Sam’s Sister is proven in stakes at seven furlongs this winter, an accomplishment that swayed trainer Jerry Hollendorfer into choosing Monday’s $200,000 Santa Monica Stakes at Santa Anita for her next start.
Pickings seem slim to start the card with a couple short fields comprising the traditional daily double and a completely inscrutable maiden claimer as race 4. However, a couple horses later on the card pique my interest and appear quite useful, not only for in-race wagering but also for your various multi-race wagers.
Trainer Chad Brown had the best year of his career in 2014, highlighted by a trio of Breeders’ Cup wins, achievements that earned him a finalist spot Saturday night for an Eclipse Award as champion trainer along with Bob Baffert and Todd Pletcher.
Mr. Z has run too well not to be a stakes winner, having placed in five graded races in his young career. But his status could change Monday, when he starts as the probable favorite in the $150,000 Smarty Jones at Oaklawn Park.
It took her a little while to figure it out, but Eskenformoney is certainly in peak form now. The 3–year-old daughter of Eskendereya cruised to her second straight win here Friday, capturing the eighth race by 3 3/4 lengths under jockey Javier Castellano while going a mile on the main track. Eskenformoney, owned by StarLadies Racing, won her maiden by nearly 10 lengths in her sixth career start here last month.
Headed by Repole Stable’s “M & M” entry of Micromanage and Misconnect, a field of seven older runners clashes in Monday’s $100,000 Jazil Stakes at Aqueduct.
Jockey Rajiv Maragh made a triumphant return to the saddle Friday, winning the featured ninth race aboard Sky Blazer with his first mount since severely breaking his right arm when unseated from Wicked Strong during the 2014 Jockey Club Gold Cup.
Matt Rose's analysis of the Monday 1/19 card at Yonkers Raceway.
Garnet Barnsdale's analysis of the Monday 1/19 card at Woodbine Harness.
Depending on how you’re going, there are a lot of opportunities to get well or get into trouble on Saturday’s card at Gulfstream. But I’m focusing on the latter portion of the program, specifically the late pick four, because I think the early part of the card has the potential to break chalky.
