Bernier: How I'll play Los Alamitos on Saturday, Dec. 2

The featured event at Los Alamitos on Saturday is the Soviet Problem for 2-year-old California-bred fillies going one mile. The Soviet Problem is the eighth race on the card, and I’ll look to be alive in a daily double to a filly stretching out in distance for the first time for trainer Jeff Bonde.

RACE 7 – OC 40k/N$Y

ROCKIN RUDY (3) has shown the ability to be forwardly placed in races at slightly longer distances; he projects to be forwardly placed again today going 5 1/2 furlongs, a trip he should find to his liking. LOVE MY BUD (6) has done no running whatsoever in his past two starts, but those races came against much better company than the group he faces here. His record of 4-3-0-0 at Los Alamitos can’t go overlooked, as Los Al has consistently proven to be a course where prior success is critical. PLATE SIDE (7) continues to improve for Doug O’Neill, and it shouldn’t go unnoticed that his only dirt start came here at Los Al two starts back and resulted in a victory.

RACE 8 – SOVIET PROBLEM

The Soviet Problem is a relatively wide-open event for 2-year-old fillies, but I’m hopeful to be alive to Jeff Bonde’s filly, TWISTED ROSIE (5). Twisted Rosie has been professional in all three lifetime starts, but her effort most recently against winners Oct. 9 at Santa Anita was quite impressive; she settled toward the rear in the clear before looming up on the turn and drawing away as the field progressed down the lane. Her gallop-out was solid enough, and she should work out a nice stalking trip in the Soviet Problem. Twisted Rosie may be a fair enough price to consider playing from a win standpoint if I get knocked out of the double in the first leg, as she’s 12-1 on the morning line.

THE PLAY

$10 DOUBLE – 3,6,7 w/ 5

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