Daily Racing Form expert handicapper and analyst Brad Free handicaps the Sunday, January 25 racing card at Santa Anita, including his projected 1-2-3 finishers. His best bet of the day comes from Race 4.
Also, view FREE DRF Past Performances for today’s Race of the Day.
BEST BET: Syntax (4th race)
Fourth Race
1. Syntax
2. All in the Game
3. Joyful Mischief
SYNTAX looks like the controlling speed in this dirt sprint for Cal-bred maiden fillies and mares; she can be long gone in the third start of her career. Runner-up in her debut, she improved next out when she missed by a half-length on turf. Back on dirt, facing a field otherwise void of pace, SYNTAX should be tough to catch with a front-running or pace-pressing trip. Her main pace rival is ALL IN THE GAME, who produced speed and finished third in her only start on dirt. That race was sandwiched between a pair of turf sprints in which she broke slowly. Now she is back on dirt, and quick enough to make her presence felt from post 2. Top choice SYNTAX is drawn in post 4. JOYFUL MISCHIEF is a 14-start maiden with seven in-the-money finishes. She will be clunking along late and should hit the board.
Here are Brad’s thoughts on the other eight races on Sunday’s Santa Anita card.
First Race
1. Cathal
2. Pacific Quest
3. Smooth Salute
Late-runner CATHAL can win this N3L claiming turf mile, although the pace scenario is problematic for his style. CATHAL runs best in races that unfold at a legitimate pace, but that might not happen in this seemingly pace-less affair. On the other hand, this field is the softest CATHAL faced in a while, dropping from N3L starter to claiming. The past nine months, trainer George Papaprodromou won with 25 of 40 favorites (62 percent, $3.28 return per $2 win wager). PACIFIC QUEST holds the tactical advantage as potential lone speed. Off three months, dropping in class, ‘QUEST should get a comfortable up-front trip depending on the strategy employed by the horse on the rail. SMOOTH SALUTE returns to preferred footing (turf) after misfiring on dirt. He will rally late. GOT SOUL is the aforementioned speed horse on the rail, stretching out from a comeback sprint. ‘SOUL won twice over the Santa Anita turf last year.
Second Race
1. Babe Ruthless
2. Irish Element
3. Love Da Gig
BABE RUTHLESS, a well-bred gelding, drops to maiden-20 for his third start in this dirt mile. His debut on dirt was a better-than-looked fifth-place finish; he raced evenly on turf next out and finished next-to-last. Both were maiden special-weight races. Now he drops to maiden-claiming, and has enough speed to be forwardly placed. Sired by Candy Ride, ‘RUTHLESS was produced by a mare that won 10 stakes including the G1 Del Mar Oaks. As a broodmare, she has produced five multiple winners. IRISH ELEMENT is a nine-start maiden racing for a claim tag for the first time. He finished nowhere in his only previous start on dirt, but his turf form against better company gives him a shot from off the pace for a productive trainer-jockey combo. LOVE DA GIG looks like the speed of the field. He stretches out from a pair of sprints, and is probably quick enough to make the lead. Through Monday, eight of the 16 dirt miles this winter were won by the pacesetter.
Third Race
1. A. P. Again
2. Very Quiet
3. Flashy Fritz
A. P. AGAIN returns to low claiming 3yos after a series of misses against better. ‘AGAIN is quick enough to establish early position, he switches to hot jockey Emisael Jaramillo, and adds Lasix. The knock is he seems to run best at Los Alamitos, where he is stabled. VERY QUIET also drops. He scored a sharp maiden-claiming win three starts back at LRC, but was not good enough in two subsequent starter allowance races. This field is easier, ‘QUIET will rally late. FLASHY FRITZ is eligible to improve, having undergone a series of changes since his most recent start. He drops from Cal-bred stakes to claiming, has changed trainers, adds Lasix, runs as a first-time gelding, and goes route to sprint while reunited with the jockey who rode him to a maiden win two back.
Fifth Race
1. Pura Vida Princesa
2. Surf Song
3. Robin With a Why
PURA VIDA PRINCESA, a seven-start maiden with four in-the-money finishes, is the tepid choice in this maiden turf mile. The most recent start by ‘PRINCESA was the best of her career. She pulled while rated behind a slow pace, challenged for the lead in the stretch, and finished third by a half-length. The race turned out productive. The winner won an allowance next out, the fifth-place finisher won a maiden-50 next out, the runner-up returned to finish second. ‘PRINCESA ran well against a good maiden field. With a continuation of her upward pattern, she can bang out a maiden win in her eighth start. SURF SONG is an eight-start maiden with five in-the-money finishes. She stretches back out to a mile after a third-place sprint, and could influence the pace. ROBIN WITH A WHY tries two turns in her first start since transferring to trainer Jeff Mullins. ‘WHY is quick enough to contest the pace; Mullins had success with another Bucchero-sired filly: multiple sprint stakes winner Queen Maxima. SAUCIER makes her comeback in her first start since she was purchased at auction for $65k; LUBIE’S MUSIC goes sprint to route and is another who could influence the pace. Lots of contenders in this field.
Sixth Race
1. Tom’s Star
2. Trickifult
3. Subtle Knowledge
Cal-bred maiden fillies and mares sprint for a $12.5k claim tag, TOM’S STAR gets top billing based on her runner-up finish at this level two starts back. She subsequently pressed and cracked in an open maiden-20, but these state-bred maidens are within reach for ‘STAR in the 13th start of her career. The speed of the field is TRICKIFULT, runner-up her last three starts in short nighttime races at Los Alamitos. The front-runner has been racing four and one-half furlongs; this six-furlong trip is a reach. But she is likely to set the pace, and could get brave. SUBTLE KNOWLEDGE merely ran around the track to finish sixth in her modest debut. Maidens from this stable typically race into shape, therefore improvement is likely.
Seventh Race
1. Hey Nay Nay
2. Later Than Planned
3. Greenwich Village
Stakes winners HEY NAY NAY and LATER THAN PLANNED top this $100k hillside turf sprint for 3yos. The call is ‘NAY NAY, who cuts back to one turn after finishing third as the heavy favorite at one mile. He may have been positioned too far off the pace. ‘NAY NAY runs best with a forwardly placed trip, and he is proven short. He won both turf sprints last year. Off two months, working well, ‘NAY NAY can win with a pressing trip. He’ll have to hold off LATER THAN PLANNED, come-from-behind turf sprint stakes winner two back and creditable sixth last out in the BC Juvenile Turf Sprint. Off nearly three months, shortening in distance, the late-runner is the main threat from off the pace. FWIW, favorites won this stakes race five straight years; favoritism this year figures to be either ‘NAY NAY or ‘PLANNED. GREENWICH VILLAGE cannot be dismissed. Possibly the speed of the field, even with blinkers off, ‘VILLAGE drops from a G2 dirt sprint in which he pressed a hot pace and faltered. He gets a softer pace scenario here, and should handle turf. Sired by Quality Road, ‘VILLAGE was produced by a fast Australian turf sprinter who won Group 3 stakes Down Under and placed in a Group 2 in England. The point is, ‘VILLAGE is bred for turf. Gate to wire?
Eighth Race
1. Berlin Wall
2. Team Player
3. Pass the Baton
BERLIN WALL stretches to two turns for the first time, and can win this Cal-bred N1X dirt mile with an up-front trip despite a disappointing misfire 10 days ago. That was a turf sprint in which BERLIN WALL never got untracked. He was expected to be forwardly placed, but encountered early trouble and merely ran around the track to finish sixth. Now he stretches out for the first time, with speed to contest the pace over a track where front-runners have outperformed at a mile on dirt. Lightly raced TEAM PLAYER is the main threat from off the pace. He finished a respectable third last out in a similar Cal-bred N1X that was only the third start of his career. He will be rolling from behind. PASS THE BATON looms the upset candidate, returning to the SA main track on which he ran the best race of his career winning a similar Cal-bred N1X three starts back. After running below par two subsequent turf starts, he is back on dirt and entered for the optional $20k claim tag.
Ninth Race
1. Essos
2. House of Mischief
3. Army Man
The fourth-place finish by ESSOS last out was better than it looks, and stamps the 3yo maiden as one of the best gambles on the card. ESSOS was stretching out for his second start, but he broke from post 8 and raced at least three-wide from start to finish. It’s a tough to win a turf route losing ground on both turns, yet he missed by only slightly more than three lengths. Now he adds blinkers and Lasix, he worked exceptionally well since raced, and figures for a forwardly placed trip stretching to a mile and one-eighth. Third time out, this should be his best. HOUSE OF MISCHIEF finished second in the same race, while benefitting from a ground-saving trip in the first route of his career. The improving gelding is drawn outside (post 8 of 9), but he has speed to drop in without losing excessive ground. ARMY MAN removes blinkers, possibly to ration his speed. He opened up on the lead last time at this distance, but faded to fifth. Perhaps he will be more settled without blinkers, and adding Lasix. CHARLIE’S CURLIN finished third in the same race in which ESSOS and HOUSE OF MISCHIEF finished fourth and second.
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