THURSDAY AT SANTA ANITA

THE FACTOR BY DAVID MORANT

UNCLE SAM BY D. MORANT




SANTA ANITA PARK

Race 1     One Mile Maiden Special

A short field routing for 2 year old fillies. Star Presence might had found a field she can beat here. She is trained by Bob Baffert and most important she shortens up in distance. She has got beat by Indian Gracey and Big Tiz some quality fillies. Her main rival is Lunch Time Diva stretching out to two turns. Her third race after being the betting favorite twice. Her last race she should have won, she waited to get clear then flew at the wire to finish second down the lane. Flawless Jewel gets off the turf to run on the main track. Blinkers go on for Kristin Mulhall. Do not sell her short here. She has the right closing style if the blinkers keep her nearer to the pace this time. So She Dances gets off the turf. She is bred by Cee Tizzy and they usually do there best performances after two or three races. This fits with the pedigree. Joel Rosario re-rides for Mark Gatt.

   1. Lunch Time Diva  2. Star Presence 3. Flawless Jewel

Race 2     One Mile Turf Claimer 32K

Hey Elvis was pulled up and bled at Fairplex. His Del Mar form he almost beat Liberian Freighter who came back and won the Grade 2 race at Del Mar. If this stays on the turf he is the horse to beat with Bejarano riding. My main concern is why the class drop which sends the signal of a fire sale to me. If he is fit and sound he is the one to fear. Achak gets back on turf where he won three races back. He is a contender in this short field. The speed or pace scenario is Mr. Katz and Kris Silver dualing for the lead. If Hey Elvis is not fit and sound I like Keen Bidder the three year old who if he gets some racing lucky has a excellent closing kick to win this race. I like this guy!

   1. Achak  2. Hey Elvis  3. Keen Bidder


Race 3     One Mile Sixteenth Claimer 8K

Look To The Sky is seeking her hat trick winning two straight. Peter Miller is red hot at Del Mar and Hollywood. She has won at Santa Anita. Her last race she smoked by field of 10K dollars claimers. The filly to beat. Lucy Got Lucky beat the filly Look To The Sky twice this summer on the cushion track. Victor Espinoza hooks up with Diodoro again after this team won with Skellytown this past Monday at Santa Anita. Misinjennuous the daughter of Tapit might just be the class of the race. She broke her maiden at this distance. She will be reeling in the pace down to the wire with Bejarano on her back. Twodollarstowin is a tough old broad.... She beat the top pick two races back. This is one tough bottom feeder race! Recess has a shot.......has been freshen up and more importantly Recess like Santa Anita! She  has been working in a fast manner in the morning. I love the bullet workout for five furlongs on December 17th. A interesting longshot that the public will overloook!  Never dismiss a Forty Niner Old Mare. My pick is the rail horse Sunny Peace. She had to need her last race coming back from a short vacation.... I expect her to be fitter and quicker for Knapp this time around.......She looks like she lives the track at Santa Anita.

   1. Sunny Peace  2. Look To The Sky  3. Lucy Got Lucky


Race 4     Seven Furlongs Claimer 50K
A weird bunch of two year old geldings and colts enters this high price claiming condition. Offlee Wild Boys is coming off a short lay off and tries the dirt for the second time. Peter Miller trains and Gomez takes the call. A top contender here! Saratoga Louie looks to be the speed of this race. With Patricia Valenzuela in the irons I expect he might try to steal this race........ a very difficult distance to wire the field. A contender! I expect Score For Fun to be out on the lead.  He is facing winners for the first time for Melvin Stute. He smoked the field at a somewhat slow time. He looked awesome that day and he gave Melvin his 2,000 lifetime win. Divine Child drops in class and is seeking a level of class that he can win. He should relish the distance a might fly late at the wire. The deadly duo of Rosario and Hoffendorfer hook up with the Smoke Glacken colt El Gaucho.........who looks live to me! As I stated above this is a weird wide open affair!


   1. Offlee Wild Boys 2. Saratoga Louie  3. Score For Fun

Race 5     Six Half Furlongs Allowance

Dancing In The Silks is the class of the field. This millionaire winner is trained by Carla Gaines and the red hot Joel Rosario re-rides him. He has not been seen since October. He takes a big time drop in class. I like his last short blow-out at four furlongs.  Cayambe shortens up in distance. He has faced some tough company this fall. A horse to fear at the last furlong pole. My Summer Slew beat Cayambe last June at Hollywood Park. He will be flying late at the wire. The question of if Amazombie takes to the dirt which I expect he will looms large....... Earnednevergiven trained by Michael Machowsky looked awesome winning at Hollywood. He has some excellent solid drills couplied with the fact that he gets the outside post position with tactical speed....... Beware he can win this!

  1 Earnednevergiven2.Cayambe 3.Dancing In The Silks



Race 6     One Mile Sixteenth Optional

The hot and fast pace sets this route race for a closer coming off the lead. The pace has Zippin E with Beautiful American..... Live To Love.... Ruination and lastly Queen Martha all shooting to the front. This sets up for Vision In Gold........ who ran huge after a lay-off. The caveat is the classic bounce theory after a huge effort her last race. Gumption claimed by Michael Pender for 25K gets the jump up in class at this 40K level. If there is a pace meltdown...... then Siberian Heart will be one of the ones picking up the pieces.......... Look ...Gomez....has a good shot to win with Beautiful American. If he can rate her off the pace she has the class with the pedigree to win this race........ at good odds. Queen Martha ran second to Zenyatta. Check out her last gate workout ..... She is spotted for action..... as I stated above there is plenty of speed signed up here..... She is a player and contender to win!  My pick is Vienna's filly Ruination who broke her maiden over this track but was on turf.  She has been working up a storm with long workouts. With her pedigree of Siphon she might run better on dirt then the turf. I expect she will!

   1. Ruination  2.Beautiful American 3. Vision/Queen


Race 7     One Mile Turf Optional 100K

Talktoomuch after going to the Mike Mitchell stable has been awesome. After being claimed for 32K dollars has won three straight races. She is going for her 4th win today! Her main rival is Late Cuddle. After coming over to the States has won two out of five races. She is a slight head case down the lane. But a contender like Talktoomuch. Value Stream has faced much better company. She has the right closing style from off the pace. Check out her company lines she has been running with. Briecat who is a quality filly. Hameildaeme had to need her last race. I expect with a better break at the gate she will be fitter this time around. The pace scenario lacks speed except Southern Fireball who might get a easy lead on the front end. If Gomez can get this filly to relax and save some energy down the stretch....... she might just shock this field and outrun her odds at the wire....... She looks scary on the front end to me.

    1. Talktoomuch   2. Southern Fireball  3.Value Stream

    The favorite is Late Cuddle trying to beat here!


Race 8      Six Furlongs Maiden 20K

Elegant with the addition of blinkers today is the horse to beat. She gets a weak field of low level maidens. The speed looks to have Miss Addy Kiss on the front end. Remember this is a speed favoring track.... she just might not stop. Devil's Choir by 49'er.......drops.......has great Nov. 21st gate work........Beware!

    1. Elegant  2. Miss Addy Kiss  3. Devil's Choir