Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner

BEST BET: 1-Nysos (Race 6)

Race #1: Selections: 2-4-10-12

2-Improbable U returns to Southern California for trainer Jonathan Thomas off the two-month mini-freshening after a toss-out, troubled trip at Keeneland back at the end of October. The 2-year-old daughter of Improbable ran back-to-back seconds prior to that subpar performance, including a second on debut over the Del Mar turf course Aug. 16. She gets Irad Ortiz in the stirrups for the 11-race blockbuster opening day card. 4-Island Home is one of two juvenile fillies trained by Michael McCarthy. This gal showed improved speed in start number two over this course and could take these a long way on the front end in the all-important third career try. 10-Luckiest (by Into Mischief) goes dirt to turf in start number two for Prat and Baffert after finishing eighth on debut last month, after some pre-race antics. She almost certainly has more ability than she demonstrated during her unveiling for these top connections. 12-Ramayana must negotiate today’s tricky outside draw, but is a logical win candidate based on her three consecutive runner-up turf finishes for Mandella. The daughter of Uncle Mo finished in front of four of today’s returning rivals on Nov. 29.

Race #2: Selections: 1-4-7

1-Winston Ave owns the experience edge over stablemate Newton for Team Baffert after rallying strongly for the place spot on debut Nov. 22. The son of Quality Road earned a lofty (81) Beyer for that promising effort, removes the blinkers today, and figures to be a handful with any normal second-out progression. 4-Newton is a pricey $975k August Fasig Tipton purchase by Munnings, who has trained smartly in the a.m. and gets the barn’s go-to pilot, Juan Hernandez, this afternoon. 7-Captain Shreve (by multiple G1 winner Runhappy) has trained swiftly in his morning drills with several snappy drills, including a “best of 66” bullet four furlongs in :46.4 on Dec. 21 over this racetrack. Trainer George Papaprodromou is 0-for 29, however, with dirt sprint firsters at Santa Anita the past four years.

Race #3: Selections: 1-2-8-7

A full field of 12 well-matched fillies and mares line up in this competitive optional $50k claiming N1x turf route. 1-Corporal Violette (Ire) has run well in both grass route tries since being claimed by conditioner Mark Rheinford, including a sharp win over three of this afternoon’s returning rivals, most recently on Oct. 30. The 6-year-old mare ran above par for this class level two and three-back and projects to get a favorable ground-saving journey behind a likely swift pace. 2-Firsttimeinforever returns from the East Coast for a new barn but is no stranger to success in Southern California as a multiple winner over this track and distance. The 5-year-old mare has run turf route Beyers and races that match up well for new trainer Leonard Powell and gets top rider Mirco Demuro, who has found his groove the last several weeks. 8-Queen Sienna (Arg) rallied for fourth in her first try on U.S. soil behind the top choice in the aforementioned Oct. 30 event, and the seven-time winner is likely to move forward in start number two, making her second try off the four-month freshening. She owns the top late pace figure in this field. The speedy 7-Delightful Laura removes the blinker today, but figures to have a ton of company on the front end.

Race #4: Selections: 13-3-2-12

A four-time winner over this racetrack, 13-Wishtheyallcouldbe takes a sizable class drop today for trainer Hector Palma, second off the bench, and should get a lively race flow to flatter her late kick. The 7-year-old mare is reunited with Dimuro today, who was aboard for her 9-1 runner-up effort two back. A maiden winner when last seen 3-Miss Practical hasn’t been out in nearly 10 months for trainer Carla Gaines, but has been working smartly in the a.m. and looks ready to fire off the bench. 2-Rizzleberry Rose exits a career-best Beyer (70) with her runner-up effort against similar on Nov. 22 at this 6 1/1-furlong trip, and broke her maiden in her lone try over the Santa Anita main track. Hernandez sticks. 12-Diva Cat is a lightly raced 4-year-old with only a pair of starts for trainer Mark Glatt, but both of her efforts have been respectable. A maiden winner on debut, followed up by a close-up third (beaten less than a length) against winners in start number two.

Race #5: Selections: 5-2-3

The first of six graded stakes on the program. 5-Friendly Confines is one of three dropping out of the Nov. 29 G1 Hollywood Derby. The Richard Baltas-trained sophomore shortens back up to his preferred one-mile trip, has good positional early speed, and figures to be expertly handled by jockey Irad Ortiz. The Leonard Powell-trained 2-Tempus Volat got the best of the top choice and several other returning rivals in the Let it Ride S. two back with a 10-1 upset and is another who has done his best at today’s shorter trip. The German-bred 3-Namaron (Ger) has run well in both U.S. tries for conditioner John Sadler—a third in both the short field Twilight Derby (G3) and the Sept. 6 Gun Runner S. at Kentucky Downs, his first Stateside start. The gelding adds blinkers today off back-to-back (85) Beyers and is reunited with Prat.

Race #6: Selections: 1-3-7

The talented 1-Nysos has won six of seven starts, including the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) on Nov. 1 over stablemate Citizen Bull for trainer Bob Baffert and has registered four triple-digit Beyers on his resume. The Nyquist colt is 3-for-3 at Santa Anita and the class of this field. He’ll be tough to overhaul at short odds. His stablemate, 3-Nevada Beach, is a Grade 1 winner who is 4-1-0 from six starts and has trained well since his last score in the G3 Native Dancer. The Omaha Beach sophomore returns to Santa Anita, having won three of his last four tries, with his only defeat coming in the BC Classic. 7-Bartholdy has a serious class test today, but goes two sprints to a route and has enough speed to clear this field if sent from his outside draw. The consistent 4-year-old gelding has hit the board in 11 consecutive races and comes off a lifetime best Beyer (98) for trainer Steve Knapp.

Race #7: Selections: 1-4-7

1-Anmer Hall has been freshened since defeating $80k claimers over this downhill layout on Oct. 13 for conditioner Peter Eurton and now returns for a reduced $50,000 tag this afternoon. The 5-time winner sports the field’s best last-out grass Beyer (91) and gets the tepid vote despite the suspicious drop. 4-Proof He Rides goes first off the claim for trainer Jeff Mullins, who is a solid 4 for 12 (33%) with a lofty $5.28 ROI with first off the claim turf sprint runners the past four years. The 7-year-old gelding is a seven-time winner who has never run on the downhill course but has been successful on the regular Santa Anita turf course. Mullin’s other recent purchase, route to sprint 7-Yacowlef (Ire), is another who hasn’t tried his hand over the downhill layout but is 4 for 8 over the regular turf oval and is reunited with rider Hector Berrios, who has good success aboard this gelding.

Race #8: Selections: 8-3-2

Trainer Bob Baffert has won the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes a record nine times. He’ll have three chances Saturday afternoon, but meets some other talented 3-year-old fillies that warrant more respect. One such filly is the Riley Mott-trained 8-Her Laugh, who ships in from Churchill off a solid runner-up prep for this on Nov. 14. This daughter of Practical Joke has finished first or second in four of five career tries, was a winner of the Untapable S. at Fairgrounds last December, and should be motoring home late with Jose Ortiz. Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks winner 3-Five G has not been out since that sharp score over nine months ago for trainer George Weaver, but has trained steadily for an excellent layoff barn and has finished first or second in five of six tries. 2-So There She Was shortens up to seven furlongs this afternoon for Team O’Neill, exiting a recent wide fourth in the G2 Mother Goose at Aqueduct on Nov. 8 behind repeat multiple graded stakes winner Fully Subscribed.

Race #9: Selections: 9-3-4

This year’s edition of the Grade 3 San Gabriel Stakes is a wide-open scramble. Multiple Grade 2 winner 9-Cabo Spirit has enough early zip to secure a good spot despite the outside draw for trainer George Papaprodromou, and finished a tiring sixth in this event last year. The 6-year-old gelding is a four-time winner over this grass course; however, he has consistently run some of the top turf Beyers in the field and is reunited with Smith, who has had good success when aboard the gelding. Blinkers off 3-Endlessly returns off a four-month freshening for trainer Michael McCarthy and sports the field’s best late pace figure. The colt is 5-for-12 lifetime and will be rallying strongly through the lane. A spirited early pace would help his chances. 4-Stay Hot loves the Santa Anita grass course, as evidenced by his (7-3-3-0) record. The 4-year-old colt finished a disappointing sixth in the G2 Seabiscuit in his most recent try, Nov. 29, but is eligible to bounce back today, returning to his preferred venue and picking up Irad, as well.

Race #10: Selections: 10-5-8

Trainer Bob Baffert has won the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes six times and has four of nine in the 2025 edition. 10-Goal Oriented is multiple G1 placed (Haskell, Pennsylvania Derby). He should appreciate shortening back up in distance this afternoon off a well-beaten sixth in the BC Mile and should offer the best stretch punch on the turnback. Blinkers are back on for 5-Midland Money, who has yet to prove himself at this top level. Nonetheless, he has run some fast main track Beyers in four of five career tries and may try to wire this field with Hernandez. 8-Cornucopian (a $1.1 million son of Into Mischief) showed solid talent earlier in 2025 and has looked super sharp in his a.m. drills alongside Barnes, who was scratched Saturday.

Race #11: Selections: 9-2-10-3

9-As Catch Can rallied nicely over the soft Colonial Downs grass course for the 16-1 upset win back on Sept. 6 when last seen for conditioner Jonathan Thomas in the Old Dominion Oaks. The 3-year-old daughter of Mo Town has trained sharply in recent weeks over the Santa Anita main track and will likely sit back and make one giant run with Rosario. There appears, at least on paper, to be sufficient early pace to flatter that big late kick. Upset chance. Her stablemate, 2-Will Then, should ensure a spirited early race flow for the top pick and was a winner of the China Doll S. in her lone try over this grass course. This sophomore filly sports the field’s best last-out turf Beyer (88) off her recent speed-and-fade no-excuse third in the G3 Red Carpet on Nov. 23. 10-Atsila (Ire) makes her first stateside start for trainer Richard Baltas, exiting a series of five straight G1 tries overseas. She’s undoubtedly faced much classier competition than the group assembled this afternoon and is an immediate threat to these in her first U.S. try despite the outside draw. A winner of two of her last three, 3-Cliffs invades from the East Coast for trainer Cherie De Vaux off a strong allowance win at Churchill on Nov. 7 and should have little trouble handling the 1 1/4-mile distance based on her previous efforts.