SANTA ANITA Sunday, May 11, 2014

One winner on yesterday’s card.  Good luck today!

Race 1 

#2 - ICE CREAM TRUCK - Finished 2nd in his last start, should finally break his maiden versus these.

Race 2

#5 - MIDNIGHT TRANSFER - G2 try in his last start, Bejarano rides.

Race 3

#4 - ARKENSTONE - Maiden win in his last start, steps up into high priced claiming ranks.

Race 4

#6 - RANGER SCHOOL - First time starter sent out by the Gary Mandella barn.

Race 5

#5 - NEW NATURE - Wired a maiden claiming field in her last start, wins if she can get the lead.

Race 6

#2 - LONDINIUM - Finished 3rd in his last start, drops in class, Robertino Diodorio trains.

Race 7

#3 - MANGO REWARD - First time starter who shows good works.

Race 8

#4 - BIG HONEY BEE - Finished 2nd in her last start, Kent Desormeaux rides.

Race 9

#5 - IT IS LIVING WATER - Finished 2nd in his last start, seems to like the hillside.

SANTA ANITA Saturday, May 10, 2014

Two wins and one scratch on yesterday’s card.  Good luck today!

Race 1 

#2 - CORINTHIAN MELODY - Finished 3rd in her last start, should like the extra distance.

Race 2

#2 - JULES JOURNEY - Won his last start on the same surface and at the same distance.

Race 3

#2 - BIG KICK - Drops in class, shows good works, Michael Machowsky trains.

Race 4

#4 - LETABA - First time starter to try the hillside for cagy trainer John Sadler.

Race 5

#9 - DOCTOR McEACHNIE - First time starter who shows good works.

Race 6

#6 - THERMAL NERMAL - 3rd in her last two starts, shows early speed.

Race 7 G3 Lazaro Barrara Stakes

#5 - TWENTY PERCENT - Big maiden win in his only start, steps up into graded stakes company at the tough 7F distance with Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith aboard.

Race 8

#7 - QUEEN OF THE HILL - Big wins in her last two starts, takes a big step up in class to try the hillside off super works.

Race 9

#4 - RIVERCHON - First time starter from the Tom Proctor barn.

SANTA ANITA Thursday, May 8, 2012

One winner and two scratches on Sunday’s card. Super tough program today. Good luck!

Race 1 

#3 - AMERICAN CHARM - Longshot first time starter who shows good works to prepare for this grab bag race.

Race 2

#6 - THIS CAT’S AWESOME - Drops in class, now or never for this one.

Race 3

#5 - THE CLEANERS - Finished 2nd in his last start, shows early speed.

Race 4

#6 - COUSIN RICKY - Won his last two starts, drops to a softer spot to go for the hat trick.

Race 5

#3 - UNUSUAL STYLE - Finished 2nd in her last start, should be coming at the end.

Race 6

#5 - GRAY MADAM - Wired the field in her last two starts, takes a big step up in class to go for three in a row.

Race 7

#2 - IRENES JACKPOT - Finished 3rd in her last start, 10/13 in the money on the turf.

Race 8

#3 - FLEW FLICKER - Finished 2nd in his last start, drops to the bottom maiden claiming level, set to fire off the long layoff.

SANTA ANITA Sunday, May 4, 2014

Congratulations to the Kentucky Derby winning California Chrome team! Special mention should be made of the brilliant ride by journeyman California jockey Victor Espinoza. He kept the chestnut colt out of trouble and gave him a clear run to the wire. This Mexico City native also won the 2002 Derby aboard the Bob Baffert trained War Emblem, a 21-1 shot he rode for the first time that day. 

Yesterday’s Derby sets up a possible meeting between Chrome and Untapable, winner of the Oaks, in the Preakness. This classic matchup, if it happens, would pit East versus West and male versus female, both in horse and jockey. The last two days were great for horse racing. Sorry PETA, your lie driven agenda will have to wait for another time.

Four winners on yesterday’s Santa Anita card. Interesting eight race program today. Good luck!

Race 1 

#1 - DUBLIN UP - Tried a G1 in his last start, shows early speed.

Race 2

#6 - SING WITH BLING - Shows early speed for the Smith/Spawr combination.

Race 3

#1 - MY JEALOUS - Big win in his last start, finds a softer spot to repeat with Bejarano up.

Race 4 G2 Honeymoon Stakes

#7 - ARETHUSA - G1 try in her last two starts, Bejarano rides.

Race 5

#7 - MADAME FORBES - Second time starter, finished 3rd in her last start, should fire with Bejarano aboard off the layoff.

Race 6

#5 - GRAND HUMOR- Wired a maiden claiming field in his last start, shows good works for the hillside try.

Race 7

#10 - AIRFOIL - Finished 3rd in his last start, Bejarano rides.

Race 8

#9 - BLUEGRASS REWARD - Won his last start, steps up in class to repeat.

SANTA ANITA and KENTUCKY DERBY Saturday, May 3, 2014

Derby Day! Modest card at Santa Anita. Good luck!

Race 1 

#9 - CITIZEN JANE - Finished 3rd in her last start, drops in class.

Race 2

#10 - RICH IN TRADITION - Finished 2nd in her last start, drops to the bottom maiden claiming level.

Race 3

#2 - MY MONET - Wired the field in a maiden claimer in her first start and claimed, should repeat against these.

Race 4

#3 - FOREVER JUANITO - Finished 2nd in his last start, seems to like the hillside.

Race 5

#9 - MAVERICK’S GUN - Big maiden claiming win in his last start, shows super works.

Race 6

#8 - SWISS PERFECTION - Second time starter who finished 2nd in her debut, shows good works.

Race 7

#11 - STAR ROCKER - Won his last two starts on the Hollywood Park turf, may like the switch to the hillside off the layoff.

Race 8

#4 - SATICOY - Buried the field in his only start, should fire for the Bejarano/Mandella connections even off the long layoff.

Race 9

#7 - HOG’S HOLLOW - Won his last start, previous winner at Santa Anita and the distance.

Race 10 G3 Precisionist Stakes

#7 - FURY KAPCORI - Won his last three starts, shows good works, Bejarano/Hollendorfer are the connections.

Race 11

#8 - SOLAR HOME - Finished 2nd in her last start, drops in class.

Churchill Downs Race 11 G1 Kentucky Derby

#5 - CALIFORNIA CHROME - Won his last four starts including an impressive win in the G1 Santa Anita Derby, shows good works.

A special wish for good fortune and racing luck goes out to the California Chrome team. The Coburns and Martins, owners of the colt, are working people who toil at regular jobs every day. The trainer, seventy-seven year old Art Sherman has given his life to the game. Racing fans know that in 1955 he was an eighteen year old exercise rider for Swaps and rode in a boxcar with the colt on his way from Southern California to Louisville before winning that year’s Derby. Ridden by legendary jockey Bill Shoemaker, the big horse wired the field and defeated the East Coast favorite Nashua ridden by the equally legendary jockey Eddie Arcaro. That result was reversed later that year in a match race on an off track, with Swaps battling a foot injury,  at the old Washington Park race track in Chicago. Nashua, guided by Arcaro, got the jump on Swaps and forced him wide, taking the running lane with the good footing away and winning easily.

Today is a different day and here’s hoping Chrome brings the roses home!

SANTA ANITA and KENTUCKY OAKS Friday, May 2, 2014

Three winners on yesterday’s card. Super tough program today.  Good luck!

Race 1 

#4 - J LOUIE - Moves across town from Los Alamitos, drops in class, all speed.

Race 2

#5 - PAPA’S PAISLEY - Finished 2nd in his last start, shows good works, should like the switch to the lawn for trainer Danny Velasquez.

Race 3

#3 - YARD LINE - Finished 2nd in his last two starts, should like the extra distance, Bejarano rides.

Race 4

#5 - SAINTLY JOAN - Won her last start on the hillside, qualified to step up into stakes company.

Race 5

#4 - APPEALING RESUME - Finished 3rd and claimed in her last start, should be coming at the end.

Race 6

#6 - HANNA NO SIR - Second time starter who finished 2nd in her debut, shows good speed.

Race 7

#1 - PASS THE PICO - Finished 2nd in his last three starts, overdue to score.

Race 8

#2 - BIG BREAK - Stakes try in her last start, seeking a softer spot today.

Race 9

#1 - GOYAN - Finished 3rd and claimed in his last start, should win if he rates.

Race 11 Churchill Downes -  G1 Kentucky Oaks

#2 - RIA ANTONIA - Finished 2nd in the G1 Santa Anita Oaks, should like the extra distance, shows super works, Hall of Fame combination of Mike Smith and Bob Baffert are the connections.

SANTA ANITA Thursday, May 1, 2014

Four winners and one scratch on Sunday’s card.  Tough program today. Good luck!

Race 1 

#2 - SATURDAY YODELER - First time starter who shows good works.

Race 2

#5 - ROMAN TIZZY - Finished 2nd in his last two starts, 4/5 in the money at Santa Anita.

Race 3

#1 - AFRICAN OIL - Third North American start should be the charm for this Simon Callaghan trained runner.

Race 4

#8 - TIZ FUTURITY - Finished 3rd in his last start, should be coming at the end.

Race 5

#7 - FRONT RANGE - Second time starter, finished 3rd in her last start, should like the stretch out around two turns, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert is the conditioner.

Race 6

#6 - RHAGORI - Finished 2nd in her last start, Bejarano/Callaghan team up.

Race 7

#7 - OUR GLITTER BALL - Wired a maiden claiming field in her last start, shows good works to repeat.

Race 8

#6 - ELEGANT - Finished 3rd in her last start, drops in class.