4/16/16 Los Alamitos Race Course Late Pick Four - Preview

It's the first Saturday of the "We need to rest the grass at Santa Anita" meet at Los Alamitos, and they're running the transplanted Grade 3 Los Angles as the featured race.  We'll be taking a look at that contest below, as we take a run at The Late Pick Four at Orange County's own Los Alamitos Race Course.

RACE 5 - The Los Angeles (Grade 3) - Five and a Half Furlongs Dirt

A’s

# 3 Wild Dude (Morning Line 2-1)

B's

# 2 Yiannis (ML 7-2)
# 5 Raised a Secret (ML 3-1)

C's

# 4 Sir Kip (ML 20-1)
# 6 San Onofre (ML 7-2)

Scratch # 1 W. Giles (ML 9-2)

Wild Dude, the classiest runner in this field, goes second off the layoff for Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, who does quite well with such.  Raised a Secret and Yiannis took the Place and Show, respectively, last time out in a $75k Optional Claimer at Santa Anita.  A repeat of that effort by either runner could be good enough to land him in the Winner's Circle today.

San Onofre won the Grade 3 Midnight Lute back in January, so he fits on class; but the concern is the diminishing returns San Onofre has experienced since that contest.  Sir Kip is on the ticket because I refuse to use "ALL But One" in any leg of a multi-race wager.

RACE 6 - [S] Md $50k - Five and a Half Furlongs Dirt

A’s

# 3 Starship Samurai (ML 2-1)
# 5 Jet Seeker (ML 10-1)
# 7 Deputy Dane (ML 9-5)

B's

None

C's

None

Starship Samurai drops in for a tag for the first time in his career.  Starship Samurai took the Show against non-claiming state bred maidens two starts back.

Jet Seeker returns to competition after spending over a year on the bench.  Jet Seeker showed good early speed in his debut last time out, and has been working well over this track for this contest.  Deputy Dane goes third off the layoff for Trainer Phil D'Amato.

RACE 7 - [S] The Bertrando $100k - Eight Furlongs Dirt

A’s

# 7 Soi Phet (ML 2-1)

B's

# 1 Avanti Bello (ML 3-1)

# 4 Boozer (ML 5-2)

C's

# 3 Awesome Return (ML 5-1)
# 5 Poshsky (ML 8-1)

# 6 Neveradoubt (ML 15-1)

Scratch # 2 Zip the Monkey (ML 15-1)

Soi Phet and Avanti Bello are the only runners in this field with multiple lifetime Wins on a fast dirt track.  I give the edge to Soi Phet as he is the only runner in this field to have previously won at this track.

Boozer, Awesome Return, and Poshsky are all better suited to the grass; but any of the three could win today if they can carry their form over to the dirt track.  I give an edge to Boozer based upon his early speed, which might allow him to steal this one on the front end.  Neveradoubt is on the ticket because, like with Sir Kip in Race 5, I refuse to use "ALL But One" in any leg of a multi-race wager.

RACE 8 - (F) Md $20k - Eight Furlongs Dirt

A’s

# 8 Sheswildnfree (ML 5-2)

B's

# 2 Blue Chat (ML 9-5)

# 3 Lob City (ML 2-1)

C's

None

Scratch # 7 Jacque (ML 30-1)

Sheswildnfree missed by just a neck at this class level last time out.  Blue Chat drops a rung on the class ladder after taking the Place against more expensive last time out.  Lob City has finished in the Trifecta in each of her four career starts where she ran with a price tag on her head.

OK, that's the analysis.  Playing our tickets in Crist fashion, we get:

All A Entries

$1.00 P4: 3 with 3,5,7 with 7 with 8 $3.00

All A Entries with All B Entries

$0.50 P4: 2,3,5 with 3,5,7 with 1,4,7 with 2,3,8 $40.50

A's with One C

$0.50 P4: 4,6 with 3,5,7 with 7 with 8 $3.00

$0.50 P4: 3 with 3,5,7 with 3,5,6 with 8 $4.50

Total: $51.00

Post Time for Race 5 is 6:58 EDT / 3:58 PDT.  Good luck to all.

Peace and Love,

Jimbo