Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 4-Skyquist (Race 8)
Race #1: Selections: 9-5-6
9-King Anunoby ran a bang-up second behind repeat Grade 3 winner Repo Man on debut Aug. 27 for McCarthy and moves off the rail to the outside this afternoon for start number two. The Mendelssohn colt figures to be a handful with any normal second-out progression. Trainer Doug O’Neill sends out a pair. Firster 5-Jimmy’s Winchester (by Golden Pal) has shown a series of snappy a.m. drills. His sire is a multiple Grade 1 winner on grass and gets 21% with debuting prodigy and 20% with turf sprinters. This jockey-trainer combo has been very successful. The Glatt-trained 6-Klaebo is by Nyquist, who gets 18% with his juvenile debuting prodigy and 13% with grass sprint starters. He lures Hernandez at first asking off a steady worktab.
Race #2: Selections: 1-2-3
Trainer Bob Baffert sends out a pair of second-time starters. 1-Bold Type (a $500k son of Violence) is anchored with the rail draw again but is likely to move forward off his even fifth-place finish on debut Sept. 7 at Del Mar. The colt has worked three times since then and should move forward with a switch to Hernandez. His stablemate 2-Kivo goes turf to dirt off a troubled trip fifth-place finish routing on grass in his unveiling, and is also likely to improve substantially today. Omaha Beach gets 20% with dirt sprint runners. 3-My Memory is a $250k OBS purchase by Ghostzapper debuting for the Glatt barn that’s 19 for 92 (21%) with a $3.11 ROI the past five years with debuting dirt sprinters.
Race #3: Selections: 3-1-5
3-Wandering Kirby ships into Southern California from Lone Star off the claim for conditioner Leonard Powell, after a 5-length dominating grass score back on July 12 with a lofty (88) Beyer, and has been training over the local synthetic track since. Rispoli takes the call on the filly that’s 5-for-12 lifetime, and she looks tough here if able to transfer that turf form here. 1-Tam’s Little Angel is a multiple winner over the track and distance and comes off a nice score on Aug. 28. 5-Syntax has hit the board in six straight, which includes a pair of wins in the sequence for McCarthy.
Race #4: Selections: 4-8-6
4-Icons Only makes career try number 10 today but slashes her claiming tag in half with good gate speed and deserves a long look, making the second sprint main track try at today’s reduced level. 8-Swimmingly was overmatched in last but now drops back down to a career-low claiming tag for trainer Aggie Ordonez and is a huge late threat with the turnback in distance. The daughter of Runhappy’s main track sprint figures from two- and three-back match up well here. 6-She Spendsalot was a good second at 31-1 in front of a pair of today’s returning rivals on Sept. 7 with a field’s best last-out Beyer and gets her fifth different pilot this afternoon for trainer Bill McLean. Jockey Drayden Van Dyke looks to have found his groove the last week or so.
Race #5: Selections: 1-10-9
1-With Love (GB) ran a better-than-looks fifth on Sept. 6 for the Papaprodromou barn and ownership and now drops in class with the move inside for the third start of the current form cycle. A winner over this trip three back, this looks like a good spot for this mare to get back on track. 10-Wildfire Princess has plenty of speed to clear from today’s outside draw and potentially wire the field like she did four-back when Hernandez was aboard. The daughter of First Samurai makes her third start of the current form cycle. The 2-for-26 9-Motet goes second off the Peter Miller claim and must be considered a win threat this afternoon off that field’s best last-out (77) turf Beyer.
Race #6: Selections: 5-8-3
The Knapp-trained 5-Grievous Angel was beaten double digits in both main-track sprint tries this year but takes a sizable class drop, makes the third try of the form cycle, and switches to Hernandez on the stretch out. His sire Tough Sunday is a sharp 16-4-6-3 (25%) with dirt routers. Improvement likely. 8-Just Mendelssohn rallied for the place spot over at Los Al at this level on Sept. 12 on the stretch-out after breaking a step slow and shows a decent follow-up four-furlong drill over the local footing on Oct. 3. 3-Last Chance Darcy flashed speed and tired sprinting at this level last time and will now try to negotiate a mile. For what it’s worth, that race has produced a pair of next-out winners.
Race #7: Selections: 1-2-8
1-Yep just missed when rallying for the runner-up spot in front of several of these in his most recent try on Sept. 7 for D’Amato and should be all set for a breakthrough performance this afternoon in his third Stateside try with the move inside to the rail. A sharp five-furlong Oct. 5 synthetic drill adds to the appeal. His stablemate 2-Hazaka (Fr) was a wide-trip fourth behind the top choice in the aforementioned Sept. 7 event and is another that should be ready for a top try this afternoon third off the bench. Hernandez back for the return ride. 8-Ruler of Law is a logical threat off a pair of runner-up turf sprint finishes, including a recent second off the eight-month layoff Sept. 25 where he earned a (81) Beyer. The Tiz the Law sophomore stretches out for the first time today.
Race #8: Selections: 4-5-1
4-Skyquist was beaten double digits in the last pair but slices his claiming tag in half and makes his third start of the form cycle for trainer Paddy Gallagher. Improvement likely with maiden-winning rider Van Dyke staying aboard. 5-Battle School ran a solid second when stepped up to face winners on Sept. 25 for Knapp and now tries to turns for the first time this afternoon. The gelding is by Connect (16% dirt routes) and should stretch out theoretically. 1-Prince of Del Mar goes turf to dirt on the significant class drop for conditioner Andy Mathis and figures to take these as far as he can on the front end. The 4-year-old gelding could get brave if left alone to carve out reasonable splits.
Race #9: Selections: 6-4-2
A beaten odds-on chalk in last 6-Grand Slam Smile just missed by a head in this race last year (won it 2024) for trainer Sean McCarthy and should appreciate getting back both to Santa Anita and the downhill layout. The talented multiple stakes winner is 5-for-8 over the local lawn and 4-3-1 over the tricky downhill layout. The lightly raced 4-Rosa Parks has won three of four for D’Amato, including a good second-place finish in her lone try over the downhill layout. She steps up for her first stakes try this afternoon but might fall into a favorable stalking journey for Rispoli, who replaces Fresu, who has switched his tack to the East Coast. 2-Wink and a Grin didn’t do much running in lone try over the course in the G3 JC Harris last September but shortens back up today for a barn that’s red-hot as of late.
Race #10: Selections: 1-5-4
1-Maaz (Fr) hasn’t shown much in two starts this current campaign but drops in class and moves all the way inside to the rail for Rispoli and McCarthy. The 4-year-old gelding owns the best late-pace figure in the field, lands in a spot top=heavy with frontrunners, and has run some of his better races routing on grass at Santa Anita. Upset chance. 5-Charlie’s to Blame is a logical fit of three consecutive turf route finishes, two of which produced Beyers above par for this class level. 4-Namaron (Ger) returns to Southern California off a bang-up runner-up finish and a (96) turf Beyer at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 7 off a three-month mini-freshening. The Sadler-trained gelding is still looking for his first win on American soil.
