HORSE RACING

[Lumi]

HORSE RACING
TODAY AT SANTA ANITA PARK

By Richard Eng

Post Time 12:30 p.m.

Race 1 - 1 mile (turf), Purse $24,000, Starter allowance $40,000, 4-year-olds and up

Red Door Drive - With heavy rain in SoCal, check the condition of the turf races; this guy should excel on synthetics too.

Wolfgang - Joe Talamo had options and lands here for Bill Spawr; third start off a 6-month hiatus, positive form cycle.

Long Shot - Afleet Hopetown

Race 2 - 6 1/2 furlongs, Purse $44,000, Maiden special weights, Cal-breds, Fillies, 3-year-olds

Saltendipity - Was a stride late in debut showing lots of moxie; tiny edge in a tight fit, Joel Rosario returns.

Z and I - Was bet in debut, then lost all chance at the start; takes the blinkers off, shows a bullet work since.

Long Shot - Tribalicious

Race 3 - 1 mile (turf), $65,000 Leroidesanimaux Handicap, 4-year-olds and up

Cherokee Artist - He is due to get a clean trip and Julien Leparoux can give him one; he is a square price at 8/1 odds.

Fluke - Has gotten better and better with each start; turf form is secure, has never run over the synthetics.

Long Shot - Blue Chagall

Race 4 - 1 mile, $250,000 Las Virgenes, Fillies, 3-year-olds

Blind Luck - Hard to believe she was not favored in the Starlet, then won by 7-lengths; the sky is the limit for her.

Crisp - Filly is just scratching the surface of her potential for John Sadler; facing a real toughie in the chalk today.

Long Shot - Evening Jewel

Race 5 - 6 1/2 furlongs (turf), $60,000 Wishing Well Handicap, Fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up

Dance to My Tune - Like the turn back in distance from route to elongated sprint; almost sure to switch to main track.

Empressive Lady - Third start off a 4-month hiatus, positive form cycle; tactical speed to sit a nice trip.

Long Shot - Mona de Momma

Race 6 - 1 1/16th miles, Purse $14,000, Claiming $12,500, 4-year-olds and up

Figeac - Trainer switch to Gary Stute; puts a bullet work into him and drops to the lowest class level of his career.

Boo Too - Closed resolutely to just miss in last; facing a simpler task tonight in a conditon NW2L claiming race.

Long Shot - A Big To'do

Race 7 - 6 furlongs, Purse $44,000, Maiden special weights, 3-year-olds

Screaming Destiny - Eoin Harty has been known to give a baby a race or two; like that Rafael Bejarano is jumping on board.

Imperial Pride - Logical chalk did everything but win in debut; figures to be overbet as a short price favorite.

Long Shot - Royce

Race 8 - 1 1/16th miles, $150,000 Robert B. Lewis, 3-year-olds

Tiz Chrome - Could see this becoming a key KY Derby prep; bred to run all day, must learn to rate and relax early.

American Lion - His pedigree also suggests the Derby distance is no problem; first try around 2-turns.

Long Shot - Caracortado

Race 9 - 1 1/8th miles, $200,000 Strub, 4-year-olds

Misremembered - Solid prep in the 7-furlong Malibu; stalking style is perfect for any pace scenario, key player this year.

Eagle Poise - Has been training super since switch to Bill Mott; Julien Leparoux rode this colt as baby a while ago.

Long Shot - Rendezvous

Race 10 - 5 1/2 furlongs, Purse $18,000, Maiden claiming $32,000, Fillies, 3-year-olds

Lana's Lovely - Adds blinkers on after wandering badly down the stretch in last; we'll see if this does the trick.

Kiss'em for Me - Shows signs of promise, now gets Rafael Bejarano for the money shot; saves all the ground inside.

Long Shot - Infinity n' Beyond

Best Bet - Blind Luck (race 4)

Santa Anita Friday - Picks/Winners/Mutuels, 14/4/$22.60; Long Shots, 8/0/$0; Best Bet, 1/1/$9.60

Santa Anita Totals - 456/120/$773.00; Long Shots, 229/35/$382.00; Best Bets, 28/11/$54.40

SIMULCAST PICK OF THE DAY - #6 Visavis (5/2) in race 5 at Fair Grounds. For scoring purposes, we'll make a hypothetical $2 win, place and show bet, $6 total. On Friday, Bernie The Maestro won at Gulfstream paying $7.80 to win, $3.40 to place and $3.00 to show. Stats - 27/18/$120.10

 

[Lumi]

At the Gate - Saturday

At the Gate - Saturday

At the Gate - Saturday


The ?Winter Powerhouse? is smacking the east coast of the U.S. with snow, with Laurel Park, Charles Town, Penn National, and Beulah Park announcing on Friday that there would be no racing on Saturday.



As of late Friday, the forecast was still up in the air on how much snow Aqueduct would receive. I read and heard reports ranging from one to nine inches.



If weathermen were horseplayers, they would go broke in a hurry.



I?m leaning toward the Big A not racing on Saturday, which sent me looking for warmer weather, and I found it in Hallandale, Fl. where there are three stakes races on tap at Gulfstream Park.



Let?s make our money today in (partly) sunny Florida:



GP Race 9 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (G1) 5:02 ET



#5 Take the Points 3/1

#3 Court Vision 8/5

#4 Never On Sunday 2/1

#1 Le Grand Cru 12/1



#5 Take the Points may have been ready for a regression last out where he stalked the pace and faded to finish seventh in the Hollywood Derby (G1). The winner of the race was The Usual Q.T., who returned to win the Sunshine Millions Classic at Santa Anita in his next outing on Jan. 30. Our top pick went into his last race coming off back to back Grade 1 wins in hard fought efforts, winning each in a photo. He appears to have the tactical advantage here as the main speed in a small field. He figures to bounce back here for Pletcher. He won the Secretariat (G1) at Arlington Park over good ground and we may see some give in the ground today as well.







#3 Court Vision makes his first start since a close up fourth in the Breeders? Cup Mile (G1), beaten 1 ? lengths behind the winner Goldikova. The five year old was a good third in this race last year behind his stablemate Kip Deville. Two back the Dutrow runner won the Shadwell Mile (G1) at Keeneland over soft footing. He can handle the extra ground and has won at 1 ? miles, taking the Hollywood Derby (G1) IN ?08. A logical threat at a light price.



GP Race 10 Donn Handicap (G1) 5:31 ET



#6 Past the Point 10/1

#4 Quality Road 7/5

#10 Delightful Kiss 8/1

#8 Mambo Meister 6/1



#6 Past the Point prepped for today?s race with a good second behind a tough sprinter in Custom for Carlos in the Mr. Prospector (G3). The six year old set the early fractions, was taken on by the eventual winner on the turn and they battled into the stretch, ? of a length separating the duo at the wire. The McLaughlin trainee has done some of his best running at nine furlongs, earning a career top in the ?08 Woodward where he was able to set the early fractions before getting caught by two time Horse of the Year Curlin in the stretch. His best shot of beating the chalk here is if jockey Edgar Prado can shake loose early and set moderate early fractions. I?m willing to give that a shot if we catch most of his 10/1 morning line. He is getting nine pounds from the favorite.



#4 Quality Road has had a tough luck career. A foot problem knocked him out of last year?s Kentucky Derby just two weeks out, and he likely would have been the favorite. He looked like he had a shot in last year?s Breeders? Cup Classic, but acted up at the gate and eventually was scratched. The colt returned with a sharp win in the Hal?s Hope (G3) last month, his third win in four starts over the Gulfstream Park main track. He took the Fountain of Youth (G2) and Florida Derby (G1) here last year. It is tough to knock a guy that has earned triple digit Beyers in seven of his eight career starts and has run so well over the surface, but the 7/5 morning line is likely going to look more like 3/5 by the time they load them in the gate.



#10 Delightful Kiss made a mild late rally to finish third last out against Alw-3 optional claimers, which should serve as a good tune-up for today. This gelding won the Hal?s Hope (G3) over the main track here last year after a good second behind multiple Grade 1 winner Einstein in the Clark Handicap (G2) at Churchill Downs. He figures to move forward in his second start off nearly a year on the bench.



Wagering

WIN: #6 to win at 5/1 or better.

EX: 4,6 / 4,6,8,10

TRI: 4,6 / 4,6,8,10 / 3,4,6,8,10



GP Race 11 Suwannee River S. (G3) 6:00 ET



#7 Indigo North 12/1

#12 Lady Shakespeare 8/1

#4 Long Approach 7/2

#6 Astrologie 4/1



#7 Indigo North is an intriguing longshot in here. She made her turf debut last out in her first start since shipping in from Canada and ran a good third versus Alw-3 optional claimers. The top two finishers in that race came back to win. The winner Tight Precision came back to win the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf on Jan. 30. The runner up Cherokee Queen beat Alw-3 optional claimers on Jan. 28 at Gulfstream Park. The filly came back with a bullet work over the turf at Palm Meadows and has a decent enough turf pedigree, by Grand Slam out of a Kris S. mare. She still looks like she has plenty of upside potential and we should catch a generous price.



#12 Lady Shakespeare came up just a head short in the Marshua River last out, finishing second in a dead heat. The filly loved her time in Canada, winning four straight at Woodbine including the Colleen going a mile over ground labeled as good. The filly ahs won five of nine in her career and figures to move forward in her second start off a three-month break. She half bro is Grade 1 turf stakes winner Shakespeare. The outside post is tough, but her 8/1 morning line looks fair enough.



Wagering

WIN: #7 to win at 6/1 or better.

EX: 7,12 / 4,6,7,12

TRI: 7,12 / 4,6,7,12 / 4,5,6,7,12



Good luck today!