Saturday's featured race at Santa Anita is the Grade 1 Santa Margarita, an event made much more competitive by the absence of Unique Bella. I'll be taking a look at that contest below, as I take another run at The Late Pick Four at The Great Race Place.
RACE 7 - [S] Md $50k - Six Furlongs Dirt
A’s
# 4 Schooley (Morning Line 5-1)
B's
# 5 Two Hail Marys (ML 4-1)
# 8 Jerry's Thunder (ML 8-1)
# 11 Lil Milo (ML 8-1)
C's
# 1 Write Me a Song (ML 5-1)
# 3 Johnny Ray (ML 7-2)
# 9 Yes I'm Ready (ML 12-1)
Scratch # 2 Seattle Encounter (ML 8-1)
Schooley returns to the main track and drops in for a tag for the first time and returns to one turn racing; all of which portend to bring about an improved effort. Jerry's Thunder took the Show at this class level last time out, and could improve greatly if he can relax early. Lil Milo is a first time starter by Rocky Bar, whose progeny have been doing well in their initial attempts.
Two Hail Marys drops in for a tag for the first time after having hit the board against non-claiming Maidens two starts back. The primary concern here is that two starts back for Two Hail Marys was over a year ago; but Two Hail Marys shows a nice steady work tab entering this contest. The second concern is the flip side to the primary positive: Two Hail Marys is dropping in for a tag for the first time in this, his return from a long layoff. It's fair to wonder just how much confidence the connections of Two Hail Marys have in his ability if they're willing to part with him right off the layoff. But I ultimately decided to include Two Hail Marys on the big ticket because if he can run back to his best, or near best, efforts of 2017, then Two Hail Marys can win here.
Write Me a Song could be the speed of the speed on the rail. Johnny Ray is now in the barn of Trainer Blake Heap, who tends to do well with runners returning from an extended layoff. Yes I'm Ready ran the best two races of his career with blinkers off, and returns to that mode today.
RACE 8 - The Pasadena $200k - Eight Furlongs Turf
A’s
# 9 Inscom (ML 7-2)
B's
# 5 Heck Yeah (ML 5-1)
C's
# 1 Afleet Ascent (ML 6-1)
# 3 River Boyne (Ire) (ML 3-1)
Scratch # 4 Pubilius Syrus (ML 5-2) and # 7 Ax Man (ML 4-1)
Pubilius Syrus enters this event with two consecutive stakes wins, having defeated Afleet Ascent by a length last time out, and Inscom by a head two starts back. Inscom just a nose behind Pubilius Syrus at the wire last Fall (when both were still maidens) and a head behind Pubilius Syrus in the Eddie Logan, looks to be best with the removal of that rival. Heck Yeah, the Bob Baffert trainee that is not scratched, is a stakes winner on both turf and dirt, albeit of the state bred variety.
Afleet Ascent may have improved fortunes with the move from the hill to the flats; though stamina may be a concern. River Boyne (Ire) could be the one running best late.
RACE 9 - (F) The Santa Margarita (Grade 1) - Nine Furlongs Dirt
A’s
# 9 Mopotism (ML 7-2)
B's
# 6 Majestic Heat (ML 6-1)
C's
# 1 La Force (Ger) (ML 6-1)
# 3 Mended (ML 6-1)
# 10 Fault (ML 4-1)
Mopotism was nine lengths back of the winner in the Grade 2 Santa Maria last time out. But that winner was Unique Bella, who is absent from this field. Remove Unique Bella from the Santa Maria and Mopotism enters this contest with two consecutive Graded Stakes wins.
Majestic Heat was a length and a quarter behind Mopotism at the wire in the Santa Maria; but there's a lot of early speed here, and that could set things up nicely for the late running Majestic Heat.
La Force (Ger) and Mended were in the photo with Mopotism in the Grade 2 La Canada; but I think the additional real estate here favors Mopotism. Fault has been running quite well on the grass, and Trainer Phil D'Amato tends to do well when taking his charges off the turf and putting them on the main track; but Fault will need her very best if she's to get her picture taken today.
RACE 10 - [S] MSW - Six Furlongs Dirt
A’s
# 7 Coil Me Home (ML 3-1)
# 10 Fashionably Fast (ML 7-2)
B's
# 2 Baby Gronk (ML 4-1)
# 4 Soul Owner (ML 6-1)
C's
# 3 Gringo Star (ML 12-1)
# 9 Ultimate Bango (ML 10-1)
# 11 Famous Rock Star (ML 6-1)
Coil Me Home and Fashionably Fast filled out the bottom two slots of the Trifecta at this class level last time out. Baby Gronk suffered from a bad beginning in his debut at Del Mar last summer, and has been working well for this contest. Soul Owner is a first time starter who has tossed out some very fine workouts over this main track.
Gringo Star could improve with a return to the main track. Ultimate Bango and Famous Rock Star are a pair of debut runners whose breeding suggests that they will run well at first asking.
OK, that's the analysis. Playing my tickets in modified Crist fashion, I get:
All A Entries
$1.00 P4: 4 with 9 with 9 with 7,10 $2.00
All A Entries with All B Entries
$0.50 P4: 4,5,8,11 with 5,9 with 6,9 with 2,4,7,10 $32.00
A's with One C
$0.50 P4: 1,3,9 with 9 with 9 with 7,10 $3.00
$0.50 P4: 4 with 1,3 with 9 with 7,10 $2.00
$0.50 P4: 4 with 9 with 1,3,10 with 7,10 $3.00
$0.50 P4: 4 with 9 with 9 with 3,9,11 $1.50
Total: $43.50
Post Time for Race 7 is 6:14 EDT / 3:14 PDT. Good luck to all.
Peace and Love,
Jimbo
No comments:
Post a Comment