Bernier: How I'd play Santa Anita on Sunday, Jan. 10
Sunday’s nine-race card at Santa Anita will be contested only on the main track since El Nino has brought some much-needed rain to Southern California this week. This makes things difficult for horseplayers, as many of the horses trying dirt Sunday are primarily turf runners. That said, there are a couple of intriguing runners Sunday who could be playable.
RACE 5
ANTHONYSGOTGAME (8) never seemed comfortable when trying two turns last month at Los Alamitos and cuts back to seven furlongs here for trainer Mark Glatt. A popular item at the claiming window, Anthonysgotgame was claimed in each of his first two starts – once by Doug O’Neill from Phil D’Amato and then by Glatt from O’Neill. His maiden score at Del Mar was a solid performance, and although he’ll need to improve on the Beyer Speed Figure scale to be successful, the addition of blinkers should have him more forwardly placed. Look for Santiago Gonzalez to have this gelding positioned just off the likely pacesetter, BORN TO SERVE (1). Anthonysgotgame is worth a wager if he goes off at odds of 9-2 or greater.
RACE 8
SHEER PLEASURE (8) likely will take the lion’s share of the money, and rightfully so. She’s a multiple stakes winner who will get back to her preferred track for an outfit that does well with these types of runners. However, if you’re ever going to take a shot against a horse like this, why not off a six-month layoff? PLEASANT AS PIE (1) earned a gaudy Beyer when winning her maiden at Del Mar on Sept. 6, and while she’s regressed in each of her subsequent starts, I can forgive her for them. Her effort at Santa Anita two back wasn’t a bad one, although the 15-point regression on the Beyer scale is worrisome.
The Del Mar effort on Halloween can have a line drawn through it since she didn’t get out of the gate well and had no chance to make up ground over that speed-friendly main track. Pleasant as Pie returns off the layoff for Ron Ellis and Drayden Van Dyke, and with the amount of early foot signed on here, she should be able to relax throughout and make her move off the far turn. She’ll offer playable value at odds of 9-1 or greater.