HORSE RACING
TODAY AT SANTA ANITA PARK
By Richard Eng
Post Time 12:30 p.m.
Race 1 - 5 1/2 furlongs, Purse $18,000, Maiden claiming $32,000, 3-year-olds
Kim's Leading Man - Wore front bandages for the first time in last; it was a career best try, part of the claiming game.
Chimu - FTS from Victor Garcia, gets the services of Rafael Bejarano; vote is a leap of faith on the jockey's agent.
Long Shot - Blackman Bay
Race 2 - 7 furlongs, Purse $21,000, Claiming $20,000, 4-year-olds
Boyoboy - Clever win off a 2-month hiatus; found the right running style, which is to take back and make one run.
I Wanna Go Fast - Dead late closer ships down from NoCal; appears better suited as a late closing sprinter.
Long Shot - Cut the Check
Race 3 - 6 1/2 furlongs (turf), $55,000 Baffle, 3-year-olds
Macias - Bob Baffert has an uncoupled entry in here; won the Eddie Logan at a mile, turns back in distance today.
Ace of Aces - All 3 U.S. turf races have been around 2-turns; like the turn back for this elongated sprint.
Long Shot - Farmer Giles
Race 4 - 1 mile, $250,000 Las Virgenes, Fillies, 3-year-olds
Blind Luck - Surely the shortest priced favorite of the day; she could be the best 3-YO filly in the country.
Switch - Looks like lone early speed to me; Tyler Baze will try to steal the verdict on the front end.
Long Shot - Evening Jewel
Race 5 - 6 1/2 furlongs (turf), Purse $42,000, Claiming $62,500, Fillies, 3-year-olds
No More Travellin' - Turns back in distance after 2 one mile turf tries; her sprint races she's been able to close.
Top Seeded - Like that Rafael Bejarano remained loyal despite a lousy race; trying turf and the hill for the first time.
Long Shot - Sandy Cheeks
Race 6 - 1 1/16th miles, $150,000 Robert B. Lewis, 3-year-olds
Tiz Chrome - Bob Baffert loves this colt; probably his second best KY Derby prospect behind champion Lookin at Lucky.
American Lion - Both favorites are sired by Tiznow, that's distance pedigree; Julien Leparoux will sit for one run.
Long Shot - Caracortado
Race 7 - 1 mile (turf), Purse $30,000, Claiming $32,000, 4-year-olds and up
Becrux - 8-YO has lost a step, or two, but drops to a career low class level; caveat is SA sod has never been to his liking.
Rumba Along - Tepid chalk in a wide open affair; claimed by Jack Carava, like that Joel Rosario opted to ride.
Long Shot - Squallcreek
Race 8 - 1 1/16th miles, $250,000 Santa Maria Handicap, Fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up
St Trinians - Mike Mitchell mare is 3-for-3 in the U.S. and could be any kind; trades blows with a very tough favorite.
Life Is Sweet - Logical chalk off her sharp BC win; BC champs have fared ver poorly in their next out starts.
Long Shot - Mushka
Race 9 - 1 1/8th miles, $200,000 Strub, 4-year-olds
Misremembered - Gets a better post on the redraw; rail spot is good in route as he'll save ground around the first turn.
Eagle Poise - Untested Woodbine shipper facing the hardest test of his career; makes his first start for traine Bill Mott.
Long Shot - Viscount
Race 10 - 1 mile (turf), Purse $45,000, Maiden special weights, 3-year-olds
Royal F J - Twice beaten favorite just needs some racing luck; has a big late kick and figures to fire in the lane.
Royce - Dead game in first race off a 3-month hiatus; tries turf and stretches out around 2-turns for the first time.
Long Shot - Mister Do It
Best Bet - Blind Luck (race 4)
Santa Anita Friday - Picks/Winners/Mutuels, 15/2/$17.00; Long Shots, 8/1/$10.20; Best Bet, 1/0/$0
Santa Anita Totals - 517/131/$830.00; Long Shots, 260/40/$422.60; Best Bets, 32/12/$58.20
SIMULCAST PICK OF THE DAY - #8 Pious Ashley (12/1) in race 7 at Gulfstream Park. For scoring purposes, we'll make a hypothetical $2 win, place and show bet, $6 total. On Friday, Custer ran second at Gulfstream Park paying $5.60 to place and $4.20 to show. Stats - 32/22/$160.70
