Horse Racing: Today at Santa Anita Park, Feb. 17

TODAY AT SANTA ANITA PARK

By Richard Eng

Post Time 12:30 p.m.

Race 1 - 1 1/16th miles, Purse $19,000, Maiden claiming $20,000, 4-year-olds and up

10 Mind the Minister - Twice he’s run for a $20K price tag and twice he’s run a close second; strictly the one to beat.

2 Funny Man - Taking the biggest class drop in racing from MSW to maiden claiming; adding blinkers on for hot Richard Baltas.

Long Shot - 5 Hold’em Hustler

Race 2 - 1 1/16th miles, Purse $30,000, Starter allowance $40,000, Fillies, 3-year-olds

4 Sweet Red Cat - Showed a solid late kick in graduation race; key is she’s first time dirt, all her experience comes on sod.

3 O Happy Gray - Second start off a 2-month hiatus; showed tactical speed in last to hang around for the placing.

Long Shot - 5 Sense of a Woman

Race 3 - 1 mile, Purse $56,000, Maiden special weights, 3-year-olds

5 Wine List - Ron Ellis colt returns to dirt after two strong turf routes; would be handy to have a dual surface threat.

4 Misdeed - Bob Baffert has a lot of stable action today; this one makes his second start and should improve a lot.

Long Shot - 1 Dead Easy

Race 4 - 1 mile (turf, rail at 15 feet), Purse $58,000, Allowance, Cal-breds, Fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up

4 Mum’s Truckee - Her best results have come on grass for Peter Miller; Garrett Gomez likes to sit back and make one run.

6 Luxuriance - Sprinter stretching out will surely go for the early lead; go pilot for that in Tyler Baze.

Long Shot - 7 Distant Glow

Race 5 - 1 mile, Purse $56,000, Maiden special weights, 3-year-olds

8 Governor Charlie - Ran greenly in debut, slow early but fast late; second time out for Bob Baffert, expect improvement.

5 Footbridge - Logical chalk off a strong second in last; will be interesting to see the strategy of Garrett Gomez.

Long Shot - 7 Pure Loyalty

Race 6 - 1 mile (turf, rail at 15 feet), Purse $56,000, Maiden special weights, 4-year-olds and up

3 Copper Bay - Showing steady improvement and has already routed on turf; will be in best stride late in the lane.

2 Broker Brett - Among many exiting a crazy hillside race with a 21 quarter, 42 half-mile; that won’t happen in here.

Long Shot - 8 Miss Malibu

Race 7 - 7 furlongs, $150,000 San Vicente, 3-year-olds

2 Shakin It Up - Bob Baffert trains half the field; he ran well in the Hollywood Prevue, may be further along in his growth.

5 Mudflats - Private purchase ran awful in Jerome, debut race under Doug O’Neill; brings him home to start all over in SoCal.

Long Shot - 6 Treasury Bill

Race 8 - 6 1/2 furlongs (turf, rail at 15 feet), Purse $30,000, Starter allowance $40,000, 4-year-olds and up

2 Baby Blake - Lost to a very good colt in Klisz last time; that one is trained by Michael Ewing who has An Shanachie in here.

3 Cuvee Exchange - Tries turf ror the first time; liked her debut win, now she takes on the boys for John Sadler.

Long Shot - 7 An Shanachie

Race 9 - 7 furlongs, Purse $17,000, Claiming $8,000, 4-year-olds and up

14 National - Don’t mind the parking lot post in this elongated sprint; figures to stalk from the wide out and rally late.

9 Scofield Barracks - Dead late closer may be rounding back into form; in the good hands of Michael Pender.

Long Shot - 7 Aqua Fever

Best Bet - 2 Shakin It Up (race 7)

Santa Anita Park Saturday - Picks/Winners/Mutuels, 19/4/$22.60; Long Shots, 10/1/$9.20; Best Bet, 1/1/$3.20

Santa Anita Park Totals - 536/146/$966.50; Long Shots, 264/34/$379.40; Best Bets, 30/10/$41.20

SIMULCAST PLAY OF THE DAY - #1 Cheery (2/1) in race 8 at Oaklawn Park. For scoring purposes, we’ll make a hypothetical $2 win, place and show bet, $6 total. On Saturday, Don’t Tell Sophia won at Oaklawn Park paying $5.00 to win, $3.20 to place and $2.10 to show. Stats - 28/20/$148.00; Follow him on Twitter: @richeng4propick