Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 5-Repo Man (Race 4)
Race #1: Selections: 6-4-3
A winner of two of his last three starts, 6-Known Idea has proven to be equally effective on dirt and turf for trainer George Papaprodromou and gets back to grass today on the stretch-out, where he was a winner three-back at Del Mar. 4-Prince Dolce returns to the Santa Anita sod, where he’s done his best work, evidenced by his 9-4-1-2 mark over the local green. The 4-year-old gelding is reunited with winning pilot. 3-Lyle The Crocodile is not the easiest gelding to ride but posted a career-best turf Beyer (88) since arriving Stateside in June 2025 for D’Amato and makes the third start of the current form cycle. He just missed the place spot when making up decent ground late against similar on Sept. 5.
Race #2: Selections: 3-4-1
3-Springline broke through in a big way in start number 15 when drawing off by 10 ¼ lengths to break her maiden over at Los Al with a field’s best (69) Beyer speed figure. She defeated next-out winner Salty Sis (9/19) and should prove tough back at Santa Anita for conditioner Ryan Hanson if she can replicate that top effort. 4-Good Golly Dolly has run well recently, topped off by a second on Sept. 3 at this level at Del Mar, finishing in front of a pair of today’s returning rivals. 1-Sugar Reign finished a wide fifth behind Good Golly Dolly in last and now goes first off the Isidoro Tamayo claim while moving inside to a much better starting slot. Improvement likely.
Race #3: Selections: 5-3-6
5-Separator was overmatched in her most recent turf sprint try at Del Mar off the year layoff, but moves back to dirt today, second off the bench for trainer Michael McCarthy, and is likely to move forward, returning to dirt where this daughter of Charlatan was a 12-length runaway Los Al maiden winner before hitting the sidelines last fall. She’s worked well over at San Luis Rey. 3-Surfin the Coast goes turf to dirt off the mini-freshening for the Mullins barn, which is already off to a fast start this autumn meet. This daughter of West Coast was a main-track maiden-breaking winner here, sprinting on debut back in the spring. 6-Magic Jewel is an interesting newcomer from Emerald Downs, making her first start in the Sadler barn off some flashy drills. It will be interesting to see how she matches up against this $25k Southern California claiming field.
Race #4: Selections: 5-2-3
5-Repo Man (by Golden Pal) was a sharp winner on debut for conditioner Michael McCarthy, well-backed by the betting public, and could find himself on or near the lead on the stretch-out this afternoon. The talented juvenile colt looks ready to tackle stakes competition. His stablemate 2-Maxify (by Justify) rallied from far back at 13-1 to win his debut and has the breeding to suggest he’ll take to two turns. Hernandez replaced Rispoli, who sticks with the top choice. 3-Duty Bound is 2-for-2 for trainer Jack Sisterson with back-to-back turf sprint wins at Colonial Downs and Kentucky Downs most recently on Aug. 29. By multiple G1 winner Jack Christopher, this juvenile filly should handle stretching out and could be any kind of talent for a shrewd outfit.
Race #5: Selections: 5-7-6
The traditional $2 Pick Six starts with a tricky, low-level $10,000 claimer for 3-year-olds and up. 5-Low Expectations hasn’t been out in 10 months for trainer Antonio Garcia, but the 6-year-old gelding rattled off two of his better one-mile efforts and Beyer numbers (81, 82) in back-to-back starts before hitting the sidelines, and his five-furlong drill locally was solid on Sept. 26. 7-Keep Movin’ On hasn’t hit the board in nine straight, dating back to November 2024, but takes a sizable class drop today for Glatt returning to dirt and may spring back to life with Rosario. 6-Big Juanito is 0-for-5 at Santa Anita but makes start number three of the current form cycle off back-to-back ITM finishes and has run some races that fit here.
Race #6: Selections: 5-6-4
5-Vanta is 2-for-2 for the Mullins barn, successfully stepping up into the stakes ranks on the stretch out in start number two to take the Sept. 6 Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf in impressive fashion. A threepeat looks well within reach. 6-River in Paradise (GB) adds blinkers for her second Stateside start after a tardy break in last. She galloped out strongly past the wire while getting on track too late and will likely show more this afternoon for Powell with that U.S. racing experience behind her. 4-Blockade ran a bang-up second at 56-1, runner-up to Vanta in last when making her initial turf try for trainer Ryan Hanson, and followed up that top try with a nice drill over the main track here at Santa Anita.
Race #7: Selections: 9-4-8-2
9-Prospect of Love is one of two from Team Baffert. This daughter of Uncle Mo was no match for runaway winner Quattro Passi on debut Sept. 6 when breaking from the fence, but figures to be tough in start number two with that race under her belt. This barn wins at a high percentage with their second-time juvenile fillies sprinting on dirt with the barn’s go-to pilot, Juan Hernandez. A (4-1-1) record from the last half dozen starts. 4-Mo Chuisle is an $825k daughter of Omaha Beach, who gets 14% with his juvenile debuting prodigy. This gal has trained like a good thing, including a “best of 74” four-furlong bullet drill on Sept. 26. 8-Weho is by win-early sire Yaupon (22%), who has looked solid in her a.m. drills over the local footing. The other Baffert is firster 2-Miss Athens by Upstart (16% with 2-year-old debut runners) and jockey-trainer combo 3-for-7 (43%) with $2.69 ROI with debut runners the past four years.
Race #8: Selections: 5-1-2
5-Delightful Laura returns off the eight-month layoff for trainer Peter Eurton and has proven she can fire fresh. The daughter of Uncle Mo should prove tough to reel in with Hernandez with an alert break. A winner of two of her last three turf routes, 1-Fibonaccis Ride drops out of the Grade 2 John C. Mabee into this softer spot today and gets back to her preferred one-mile trip where she sports a (6-3-2-0) career mark. The 4-year-old filly figures to trip out nicely from the fence. 2-Lady Rider has finished first or second in four of five lifetime turf starts at Santa Anita and exits a solid runner-up effort on Sept. 6 for Cerin at this level. The filly rarely misfires.
Race #9: Selections: 3-5-6
The stakes-winning 3-Fionello drops in class this afternoon off the mini-freshening for Knapp and returns to Santa Anita where he’s done some of his best running. The gelding won the Echo Eddie S. the last time over the course at 6 ½ furlongs. The lightly raced 5-My Bodacious Boy has improved Beyer-wise with each subsequent start for Tim Yakteen and comes off a decent fourth with a solid (80) Beyer considering it was off an eight-month layoff. The step up in class and switch to Hernandez are all positives. 6-Fumano’s Magic was no match for Howie’s Law in last but was close for the runner-up spot when settling for third and has run well over this main track. A solid “best of 52” bullet five-furlong drill in :59.3 on Sept. 21 catches the eye.
Race #10: Selections: 2-7-9
2-Seamless Factor ran to her backing and just missed in a solid debut effort for trainer Carla Gaines in her Aug. 29 sprint grass debut at Del Mar, coming up a neck shy and settling for second. The juvenile daughter of Mendelssohn should be a handful with any additional second-out progression. A beaten favorite in both starts on dirt and turf, 7-Just Work It Out shortens back to a sprint on the grass for the potent Rosario-Sadler combo. The Justify filly should be all set for a career-best try in start number three. 9-Sono Veloce (by Mitole) sped clear and was in a good position before fading without much excuse in her Aug. 30 main-track unveiling for Brendan Galvin. She switches to grass in start number two and can move forward with Hernandez staying aboard.
