Daily Racing Form expert handicapper and analyst Brad Free handicaps the Friday, January 16 racing card at Santa Anita, including his projected 1-2-3 finishers. His best bet of the day comes from Race 1.
Also, view FREE DRF Past Performances for today’s Race of the Day.
BEST BET: Rehearsal (1st race)
First Race
1. Rehearsal
2. Wildfire Princess
3. Deep Blue
REHEARSAL figures to win this N2L starter turf mile at a short price, following a better-than-looked third at the same level in which she bucked the race flow. The winner wired the field; REHEARSAL unleashed a 23.70-second final quarter-mile (fastest in race) and missed by a length and a half. Good try by an improved mare who can handle this small field from off the pace. The turf rails are at 20 feet, which is fine for late-runners. Three of the six rails-at-20 turf miles this meet were won from the back half of the field. REHEARSAL must catch WILDFIRE PRINCESS, a pace-presser up in class off a maiden-50 win. The up-front running style of ‘PRINCESS means she will get first run. Lightly raced DEEP BLUE drops from N1X and tries turf for the first time while wheeling back seven days after finishing fifth on dirt. ‘BLUE has speed to be forwardly placed, though turf creates uncertainty. Progeny of Echo Town typically prefer dirt rather than turf.
Here are Brad’s thoughts on the other seven races on Friday’s Santa Anita card.
Second Race
1. Della Terra
2. West Fresno
3. Stubborn
DELLA TERRA drops from Cal-bred maiden special-weight to Cal-bred maiden-50, and meets just four rivals. She ran well her only dirt start a year ago; three subsequent starts on turf, against better than these, were creditable. With the highest figures and a drop in class, ‘TERRA can overcome the rail post in this five and one-half furlong dash. WEST FRESNO is speed, first start since October and returning to the Santa Anita main track on which she finished an okay fifth last fall. ‘FRESNO figures for a front-running/pace-pressing trip. STUBBORN returns from a layoff of more than seven months, while dropping for the first time into a Cal-bred maiden-claiming race. She ran well finishing second in her debut here last winter, proving that she runs well fresh. Michael McCarthy-trained dirt-sprint maidens off six months or more have won six of 18 the past five years. JENNYS WINE GIRL is speed; jockey Emisael Jaramillo already climbed to fourth in the standings (into Thursday).
Third Race
1. Maniae
2. Eltonsingsanother
3. Saint Mihiel
MANIAE is the “now” mare in this $10k claiming N3L sprint. Runner-both recent starts at Los Alamitos, she ran well over the SA track last spring. If she repeats her LRC form against this soft bunch, she can overcome the rail for a low-odds win. ELTONSINGSANOTHER appears to have gone off form; she ran below par her last three starts. But now she drops in class, and her summer-fall form last year would be fast enough to compete with these. SAINT MIHIEL has speed, dropping in class after dueling and fading in the same race the top choice exits. That race was at LRC; the best race by SAINT MIHIEL was her $25k claiming win her only start at SA last fall.
Fourth Race
1. Uncle Evco
2. Gentlemen’s Club
3. Typhoon Tommy
This $10k claiming N2L dirt mile came up weak. It’s a good spot for last-out maiden-12.5k winner UNCLE EVCO. Although it took ‘EVCO 14 starts to break his maiden, perhaps the light bulb went on. These N2L claiming races are often won by last-start maiden-claiming winners; the up-front running style of ‘EVCO is advantageous in a field without much speed except for the horse on the rail. GENTLEMEN’S CLUB is an even-paced grinder who finished third or fourth in each of his four starts at this class level. He will be clunking along late, while TYPHOON TOMMY is the aforementioned rail-drawn pace rival for the top choice. ‘TOMMY figures to vie for favoritism returning to dirt. He was in tough and finished sixth last time on turf; his runner-up finish two back on dirt makes him one of the choices.
Fifth Race
1. O K Rose
2. Going Lucky
3. Miss Meagher
O K ROSE, compromised by traffic last out in a similar N3L starter turf mile, is the choice. She had to wait for a clear path at the top of the stretch last time, finished well, but ran out of room and missed by less than a length. If she reproduces that DMR turf race over the SA turf, she can rally for the win. GOING LUCKY is probably the one to catch. She stretches to a route for the first time, and tries grass for the first time, after three good races last fall on synthetic at Woodbine (twice), and Presque Isle Downs. The switch to turf should be fine. Progeny of Lookin At Lucky run well on turf; the dam of GOING LUCKY won on turf. GOING LUCKY looks like the speed of the field. There have been six rails-at-20 turf miles this meet: one winner led wire to wire, two pressed from second, three rallied from the back of the field. MISS MEAGHER finished a half-length in front of the top choice last out, his closest finish from four tries at this N3L starter level. ‘MEAGHER will be forwardly placed, saving ground.
Sixth Race
1. Bullard
2. Pilot Commander
3. Winterfell
The comebacker BULLARD, a G3 winner as a 2yo, returns from an eight-month layoff with a history of firing fresh and a right to upset comeback stablemates PILOT COMMANDER and WINTERFELL. Just five entered this seven-furlong allowance. BULLARD won his debut and G3 Bob Hope as a 2yo in 2024; he went off form after shipping to Oaklawn Park last spring (got sick, scratched from Rebel Stakes). Two subsequent starts were flat, and BULLARD was given time off. He returns with a solid work foundation for trainer Michael McCarthy; the colt has worked in blinkers and will add them for the race. He can score a minor upset over PILOT COMMANDER. The latter has not raced since winning the G3 San Carlos here last March, he returns with a series of fast works, runs well fresh, and has more speed than the top choice. ‘COMMANDER is trained by Bob Baffert, who also entered comebacker WINTERFELL. The latter also worked well for his return, although his best races have been in the East. MIDNIGHT MAMMOTH can use this sprint as a prep for longer. Route racing is his thing. The G3 winner is trained by Craig Dollase, who also entered BALADI to fill the field.
Seventh Race
1. Gypsy Tears
2. Raging Waters
3. Man Child
GYPSY TEARS, who was in too tough last time for a $32k claim tag, drops to $20k claiming. He won a similar race ($16k claiming) two starts ago at DMR; that highly rated race would be fast enough for these. ‘TEARS can rally for the win. RAGING WATERS jumps three levels after a runaway win for $10k at LRC. Although it is uncertain if ‘WATERS can reproduce LRC form at SA, his recent bullet workout over the SA track suggests he might do exactly that. MAN CHILD is speed; he finished more than six lengths in front of the top choice last out, and will use his gas from the inside post. Come and catch him. THE BIG CHEESEOLA, runner-up last out in a $6.5k starter, continues to race in top form.
Eighth Race
1. Please Focus
2. Minister Shane
3. Betterdaysrcoming
Front-runner/pace-presser PLEASE FOCUS gets the call, first off the $16k claim from a runner-up finish at a mile on dirt. That race was validated when winner Resemblance returned to win again. The return to turf is fine for ‘FOCUS (four turf wins); he can win this six-furlong turf sprint with a pressing trip outside the front-runner in post 2. MINISTER SHANE returns to his preferred turf course (SA) after five furlongs was too short at DMR. The N3L claiming win two starts back by ‘SHANE ranks among the fastest recent races by any in the field. BETTERDAYSRCOMING is scratched. CODE DUELLO is the aforementioned front-runner in post 2. Win or lose, ‘DUELLO will keep the pace honest.with that trip against that race flow; will look to steal it and she could well be successful if she’s allowed to set her own pace on an unpressured lead.
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