HORSE RACING

[Lumi]

HORSE RACING

TODAY AT SANTA ANITA PARK
By RICHARD ENG
Post Time 1 p.m.

Race 1 - 6 furlongs, Purse $15,000, Maiden claiming $25,000, Fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up

Allie Wolff - Claimed by Bill Spawr who immediately adds blinkers on; her debut race two back is fast enough to beat these.

Kaylie's Joy - Her best two races came last summer at Hollywood; second start off a 7-month hiatus, rounding back into form.

Long Shot - Courtly Couture

Race 2 - 6 furlongs, Purse $24,000, Maiden claiming $24,000, 3-year-olds

Drink At Last Call - Beaten favorite slides down the maiden claiming ladder; like the turn back in distance for this.

Zilarator - Taking the biggest class drop in racing from MSW to maiden claiming; speedball takes the blinkers off today.

Long Shot - Lets Go Indian

Race 3 - 6 1/2 furlongs (turf, rail at 15 feet), Purse $38,000, Claiming $50,000, Fillies, 3-year-olds

Paleo - Has faced much tougher than these; class relief and Rafael Bejarano had choices, opted to ride for Doug O'Neill.

Fair Chase - Could be better suited as a one-turn sprinter; key will be rating tactics to save some energy for late.

Long Shot - Seeking the Queen

Race 4 - 6 1/2 furlongs, Purse $15,000, Maiden claiming $25,000, 4-year-olds and up

Brayden Buddy - Third start off a 2-month hiatus; big rider switch to Rafael Bejarano for the money shot.

Warring Heart - Taking the biggest class drop in racing from MSW to maiden claiming; been away 11-months for Julio Canani.

Long Shot - Spinco Bob

Race 5 - 6 furlongs, Purse $10,000, Claiming $8,000, 4-year-olds and up

Scottish Diamond - Jeff Mullins gave him a 3-month freshening; consistent sort is great at cashing paychecks.

Wicked Mischief - When Mike Mitchell gets them good, they stay good, even the cheap claimers; ground saving trip tonight.

Long Shot - Cape Town King

Race 6 - 6 1/2 furlongs (turf, rail at 15 feet), Purse $25,000, Claiming $25,000, Fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up

Higher Incentive - Reunited with Rafael Bejarano; first four horses formerly trained by Gary Stevens have all won.

Life by R R - Regressed in last while facing a much tougher $50k test; facing her friends tonight, she can rebound nicely.

Long Shot - Squeeze Me Tight

Race 7 - 1 mile, Purse $56,000, Allowance, 4-year-olds and up

Aggie Engineer - Speedball loves synthetics and Santa Anita; could be lone speed, the best bet in horse racing.

Spurrier - Bob Baffert barn has cooked all meet and a lot has to due with Martin Garcia; tactical speed to sit a trip.

Long Shot - Sir Al

Race 8 - 6 1/2 furlongs (turf, rail at 15 feet), Purse $44,000, Maiden special weights, Cal-breds, 3-year-olds and up

Romance Is Family - Like the turn back in distance from a turf mile; suspect his best stride will come late.

Relentless Heat - Ran evenly in debut, now switches to grass; an Unusual Heat, worked a big bullet recently.

Long Shot - Dana Dynamo

Best Bet - Aggie Engineer (race 7)

Santa Anita Thursday - Picks/Winners/Mutuels, 14/4/$26.20; Long Shots, 8/1/$12.80; Best Bet, 1/0/$0

Santa Anita Totals - 817/205/$1,369.80; Long Shots, 407/65/$689.80; Best Bets, 49/17/$79.20

SIMULCAST PICK OF THE DAY - #7 Rocketing Returns (7/2) in race 7 at Aqueduct. For scoring purposes, we'll make a hypothetical $2 win, place and show bet, $6 total. On Thursday, Toocleverforwords ran out at Gulfstream Park. Stats - 50/36/$261.20

 

[Lumi]

RICHARD ENG : Champions set to return after long layoffs

RICHARD ENG : Champions set to return after long layoffs

RICHARD ENG : Champions set to return after long layoffs
The best time to beat a great horse is off a long layoff. We'll test that axiom Saturday as champions Lookin At Lucky, Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta return to the races.

Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta will be the center of attention as they'll run in their only prep race before meeting in the $5 million Apple Blossom on April 9 at Oaklawn Park.

Rachel Alexandra will face four overmatched foes in the New Orleans Ladies at the Fair Grounds. The Horse of the Year has not run in six months. John Shirreffs, trainer of Zenyatta, has shipped third-string mare Zardana for the Ladies to use as a barometer.

Zenyatta puts her 14-race unbeaten record on the line in the Santa Margarita Handicap at Santa Anita. She has not run in four months since a bravura performance in the Breeders' Cup Classic over males.

Finally, in a race with Kentucky Derby implications, Lookin At Lucky will make his dirt debut in the Rebel at Oaklawn Park. He has been freshened for three months. If he improves on dirt as much as trainer Bob Baffert thinks he will, he will solidify his role as the Derby favorite.

These three stakes can be seen on HRTV in a 50-minute window on Saturday at 2:47 p.m.

■ LOYALTY WANES -- Two weeks ago I wrote about the lack of loyalty in horse racing. As if on cue, top jockey Joel Rosario fired his agent, Vic Stauffer, who also works as the track announcer at Hollywood Park.

Stauffer, with Rosario's blessing, had just picked up the book of Martin Garcia. Garcia has had great success lately riding for Baffert.

The final straw between Rosario and Stauffer apparently came after Garcia won the Santa Anita Handicap on the Baffert-trained Misremembered. That's the thanks Stauffer got for putting Rosario on the Big Cap favorite St. Trinians, who finished out of the money.

This might say more about Rosario than Stauffer. Before Stauffer, the jockey had fired legendary agent Vince DeGregory after he had put him on the map in Southern California.

■ LOCAL TOURNAMENTS -- In April, two terrific big-money handicapping tournaments will be in Las Vegas. The Championship at The Orleans will be April 8 to 10, and Pick The Ponies will be at the Las Vegas Hilton from April 28 to 30.

■ SOUTH POINT -- The South Point Six progressive carry-over was not won Thursday. The contest carry-over has grown to $10,100.