Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 6-Cortina d’Amprezzo (Ire) (Race 3)
Race #1: Selections: 4-7-2
4-Alittletoofabulous (by multiple G1 winner Liam’s Map) was a sharp second on debut over a bulky field for trainer Carla Gaines and now stretches out in start number two. This gray filly’s pedigree suggests two turns should suit her fine, and a sharp drill on Sept. 16 indicates she’s likely to move forward. 7-Platinum Groove saw a Beyer boost of 25 points from start one to two with the stretch out to a mile for Mullins rallying for the show spot while encountering traffic issues. A logical threat right back. The Sadler-trained 2-Cyclone Claire ran an Ok fourth behind the top choice on debut and is likely to improve in start number two. Her sire Acclamation was a multiple Grade 1 winner routing.
Race #2: Selections: 6-4-1
6-Theressasilverlinin was disastrous last time out at Del Mar when eased and walked off the course. Two-back, the 6-year-old mare kicked away by 3 ¼-lengths at today’s one-mile trip with Ayuso aboard. Her efforts here at Santa Anita were all solid earlier in the summer and spring, so she’s likely to bounce back this afternoon. 4-Perfect Life hasn’t hit the board in his last four starts but gets back to Santa Anita today in this short field on the stretch out and was competitive against slightly better when last seen back in June. Two sprints to a route 1-Rythem Girl can grab a share of this for conditioner Bill McLean.
Race #3: Selections: 6-4-5
6-Cortina d’Amprezzo (Ire) had a nightmarish trip on Aug. 30. The 3-year-old filly was hard to handle into the first turn when pulling hard, then was repeatedly steadied during the stretch run, stifled behind traffic with no place to run, despite having plenty of run left. The Day’s Best Bet. 4-Mesmerize was a sharp gate-to-wire upset 14-1 maiden winner in start number two on the stretch-out and switch to turf for Mandella, and the filly’s winning Beyer (75) matches up well against the N1X group. 5-Waiting For You (GB) rallied for the place spot in her best performance to date since arriving Stateside for Powell in front of the top pick in last, and her grass Beyers have increased with each subsequent try.
Race #4: Selections: 5-1-2
5-Maximum Bourbon looks for redemption this afternoon, settling for second behind 1-Listenupshance, a game-nose winner of the Bing Crosby for Team O’Neill, doubling up on his triple-digit Beyer figures. The ladder coming in the True North (G3) two back. Bourbon has trained exceptionally well in the interim for D’Amato and should benefit from being drawn outside his main rival this afternoon. The Maximum Security gelding has never raced over the Santa Anita strip but has trained sharply over the surface in the a.m. and retains Rosario. 2-Imagination has not been the same since returning from his Riyadh Dirt Sprint (G2) win, losing three straight for Baffert, but returns to Santa Anita today, where he’s hit the board in seven of eight career tries. The 5-year-old returns off a three-month freshening and has been training well.
Race #5: Selections: 9-4-8
If you can excuse a couple of not-so-great trips in his last pair of starts at Del Mar, 9-Fight Back makes a ton of sense here for trainer Andy Mathis returning to Santa Anita, where he’s 2-for-2. He stretches back out to his preferred one-mile trip and should get a live race flow to close into. 4-Tessuto is a logical choice for trainer Peter Miller, off back-to-back (82) dirt Beyers while making his second start off the claim. The 5-year-old gelding takes a sizable class plunge today from the $40k claiming level down to today’s career-low $16,000. Class dropping 8-Fomo Joe goes turf to dirt, exiting a speed-and-fade grass try against considerably better on Aug. 6. He handily defeated a next-out winner going this one-mile trip two back.
Race #6: Selections: 7-6-3
7-Sharons Maxfield (by Maxfield/19% dirt routes) goes two sprints to a route today on the class drop and may find two turns more to his liking. The gelding’s Beyer figures are as formidable as his rivals’, and he’s likely to offer better value. He potentially has more upside, making only career try number three for trainer Richard Baltas. The same applies to 6-Freddy Five Four (by Omaha Beach), who goes two sprints to a route today on the class drop and may also like routing. 3-Whynotanotherone is a 10-start maiden who crossed the wire first by 5 ½ lengths two back, but was unfortunately disqualified, then followed up with a solid runner-up finish at Los Al Sept. 11. He’s been unlucky, but his Beyers are on a downward spiral.
Race #7: Selections: 1-11-2
The $3 low-takeout late pick 3 begins here. 1-Golden Club was only a half-length behind Chiseled in Stone on Aug. 6, finishing third as the beaten favorite, and now makes the all-important third career try for trainer Craig Lewis. He was sandwiched between a pair of next-out winners on debut and switches to Hernandez today. 11-Chiseled in Stone finished in front of a trio of today’s returning rivals on Aug. 30, finishing second in both turf sprint tries at Del Mar, and the Stanford colt figures to be a handful in start number three. 2-Little King goes dirt to turf and is by grass-stakes winner One Bad Boy. Rispoli takes over the riding assignment for the Papaprodromou-trained colt.
Race #8: Selections: 3-6-4
The 2025 BC Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner 3-Super Corredora was not very good in both starts this campaign but took another six months off for Sadler and returns here off a spirited, solid worktab to lure Rosario away from the Magnificat, who has won three of his last four starts. I’m fully expecting the daughter of Gun Runner to be aggressively handled here and sent for forward position. 6-Rabeeba is 3-for-3 for Baffert and removes the blinkers today after easily disposing of a half-dozen fillies in the Grade 3 Torrey Pines. The $750k daughter of Curlin has unlimited potential. The late-closing 4- Om N Joy is back at her favorite venue for trainer Aggie Ordonez (where she’s 4-for-6), makes her third start off the bench, and would be the beneficiary if an early pace tussle happens to materialize.
Race #9: Selections: 2-7-5
2-Miss Jo’s Curlin goes dirt to turf while making his third start of the form cycle for Brendan Galvin. Both of this gelding’s wins came on grass here at Santa Anita, and he’s likely to improve substantially with the surface switch and venue change today. 7-Feeling Lucky has improved rapidly for trainer Brian Koriner and exits a strong runner-up try when dismissed at 25-1 on Aug. 22 when stepped up to face winners, finishing in front of a pair of today’s returning rivals. The gelded son of Vronsky switches back to maiden-winning pilot Rosario in the Sunday nightcap. 5-Stylishlyacclaimed was fifth behind Feeling Lucky in last, but has good positional speed for conditioner Carla Gaines and can improve, second off the bench.
