softer spot today. A sharp 4 ¾-length winner of the La Canada (G3) two-back, the late-developing 5-year-old mare is likely to set the pace this afternoon with Hernandez and prove tough to reel in late. 4-Simple Joking also gets some class relief today for the McCarthy barn. The 4-year-old filly was hardly disgraced in the aforementioned Beholder Mile and La Brea (G1) two back. The 4-year-old filly makes her second try off the bench today, and fired a “best of 55” bullet five furlongs on April 11 in the interim. The Garde 3-winning 2-Lemon Muffin is only 2-for-24 lifetime, but exits a trio of main track trips that have not been the best. She’ll need to find more today to compete with the top pair.
Race #9: Selections: 2-9-3
The Ryan Hanson-trained 2-Positive Times flashed improved speed at 22-1 when switched to grass in his most recent try on March 13, and now moves inside, removing the blinkers. He has an upset look, switching to top speed rider Maldonado. 9-Flash of Lightning closed well from far back in his last pair, finishing in front of several of today’s returning rivals, and has trained well since then for Baltas. The Halladay 3-year-old should move forward again, making the third try of the form cycle. A beaten favorite in the last, 3-Robin Olds has run up on the heels of rivals in both local turf route tries to begin his career for D’Amato. By G1 winner Mo Forza, the colt makes the all-important third career try today.
