Today at Santa Anita Park: May 25, 2014

TODAY AT SANTA ANITA PARK by Richard Eng

Post Time 1 p.m.

Race 1 – 6 1/2 furlongs, Purse $20,000, Claiming $16,000, 3-year-olds and up

1 Cuneo – Claimed by Robertino Diodoro, a trainer I like playing a lot; will be right there again if he can repeat his last effort.

5 Topper’s Ghost – Claimed by Adam Kitchingman and prepped for this return; like being united again with bugboy Drayden Van Dyke.

Long Shot – 3 No Contingency

Race 2 – 1 mile (turf), Purse $50,000, Claiming $75,000, 3-year-olds and up

3 Tigah – Sight unseen since Del Mar in the grade 2 Del Mar Mile; facing much easier today then back then.

6 Polytechnicien – Aggressive placement by Doug O’Neill; won for $32K price tag in last, now running today for $75K

Long Shot – 2 Dry Summer

Race 3 – 1 mile, Purse $27,000, Maiden claiming $40,000, 3-year-olds and up

5 Gospel Music – Sliding down the maiden claiming ladder to this lower level; takes the weight off today with bugboy Drayden Van Dyke.

1 Surfer Moon – After 2 sharp seconds, is favored over this motley crew; stretching out to one mile where his rail post is an advantage.

Long Shot – 4 Como Mi Padre

Race 4 – 1 mile, Purse $56,000, Maiden special weights, Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up

5 Grazenette – Phil D’Amato has kept the Mike Mitchell barn racing in high gear since the bosses retirement; has not skipped a beat.

2 Shapely – Beaten favorite has run two solid races for Ron Ellis; at some point she’ll improve enough to win, or the rest will get slower.

Long Shot – 1 Denotation

Race 5 – 6 1/2 furlongs (turf), Purse $56,000, Maiden special weights, 3-year-olds and up

3 Taelyns Prince – Ran evenly in his debut down the hill last October; twice beaten favorite returns from a 7-month hiatus.

6 Superlooper – Bob Baffert slowpoke may be running for a tag next if not productive in here; has yet to earn a paycheck in 3 starts.

Long Shot – 2 Relative Time

Race 6 – 6 furlongs, Purse $19,000, Maiden claiming $20,000, Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up

7 Swiss Heart – Sliding down the maiden claiming ladder to this bottom rung; this is the slowest group she’ll of ever faced.

3 Betty Bing Bing – Ran a better than looks race in last; leap of faith that Joe Talamo getting back on will make the difference.

Long Shot – 2 Nonna Reese

Race 7 – 6 1/2 furlongs, $75,000 Mizdirection, Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up

2 Biorhythm – Tom Proctor has a lot of faith in the bugboy Drayden Van Dyke; he served as the kid’s mentor and has done a fine job.

4 Top Kisser – Is a productive win machine for the maestro Jerry Hollendorfer; returns to turf, which may be her preferred surface.

Long Shot – 6 Sky High Gal

Race 8 – 1 mile, Purse $16,000, Claiming $12,500, 3-year-olds and up

5 Meringue Pie – The tandem of Bill Spawr and Agapito Delgadillo has been deadly; this one is being nurtured to like the main dirt track.

3 Johnny Reb – Claimed by the red hot Richard Baltas barn; his race two back, if repeated, is fast enough to beat these.

Long Shot – 2 Take a Risk

Race 9 – 1 1/8th miles (turf), Purse $60,000, Optional claiming $62,500, Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up

3 Bee Brave – Mike Smith takes over for injured regular rider Rafael Bejarano; that one believes he can return by the end of June.

2 Oscar Party – Love the way Kent Desormeaux is riding in his SoCal return; the talent is still there and now he is a very hungry rider.

Long Shot – 8 My Lil Shamrock

Best Bet – 1 Cuneo (race 1)

Santa Anita Park Saturday – Picks/Winners/Mutuels, 18/6/$41.80; Long Shots, 9/0/$0; Best Bet, 1/0/$0

Santa Anita Park Totals – 296/83/$528.20; Long Shots, 144/12/$119.80; Best Bets, 16/5/$16.40

SIMULCAST PLAY OF THE DAY – #2 Minorette (8/1) in race 8 at Belmont Park. For scoring purposes, we’ll make a hypothetical $2 win, place and show bet, $6 total. On Saturday, Groomedforvictory won at Belmont Park paying $6.00 to win, $4.60 to place and $3.60 to show. Stats – 82/48/$461.80; Follow him on Twitter: @richeng4propick