Loading ...Sep 26 2020
Sunny Santa Anita Saturday Selections: 5 Breeders’ Cup Races, 5 Graded Stakes, Big Time racing
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Saturday, September 26, 2020. Sunny Santa Anita has 7 stakes races today, including 5 graded races and 5 contests offering an automatic slot to one of the Breeders’ Cup races in November. Thus, the action is hot, and the weather is warm but not quite hot, as usual for sunny southern cal.
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Racing begins at 12:30 Pacific time, kicking off with the Unzip Me Stakes. Bulletproof One is the deserving favorite, dominating her last turf race and finished a close 2nd in the Speakeasy Stakes here a year ago. Not much front running speed in this race bodes well for her in this one as the lone frontrunner. Get the Grid here to follow along.
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The top power filly is Mind Out, and may improve cutting back from 4 races at a mile after winning her debut at 5f last year. Also at 6-1 is top power horse Mermeith, who should also benefit cutting back from a mile. She dominated last time at 6f on a sloppy dirt track, giving her the 2nd best PF in the field.
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Blue Sky Baby is tied for 2 LP and 2nd best turf PF, achieved last out at Del Mar. She also won her debut here at 5f a year ago. Biddy Duke at 8-1 is a good long shot special, with 2nd best EP and 2nd best dirt PF. If she takes a liking to the turf she will hit the board.
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Race 3 is the Chandelier G2 which offers the winner a slot in the BC Juvenile Fillies G1 in November. Only 5 young fillies will compete, 3 of them coached by Bob Baffert. His top filly Princess Noor is the odds on favorite at 2-5 ML after winning her debut and last out in the Del Mar Debutante G1.
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Baffert’s Varda also won her debut at Del Mar and has a good ML price of 8-1 which will likely decrease. His 3rd filly is Illumnation who was 3rd in the Debutante and won’t do better than 3rd here. Mark Casse will try to cause some trouble with Make Mischief at 5-1, who will likely hit the board.
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Race 5 is the Speakeasy Stakes, not graded but worth $100k in purse money and a BC Juvenile Turf Sprint berth to the winner. The 3 virtual favorites are solid and all won last out, but it’s hard to get excited about odds of 3-1.
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Just as good as them according to the Grid, is Fury Kap at 6-1 who won on dirt in his debut. Better yet, Windy City Red at 15-1, who won his debut on polytrack, registered the 2nd best PF of the 5 that have raced in North America.
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Then we have Feathers who won his debut on turf overseas for Peter Miller and appears at 12-1. A triplet of unraced juvies coached by Doug O’neill fill the first 3 posts, two at 6-1 and one at 20-1. So this one is wide open, but Windy City Red and Feathers offer the best value.
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Race 7 gives away a BC Filly and Mare Turf slot to the winner of the Rodeo Drive G1. It’s 10f but the only early runner is Tonahutu, whose speed will be difficult to keep up with for most of the field. Maxim Rate and Bodhicitta will be up close if she tries to put them to sleep.
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Favored Lady Prancealot will also have to track the pace more closely than usual to have a chance. It’s hard not to like Bodhicitta with top LP but 5-2 isn’t great. I like it 3 1 2 6 4.
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Next up is the American Pharoah G1 in Race 8 which will provide a slot to the BC Juvenile G1 in November. The field of 8 youngsters will also compete for $300k in purse money.
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It’s a graded juvenile race in Socal so we’re automatically thinking Baffert again, but he only has one in this race. Speilberg does look like the one to beat, finishing 2nd in both races, last out in the Del Mar Futurity, losing to Dr. Schivel who will not race again this year.
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The top PF in the field belongs to Touchdown Brown at 5-1, coming off a strong 2nd in a Del Mar stakes. Notable Exception at 7-2 ML won his debut on poly and could improve on dirt. The only horse to have run a mile yet is Waspirant at 6-1 who won at a DM mile last out.
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Race 9 features the John Henry Turf Championship G2 which does not offer a BC berth, but has 8 talented turf horses, some of which you will be seeing in the BC turf for sure. It’s hard to see much past the deserving favorite United and 2nd choice Originaire.
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But tied for top LP are Oscar Dominguez at 8-1, yes that’s the horse’s name not the rider, and he finished a close 2nd to United last time at this distance. Proud Pedro at 8-1 also is top LP and won last time at this distance.
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The last stakes race is the Awesome Again G1 in race 10, issuing at least one berth to this year’s BC Classic G1. A short but talented of field of 5will compete for the $300k purse. The top 2 ML choices and post time choices are, you guessed it… trained by Baffert.
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Favored Maximum Security, last year’s Kentucky Derby winner, is riding a 6 race win streak following his only career loss, last out winning the G1 Pacific Classic. Improbable is back in top form and won 2 in a row including the Whitney G1. Interestingly, neither has won a BCC race yet this year.
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There are only 5, so at least one of the others will the board. Sleepy Eyes Todd was our top long shot special in the Charles Town Classic G2, where he wound up the post time favorite and won going away. This is a tougher field but he’s got a shot. Midcourt lost to the two favorites in his last 3 races.
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That’s it for the stakes racing. There are 11 total races on the card which will conclude around 6pm, so that’s over 5 hours of exciting racing to spark up your Saturday. Good luck!
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Get the Grid for all the major tracks and races including the Preakness and Breeders Cup here.
