Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 4-Grandiosely (Race #1)
Race #1: The 5-year-old mare 4-Grandiosely made her long-awaited debut and had a legitimate excuse when breaking slowly and racing wide throughout. This lucrative jockey/trainer combo click close to 50% overall with 2nd time starters. Two sharp a.m. drills since unveiling indicate this mare is ready to move forward and improve off initial outing. 5-Kyjos Kid moves back to turf on the class drop for new conditioner. Bravo was onboard two winners for these connections last Sunday—Harnwood Flier and Law Abidins. 1-Poet Laureate has the rail with speed and goes dirt to turf in start number two for trainer Tim Yakteen.
Selections: 4-5-1
Race #2: The speedy 4-Mashhad Flats moves up off sharp win and claim for new owner/trainer Mark Glatt. This barn has good success with newly acquired purchases and this 3-year-old loves today’s mile trip. 5-Cajun Treasure is also coming off a strong win when finishing in a dead heat on May 15 and adds blinkers today for 3rd start off the extended layoff. 7-Mongolian Legend was overmatched in last start on turf but now moves back to main track and below claiming purchase price from two-back where he finished a decent second. This barn is still looking for first win of the meet, however, with a current 0 for 17 winless skid.
Selections: 4-5-7
Race #3: 2-Oubabe is a three-time beaten favorite with runner-up finishes in all 3 starts of 2022. This colt’s Beyer numbers have increased with each start for trainer John Sadler, however, and he’s the expected pacesetter today on the stretch-out. One last chance. 6-Blue Star has had several chances making career start number 14 this afternoon but could easily pick up one of the underneath spots at today’s trip. 5-Talklessworkmore is an obvious threat off all 3 ITM finishes this year but may not want to embrace today’s longer distance.
Selections: 2-6-5
Race #4: 4-Righteously has not shown that winning desire recently but might get a favorable trip just off the speed this afternoon and deserves a second look at this reduced level. 1-Marie comes in off strong back-to-back wins but had a voided claim on March 20 when failing a post-race inspection. She now comes off the mini-freshening and returns with a $12,500 claiming tag. She fits well with her speed and today’s rail draw but is simply hard to embrace as the 6/5 ML choice. 5-Donut Girl goes turf to dirt on the class drop and moves back to a sprint (6 furlongs) where she’s a multiple winner.
Selections: 4-1-5
Race #5: Beaten favorite 1-Encroachment goes first off the claim for barn that does well with new acquisitions and should benefit from the turnback in distance. 3-Southern King returns sprinting off the extended layoff for trainer Brian Koriner and should be unleashing a strong late rally if today’s swift pace comes to fruition. 8-Crash Corrigan is another who would benefit from a hotly contested early pace and was very competitive when last seen against this class level three and four-back.
Selections: 1-3-8
Race #6: 3-Leyas Candy lays over this field with his (77) Beyer speed figure earned on May 13 debut runner-up finish. Any normal second-out improvement will make him tough to deny this afternoon. 4-Creative Peak has shown good gate speed in all his last three starts and now makes 2nd start off the bench for trainer Vladimir Cerin. The colt goes 2nd time Lasix and cuts back to 5 ½ furlongs. 1-Thorne House debuts with Lasix from the rail off a snappy worktab for Pederson and barn has above average numbers with their debut runners.
Selections: 3-4-1
Race #7: 2-Eleuthera was overmatched in the G3 Providencia Stake on April 9 but was a strong Maiden winner two-back for trainer Ben Cecil. Her last pair of grass Beyers fit extremely well at this 1X level. Beaten favorite 4-Exactly Wendy returns to the Santa Anita turf off a disappointing 5th place finish in Northern California. The 3-year-old filly will need to step it up on the Beyer scale to compete here but could get a favorable set-up from off the pace if some of the expected front-runners lock horns early. 1-Norah’s Princess is lightly raced and should handle the switch to turf and stretch-out. Hernandez sticks.
Selections: 2-4-1
Race #8: 2-My Kentucky Girl was a late scratch in the California Oaks stakes at Golden Gate when acting up and flipping post-race and now returns to face winners locally for trainer Jonathan Wong. Her April 2 debut score was flattered when 2nd place finisher Lady T came back to break Maiden with 14 ½ romp and (86) Beyer. This 3-year-old filly by Triple Crown winner American Pharoah is taken to post the mild upset. 3-Midnight Memories is the logical choice off (95) Beyer earned in smashing debut win April 30. This 3-year-old filly by undefeated Mastery takes next logical step facing winners for the first time and has worked three times since spectacular unveiling for trainer Michael McCarthy. 7-Musica has speed; is drawn outside and has run two back-to-back sharp efforts when breaking Maiden and just missing against winners in last.
Selections: 2-3-7
Race #9: 8-Mitad Del Mundo goes synthetic to turf and showed speed against potentially better at Golden Gate. Trainer Patty Gallagher and jockey Umberto Rispoli are a strong 3 for 7 (43%) when teamed up on this barn’s Maiden Special Weight to Maiden Claimer drop downs. A strong wire-to-wire threat at enticing 8/1 ML. 10-Precedent stretches out off the claim by trainer Jeff Mullins who is a strong 4 for 13 (31%) with a $5.76 ROI with new acquisitions on grass the past 2 years. 6-Mo Them Down shortens up today and comes off a career best grass Beyer (70) for winning connections.
Selections: 8-10-6
