Daily Racing Form expert handicapper and analyst Brad Free previews the Thursday, January 8 racing card at Santa Anita, including his 1-2-3 finishers. His best bet of the day comes from Race 7.
Also, view FREE DRF Past Performances for today’s Race of the Day.
BEST BET: Public Assembly (7th race)
Race 7
1. Public Assembly (Best Bet)
2. Paradise Lake
3. Watchtower
This G3 turf route for fillies and mares was first scheduled for Dec. 28, postponed until Dec. 31, postponed again until today (Jan. 8). PUBLIC ASSEMBLY remains the one to beat, returning to the SA turf on which she scored a G3 win in April over wet ground labelled “good.” Although ‘ASSEMBLY might benefit if the SA course is still wet, her firm-turf form is strong. Runner-up by a neck last out in a G3 turf marathon at DMR, and 2-for-3 over the SA turf, ‘ASSEMBLY is the “now” filly in a stakes that favorites won four of the last nine years. PARADISE LAKE, whose three wins all were on this course, finished third last out in the same G3 as the top choice, only a length and one-half back. This nine-furlong trip might be the best trip for ‘LAKE, who will be rolling late. WATCHTOWER returns from a three-month break. She runs well fresh; her comeback third in a G2 last summer at DMR puts her squarely in the hunt. WILLA T, a late supplement to this race, is worth mentioning based on pace. She won her last three starts vs. lesser; she could make the lead in a race light on speed.
Here are Brad’s thoughts on the other eight races on Thursday’s Santa Anita card.
Race 1
1. Warm Reception
2. Green Zone
3. Suntory Time
Racing resumes Thursday at Santa Anita, first post 12 noon. This Cal-bred maiden turf mile was postponed from last week when racing was cancelled. WARM RECEPTION remains the tepid choice. She rallied to miss by a head last out behind the odds-on front-running winner; a similar effort here might be enough. GREEN ZONE looms an upset contender. She finished fifth in her dirt-sprint debut; her pedigree suggests she will improve at two turns on turf. Sired by Grazen, her dam All Star Heart was a multiple turf-route stakes winner. ‘ZONE got some betting action (8-1) in her debut, and should move up switching to turf second time out. SUNTORY TIME returns from a nine-month layoff; she showed ability both starts last winter/spring including her debut that was a better-than-looked fifth-place finish. She misfired second out, then was sidelined. She runs well fresh, and does not meet any world-beaters in this turf route for state-bred maidens. BENSTER, unraced since January, runs well fresh and finished in the money her last three starts. DANZING TIL DAWN figures to influence the early pace, breaking from the outside post.
Race 2
1. Contrary Chieftain
2. Crypto Ride
3. Big Juanito
CONTRARY CHIEFTAIN would have won last out if not for a bad start. Favored in that $5k claiming race at DMR, he broke slowly, lost position, and rallied to miss by a half-length. Good try by the seven-win veteran, who was re-claimed by Librado Boracio. ‘CHIEFTAIN won for Boracio at this $16k claim level here last June; his pressing style translates to a forwardly placed trip positioned behind likely pacesetter CRYPTO RIDE. The latter wired a $10k claiming N3L route last out at DMR; that race turned out productive. Three he defeated ran back: two wins, one second. ‘RIDE moves up in class and looks like the one to catch. Late-runner BIG JUANITO is good enough when he fires. He did not fire last out at Los Alamitos, but meets easier and is reunited with jockey Mirco Demuro, who rode him to two wins this summer at Del Mar. ‘JUANITO will rally late. MANIATIC might be ranked too low. The late-runner won at this level two back, he ran well last out finishing third vs. better.
Race 3
1. Stark Contrast
2. Plutarch
3. Unrivaled Time
This $100k turf stakes for newly turned 3yos was scheduled for Dec. 28, postponed until Dec. 31, and postponed again to now (Jan. 8). G1-placed STARK CONTRAST and G1-placed PLUTARCH top the field. STARK CONTRAST, runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and G3 winner before that, holds the edge. ‘CONTRAST ran super all three starts since switching to turf; he skipped a late-November stakes at DMR to target this stakes. A murky pace scenario muddles the picture, but ‘CONTRAST has tactical speed to be forwardly placed in a race short on speed. It would not be surprising if he actually made the lead. Favorites won this race the last two years, four of the last nine on turf. Obvious choice, but not a slam dunk against PLUTARCH. The latter is a well-bred multiple stakes-placed colt up in class after a crushing maiden win racing a mile and one-eighth on turf at DMR. A deep closer sired by Into Mischief and produced by G1 winner Stellar Wind, PLUTARCH will be rolling from behind. That style could be problematic due to the likelihood of a slow pace. But on class, PLUTARCH obviously fits. He placed in the G1 American Pharoah on dirt, and two stakes on turf. UNRIVALED TIME followed his decisive Cal-bred maiden win with a minor upset in a G3 turf mile. Third preference.
Race 4
1. Feisty Red Head
2. Cherry Cider
3. Red Cherry
Another race postponed from Dec. 31, FEISTY RED HEAD gets the call to post an upset first time out. She has trained like a 2yo filly that is quick enough to sprint, even though she is bred for farther than this six-furlong distance. Sired by Curlin, ‘RED HEAD was produced by a graded stakes winner. ‘RED HEAD showed speed working from the gate Dec. 22. She will have to catch potential pacesetter CHERRY CIDER, who shortens to one turn and adds Lasix after she pressed and faded in a turf route. The runner-up sprint debut by ‘CIDER in July at DMR was promising. RED CHERRY debuts with a solid work pattern Sired by first-crop stallion Rock Your World (12 percent debut wins), ‘CHERRY is a sibling to runaway debut winner/stakes winner Crazy Hot. ‘CHERRY is believed to have speed. First-time starter FRENCH BLUE might be ranked too low. She appears to have worked well; the Gun Runner filly is the first runner produced by debut winner/G3 winner Twenty Carat.
Race 5
1. Gratefully
2. Bit’s Tiger Magic
3. Donttellourwives
This N2X turf sprint on the main oval was postponed from Jan. 1. GRATEFULLY, a 3-for-3 front-runner from New York, looks best of the speed. She can cope with fast fractions, she handles both dirt and turf, and drew post 7 of 8, where she can press the pace in the clear, or go on with it. BIT’S TIGER MAGIC is speed, and versatile. She was unable to stay 6.5f last out in a Cal-bred stakes, this shorter 6f trip helps, she has won from off the pace. She is re-fitted with the blinkers she wore her first four wins. Late-runner DONTTELLOURWIVES merits longshot consideration. She was overmatched in both recent G3 races, and her turf form is uncertain, but this race has speed to run at, and she will be rolling late. She is reunited with Juan Hernandez, who rode her to an off-the-pace maiden win in spring. Although neither previous start by ‘WIVES on turf was great, she did not figure in either (19-1 debut, 93-1 graded stakes). In this allowance, ‘WIVES does figure as a contender. YOUNG LOVE, stablemate of ‘TIGER MAGIC, is three-for-four on turf. This field is deep.
Race 6
1. Red Hot
2. Tommy Norris
3. Joker Went Wild
This Cal-bred maiden race was rescheduled from Dec. 31. First-time starter RED HOT is the call. Sired by Mitole (12 percent 2yo debut winners), RED HOT’s dam (stakes winner Obey) won her career debut as a 2yo; the gelding’s trainer-jockey combo is quietly productive. Luis Mendez and jockey Juan Hernandez are 5-for-13 the past five years during which time they teamed with three firsters: two wins and a second. RED HOT looks live first out. TOMMY NORRIS is a six-start maiden who was overmatched last out in a two-turn stakes. A front-runner who finished in the money two and three starts back probably is the one they have to catch. JOKER WENT WILD raced evenly both starts this fall at DMR, finishing third and fourth. A sibling to two multiple winners, ‘WILD tries a rider switch to Cesar Belmont, who recently arrived in California from France. BENNY AND THE JET returns from a layoff as a first-time gelding. He figures to be running late.
Race 8
1. Del Mar Jerry
2. Runaway Charlie
3. Big Bet Jafinsafa
Front-runner DEL MAR JERRY gets the call in this N1X dirt mile. He has won six of 15 including two of four at SA; his highly rated runner-up finish two back at DMR (missed by a nose, 97 Beyer) would be fast enough. ‘JERRY can win with a front-running/pace-pressing trip. RUNAWAY CHARLIE is new to this circuit, making his first start since last May. His springtime races at Hawthorne earned creditable figures, this SoCal field is not that tough. BIG BET JAFINSAFA returns to preferred footing, which is dirt. The late-runner won his last two dirt routes (spring 2023, spring 2024) and will be rolling late. NORMANDY LANDING stretches out from a runner-up sprint comeback that was his first start in more than a year and a half. A million-dollar yearling ($1.05), he has a right to improve second start back and could get a great trip positioned right behind a contested if his stablemate engages DEL MAR JERRY. That stablemate is VOLDEMORT, the aforementioned stretch-out sprinter with speed to keep ‘JERRY honest up front. VOLDEMORT dueled and cracked in his return from an extended layoff; he should improve second start back. Late-runner CLOONEY looms a legit upset candidate in a race that should unfold at a genuine pace.
Race 9
1. Lorenzo Bernini
2. Sweet Odyssey
3. Mutaz
LORENZO BERNINI, third last out in a similar maiden-50, gets a beneficial pace scenario for his up-front style. This turf mile is relatively light on pace. SWEET ODYSSEY finished second last out, two lengths in front of the top choice, while employing an off-the-pace style. The gelding looms a contender rallying from behind. Also-eligible MUTAZ would influence the pace scenario if he draws into the field. First time in for a claim tag, in the money twice last spring vs. MSW rivals, he would be forwardly placed if he starts. Late-runner FIGHT BACK has changed trainers since raced, and he also will be rolling from behind.
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