Horse Racing: Today at Santa Anita, April 19
Post Time 12:30 p.m.
Race 1 - 6 1/2 furlongs, Purse $30,000, Starter allowance $40,000, 3-year-olds and up
5 Rocket Heat - Looks like a nice claim by trainer Vann Belvoir; he runs fast enough to make it worth protecting him as long as possible.
4 Gold Chaser - Dead late closer is hoping the favorites duel early on; can’t change a leopards spots, will sit and make one run.
Long Shot - 2 Next Right
Race 2 - 1 mile (turf), Purse $58,000, Allowance, Cal-breds, Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up
7 Flat Footed Mama - Bob Baffert filly looked like a filly who needed a race off a 4-month hiatus; figures to be fully tight tonight.
1 Warren’s Jen Fizz - Chalk draws the rail in turf route, will save all of the ground; Kent Desormeaux continues to ride in fine form.
Long Shot - 4 Water Issues
Race - 3 - 5 1/2 furlongs, Purse $17,000, Claiming $8,000, Fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up
6 Queen of the Hill - Won a gritty race last time out; has more than enough back class to repeat the race or maybe do it a lot better.
5 Sugar Spice - Been away 10-months, but returns in a very soft spot; has a solid dirt resume among four starts, has natural speed too.
Long Shot - 4 Irish and Lucky
Race 4 - 7 furlongs, Purse $19,000, Maiden claiming $20,000, 3-year-olds and up
6 Sterling Wager - Sliding down the maiden claiming ladder to this bottom rung; need not be much to graduate against this flotsam.
3 Bitter Heat - Sight unseen since a sprint try at Del Mar; is your basic pop and stop animal, but facing the worst group of his life.
Long Shot - 1 Setthebigboysfree
Race 5 - 7 furlongs, Purse $58,000, Optional claiming $40,000, 4-year-olds and up
7 Head South - I like it when a horse wins while running a slower Beyer; it tells me there may be something left in the gas tank.
3 My Jealous - Good to see Iggy Puglisi gets mounts from trainers other than Paul Aguirre; he’ll hustle and never stop trying.
Long Shot - 2 Brother Soldier
Race 6 - 6 furlongs, Purse $56,000, Maiden special weights, Fillies, 3-year-olds
3 Exposure - Late starting Bob Baffert 3-year-old; this one is a cheapie, cost Kaleem Shar only $310,000 at Ocala Breeders Sale.
6 This Is War - One try on turf, one try on dirt; she ran about the same on each so is returned to the dirt to look for her diploma.
Long Shot - 9 Dr. Fager’s Gal
Race 7 - 6 1/2 furlongs (turf), $100,000 San Simeon, 4-year-olds and up
2 Home Run Kitten - Tiny edge in a wide open affair; note that his 2-turn grass races are not as strong, lacks that powerful late kick.
8 Sweet Swap - John Sadler has been content to keep him doing what he does best, turf sprints and down the hill; love the parking lot post.
Long Shot - 5 Holy Lute
Race 8 - 1 1/16th miles, $25,000 Queen of Hearts, Starter allowance $12,500, Fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up
6 French Alps - Reclaimed by the maestro Jerry Hollendorfer; that is one of the strongest trainer angles in the business.
4 Rosewhatenblue - Has been productive since claimed four races ago by Mike Machowsky; dead late closer will hope for a lot of pace.
Long Shot - 2 Light Striker
Race 9 - 6 1/2 furlongs (turf), Purse $56,000, Maiden special weights, Cal-breds, Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up
8 Scuti de Patuti - Let’s ride the red hot Tyler Baze train in the finale; showed enough gumption in turf debut to think she likes it.
1 Charming Starlet - She has has a lot of chances without winning; like the cutback in distance, maybe Felipe Valdez will fire sooner.
Long Shot - 4 Desiresoftheheart Best Bet - 6 Sterling Wager (race 4)
Santa Anita Saturday - Picks/Winners/Mutuels, 17/3/$14.80; Long Shots, 9/1/$6.20; Best Bet, 1/1/$3.00
Santa Anita Totals - 1,107/291/$1,858.00; Long Shots, 554/81/$824.40; Best Bets, 67/24/$111.80
SIMULCAST PLAY OF THE DAY - #3 Relentless Spirit (7/2) in race 9 at Keeneland. For scoring purposes, we’ll make a hypothetical $2 win, place and show bet, $6 total. On Saturday, Biz The Nurse ran out at Keeneland. Stats - 55/38/$258.70; Follow him on Twitter: @richeng4propick
