The heavily-favored Caren did just enough to get the job done Saturday at Woodbine in the $125,000 Victorian Queen Stakes, scoring by three-quarters of a length over Crumlin Spirit.
Overlay possibilities Sunday at Santa Anita include a claiming filly in race 2, a first-time starter in race 3, and a maiden-claiming longshot in race 5. Those three are the focus of this handicapper’s plan of attack.
When Beat of The Drum won an optional claimer on turf at Santa Anita on Friday, the victory was considered a milestone – the first horse from mainland China to win in the United States.
Let’s take a little shot at a pick three that looks fairly manageable in terms of the number of contenders while still offering the chance for some decently priced winners in the sequence.
Talco, the winner of the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile in January, died last Monday while recovering from an operation to have a bone chip removed from a knee.
Smooth Roller, the winner of the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita on Sept. 26, will have his first start outside of California in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland on Oct. 31, a race jockey Tyler Baze wishes would arrive sooner.
Magic D’ Oro goes for his fourth straight stakes win when he runs in the $50,000 Harvest Gold Plate at Northlands Park on Monday. His three previous wins came at Assiniboia Downs, and he will be trying to win at Northlands for the first time when he takes on a strong field in the 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds and up that drew 10 horses.
Forest Chatter is unbeaten in four starts on Santa Anita’s hillside turf course. He is winless in four starts on turf at other distances at Santa Anita or other venues. A return to the hillside turf course for Monday’s $100,000 California Flag Handicap at Santa Anita may end a three-race losing streak.
Touching Promise won last year’s Grade 3, $100,000 Ballerina on a sloppy track at Hastings. Trainer Barbara Heads is hoping for the same result Monday when the 5-year-old daughter of Touch Gold runs in the 1 1/8-mile race for fillies and mares.
Juveniles will get their first chance to stretch out to a middle distance in the $75,000 Ascot Graduation for 2-year-olds and the $75,000 Fantasy for 2-year-old fillies at Hastings on Monday. The 1 1/16-mile races are part of a stakes-rich card that includes the Grade 3 BC Premier’s and the Grade 3 Ballerina.
