GameHunter
Pretty much a regular
RACE 5
JUVENILE TURF SPRINT
Since mid May at Santa Anita, there have been twelve 5 furlong Turf Sprints with the rails at 0 feet like they are today and all 12 races have been won by a horse in the front four of the pack at the beginning of the race. So I am factoring in early positioning in this race more than I typically do. Also European Turf sprints are usually on straightaways so going around a turn here could be detrimental to European sprinters, especially young ones like these.
#9 FOUR WHEEL DRIVE – Two for two so far off an impressive front end score in the Grade 3 Futurity. Will be forwardly placed early on using good tactical speed. Likely favorite and the one to beat.
#3 ANOTHER MIRACLE – A bit under the radar and big odds. Has excellent early tactical speed, which is so important in this race but failed to use it in a dull effort in the Futurity. I expect him to be more forwardly positioned early today. Trained well early this week.
#7 KIMARI – Another Wesley Ward runner in here (he has 3 including Four Wheel Drive). Has run 3 US races and has won all three including two lower grades stakes races. Ran an excellent 2nd overseas in the Ascot in June, a race won by Raffle Prize, who seems clearly better than any of the Europeans in here. Has to improve her tactical early speed in here for best chance and her style and the fact that she runs against a few solid boys in mitigates her chances a bit.
#2 BAND PRACTICE – Not enamored with the European runners, but she has excellent early tactical speed to be in striking position and adds Lasix.
RACE 6
JUVENILE TURF
#12 ARIZONA – 9 of 12 of these BC Juvenile Turf races have been won by Europeans including 4 of the 5 BC Juvenile Turf races here at Santa Anita. Trainer Aidan O’Brien has won 4 of these BC Juvenile Turf races. Horse ran 2nd back to back to Pinatubo overseas, who may be one of the best European turf horses in racing.
#3 PEACE ACHIEVED – Steadily improving colt with excellent early speed, which is so important in a field of 14 young runners like this. He will avoid traffic and chaos.
#14 HIT THE ROAD – Horrible post but his final ¼ mile in his last, where he won the Zuma Beach, was spectacular. Will be charging late and has a chance if the early fractions are quick and if he can save ground.
#13 FORT MYERS – Lower level European horse for Aidan O’Brien than Arizona. The fact that he is in here makes you think O’Brien might know that he is improving and better than many think. He did finish within 1 ¾ lengths of Arizona in a G2 in Ireland so he’s not completely in over his head.
RACE 7
JUVENILE FILLIES
Wide open race and nothing here would shock me.
#4 BRITISH IDIOM – Has won on two turns before and if they go quickly early, he will be picking up all the pieces late. Won the Grade 1 Alcibiades in his last in impressive fashion after adding Lasix.
#7 WICKED WHISPER – Won the Grade 1 Frizette in last on the front end. 2 for 2 so far and tries two turns for the first time.
#1 DONNA VELOCE – Likely favorite and could be a superstar. $800,000 yearling purchase dazzled them in her one career race, a 9 ¼ length romp here at Santa Anita on a very speed favoring track that day. Excellent early speed and is bred to handle the distance. Could easily win but just no value in here taking a horse off one impressive race going 6 furlongs now in a $2 million race against top flight fillies going longer at a mile and 1/16th. Have to use her but there is better value elsewhere.
#6 BAST – Has two consecutive wins, including the most recent in the Grade 1 Chandelier here at Santa Anita. Has a nice stalking style to tuck in behind early leaders.
RACE 8
JUVENILE FILLIES TURF
Good history of success for the US horses in this race but I may have to buck the trend.
#9 ALBIGNA – Won a Grade 1 last out over soft ground finishing strongly on the stretch out to today’s distance, at one mile. Reportedly physically stronger than she was prior to her last race.
#11 SHARING – Big step up in class but well bred and she could be good enough. Has excellent early speed for good position.
#5 DAAHYEH - Beat 24 rivals in the Grade 3 Albany in Great Britain. Has been favored in all 5 career starts with 3 wins and two 2nds.
#7 CRYSTALLE – Has at dead last until the top of the stretch in all three races, winning two and missing 3/4s of a length to Selflessly, as the favorite in the Grade 2 Miss Grillo at Belmont.
#12 SWEET MELANIA - $600,000 purchase as a yearling. And comes off best career performance winning the Grade 2 Jessamine. Should be forwardly placed early.
#3 SHADN – Steadily improving European but has to show she can handle the distance.
RACE 9
JUVENILE
#1 DENNIS’ MOMENT – Could be an absolute superstar in the making. In his debut, he was rushing up to the lead early and clipped heels and tossed his rider. Even without rider, he showed talent, that day switching to the outside and making up huge ground in the stretch to run alongside winner. His 2nd race was absolutely devastating and the fastest race in 2019 by any two year old with a 19 ¼ length eye-popping romp at Ellis Park. Showed he could rate a bit in winning the Grade 3 Iroquois at Churchill in a stakes record time and even looked like he was easing up in the last 16th of a mile well in hand. Should be heavy favorite and tough to beat. Shipped to California early on and is working lights out over this track.
#3 SHOPLIFTED – Trainer Asmussen really likes this one and has had him out in California for over a month getting him acclimated. Was very impressive winning his debut at Saratoga but regressed a bit on the Grade 1 Hopeful where he finished 2nd on a sloppy track and 5th in the Grade 1 American Pharaoh, where he dropped back to last before making an impressive move where he was forced extremely wide before flattening out on a speed favoring track that day. He’s better than his last two races look on paper.
#6 EIGHT RINGS – Likely the second choice in betting. Has showed tremendous early speed and should be on the lead trying to wire the field. Highly regarded colt for Bob Baffert, who won his debut with ease at Delmar. Ironically, he too has a race where he tossed his jockey in his early career but came back to win the Grade 1 American Pharoah easily, They can’t let him get too loose on an early lead here or he could be tough to catch. 2019 Grade 1 American Pharoah - Eight Rings
#5 SCABBARD – Horrible trip in the Grade 3 Iroquois. Ran into traffic and had to steady and lost momentum mid-race. Swung wide into the stretch and was making up solid ground, albeit with Dennis’ Moment easing up under wraps late. His Beyer speed figure that race with all the trouble equaled Eight Ring’s Beyer figure in his American Pharaoh victory.
JUVENILE TURF SPRINT
Since mid May at Santa Anita, there have been twelve 5 furlong Turf Sprints with the rails at 0 feet like they are today and all 12 races have been won by a horse in the front four of the pack at the beginning of the race. So I am factoring in early positioning in this race more than I typically do. Also European Turf sprints are usually on straightaways so going around a turn here could be detrimental to European sprinters, especially young ones like these.
#9 FOUR WHEEL DRIVE – Two for two so far off an impressive front end score in the Grade 3 Futurity. Will be forwardly placed early on using good tactical speed. Likely favorite and the one to beat.
#3 ANOTHER MIRACLE – A bit under the radar and big odds. Has excellent early tactical speed, which is so important in this race but failed to use it in a dull effort in the Futurity. I expect him to be more forwardly positioned early today. Trained well early this week.
#7 KIMARI – Another Wesley Ward runner in here (he has 3 including Four Wheel Drive). Has run 3 US races and has won all three including two lower grades stakes races. Ran an excellent 2nd overseas in the Ascot in June, a race won by Raffle Prize, who seems clearly better than any of the Europeans in here. Has to improve her tactical early speed in here for best chance and her style and the fact that she runs against a few solid boys in mitigates her chances a bit.
#2 BAND PRACTICE – Not enamored with the European runners, but she has excellent early tactical speed to be in striking position and adds Lasix.
RACE 6
JUVENILE TURF
#12 ARIZONA – 9 of 12 of these BC Juvenile Turf races have been won by Europeans including 4 of the 5 BC Juvenile Turf races here at Santa Anita. Trainer Aidan O’Brien has won 4 of these BC Juvenile Turf races. Horse ran 2nd back to back to Pinatubo overseas, who may be one of the best European turf horses in racing.
#3 PEACE ACHIEVED – Steadily improving colt with excellent early speed, which is so important in a field of 14 young runners like this. He will avoid traffic and chaos.
#14 HIT THE ROAD – Horrible post but his final ¼ mile in his last, where he won the Zuma Beach, was spectacular. Will be charging late and has a chance if the early fractions are quick and if he can save ground.
#13 FORT MYERS – Lower level European horse for Aidan O’Brien than Arizona. The fact that he is in here makes you think O’Brien might know that he is improving and better than many think. He did finish within 1 ¾ lengths of Arizona in a G2 in Ireland so he’s not completely in over his head.
RACE 7
JUVENILE FILLIES
Wide open race and nothing here would shock me.
#4 BRITISH IDIOM – Has won on two turns before and if they go quickly early, he will be picking up all the pieces late. Won the Grade 1 Alcibiades in his last in impressive fashion after adding Lasix.
#7 WICKED WHISPER – Won the Grade 1 Frizette in last on the front end. 2 for 2 so far and tries two turns for the first time.
#1 DONNA VELOCE – Likely favorite and could be a superstar. $800,000 yearling purchase dazzled them in her one career race, a 9 ¼ length romp here at Santa Anita on a very speed favoring track that day. Excellent early speed and is bred to handle the distance. Could easily win but just no value in here taking a horse off one impressive race going 6 furlongs now in a $2 million race against top flight fillies going longer at a mile and 1/16th. Have to use her but there is better value elsewhere.
#6 BAST – Has two consecutive wins, including the most recent in the Grade 1 Chandelier here at Santa Anita. Has a nice stalking style to tuck in behind early leaders.
RACE 8
JUVENILE FILLIES TURF
Good history of success for the US horses in this race but I may have to buck the trend.
#9 ALBIGNA – Won a Grade 1 last out over soft ground finishing strongly on the stretch out to today’s distance, at one mile. Reportedly physically stronger than she was prior to her last race.
#11 SHARING – Big step up in class but well bred and she could be good enough. Has excellent early speed for good position.
#5 DAAHYEH - Beat 24 rivals in the Grade 3 Albany in Great Britain. Has been favored in all 5 career starts with 3 wins and two 2nds.
#7 CRYSTALLE – Has at dead last until the top of the stretch in all three races, winning two and missing 3/4s of a length to Selflessly, as the favorite in the Grade 2 Miss Grillo at Belmont.
#12 SWEET MELANIA - $600,000 purchase as a yearling. And comes off best career performance winning the Grade 2 Jessamine. Should be forwardly placed early.
#3 SHADN – Steadily improving European but has to show she can handle the distance.
RACE 9
JUVENILE
#1 DENNIS’ MOMENT – Could be an absolute superstar in the making. In his debut, he was rushing up to the lead early and clipped heels and tossed his rider. Even without rider, he showed talent, that day switching to the outside and making up huge ground in the stretch to run alongside winner. His 2nd race was absolutely devastating and the fastest race in 2019 by any two year old with a 19 ¼ length eye-popping romp at Ellis Park. Showed he could rate a bit in winning the Grade 3 Iroquois at Churchill in a stakes record time and even looked like he was easing up in the last 16th of a mile well in hand. Should be heavy favorite and tough to beat. Shipped to California early on and is working lights out over this track.
#3 SHOPLIFTED – Trainer Asmussen really likes this one and has had him out in California for over a month getting him acclimated. Was very impressive winning his debut at Saratoga but regressed a bit on the Grade 1 Hopeful where he finished 2nd on a sloppy track and 5th in the Grade 1 American Pharaoh, where he dropped back to last before making an impressive move where he was forced extremely wide before flattening out on a speed favoring track that day. He’s better than his last two races look on paper.
#6 EIGHT RINGS – Likely the second choice in betting. Has showed tremendous early speed and should be on the lead trying to wire the field. Highly regarded colt for Bob Baffert, who won his debut with ease at Delmar. Ironically, he too has a race where he tossed his jockey in his early career but came back to win the Grade 1 American Pharoah easily, They can’t let him get too loose on an early lead here or he could be tough to catch. 2019 Grade 1 American Pharoah - Eight Rings
#5 SCABBARD – Horrible trip in the Grade 3 Iroquois. Ran into traffic and had to steady and lost momentum mid-race. Swung wide into the stretch and was making up solid ground, albeit with Dennis’ Moment easing up under wraps late. His Beyer speed figure that race with all the trouble equaled Eight Ring’s Beyer figure in his American Pharaoh victory.
