1/ST BET Horse Racing Predictions from Santa Anita:
We are excited to announce a renewed partnership with the fine folks and handicappers at 1/ST BET. Jeremy Plonk and Jeff Siegel will be sharing their expertise on a weekly basis to pass along some ponies that they like for races at various tracks around the country, including Santa Anita.
For this Sunday, January 26 article, Jeff Siegel shares everything you need to know for the racing card for Santa Anita.
Santa Anita Race 1: Post: 12:00 PT
Top Selection/Prime Play: Defiance
Forecast: Defiance debuts in this extended turf sprint for older maiden fillies and mares and has looked extremely precocious in a series of visually impressive breezes for trainer Richard Mandella. It’s taken a long time to get the daughter of Curlin to the races, but the wait might be worth it. Her dam (Arrange) was a multiple Grade-1 winner on grass, and this talented homebred has shown in the morning to be a lovely mover with smooth, economic, sprint-type action. Yes, it’s true, first-time starting maidens from this barn rarely run as well as they work, but this filly might prove to be the opposite.
Santa Anita Race 7: Post: 3:07 PT
Top Selection/Prime Play: 7-Cotton Roser
Forecast: Cotton Roser, assuming he leaves with his field, should be too fast for these maiden $50,000 older California-bred runners. Off a tad slowly in his debut, the son of Vronsky moved up quickly to be part of a hot pace in a much tougher straight maiden affair last month before paying the price and fading in the final furlong. Dawn comfortably outside, the Sean McCarthy-trained gelding has the option to pop and go or stalk and pounce in a field without much zip, and with any kind of forward move he should handle this assignment.
