Bernier: How I'll play Santa Anita on Saturday, Jan. 7

The recent stretch of soggy weather in Southern California has made handicapping the races at Santa Anita particularly difficult, and today appears to be no exception. The National Weather Service is predicting a 90 percent chance of rain until 4 p.m. locally before it falls to a 60 percent chance for the remainder of the day. It would appear that turf racing is in serious jeopardy, and even if they do run on the grass, it's likely to be quite wet. Having said all of that, here are a few runners to consider on today's card at Santa Anita.

RACE 5

There isn't much for confirmed speed in this maiden-claiming event, but there is a runner who has a proven ability to handle a wet track reasonably well. EMPIRE RULER (8) debuted in a Cal-bred claiming event at Los Al on Dec. 16 and rallied to a solid second-place finish after breaking slowly. Although he moves up to the open maiden-claiming level in start No. 2, his prior experience over a wet surface shouldn't go overlooked. It also doesn't hurt that he owns the highest last-out Beyer Speed Figure and TimeformUS rating in the field. He should make his presence felt if he's able to break more alertly.

RACE 7 - SHAM STAKES

In our DRF Formulator Race of the Day preview, I mentioned that I didn't love TERM OF ART (2) for several reasons. For starters, he gives off the impression that he's more of a grinding type and may appreciate more distance than the mile he'll be running at today. Secondly, and more importantly at this point, he's simply slow on paper. Newly turned 3-year-old horses can obviously move up in a big way from start to start, but Term of Art will need to move up significantly to defeat a field of this caliber. Having said that, the shape of the race seemingly works to his advantage, and he's proven over a wet racetrack. He's far from my favorite 3-year-old in training, but if the circumstances are right – and they may be today – he may be worth considering here.

RACE 8

SKYE DIAMONDS (4) continues to move forward for trainer Bill Spawr, and the tactical speed she brings to the table could be the difference here. She most recently ran second at Santa Anita on Nov. 6, and that heat has produced two next-out winners. The filly who defeated Skye Diamonds that day has returned to win each of her following starts, including the Kalookan Queen on Dec. 30. Her wet-track record leaves a bit to be desired, but it's worth noting that her most recent try over a wet track preceded a four-month layoff, so it's fair to wonder if she went wrong that day. She may not go off at a giant price, but Skye Diamonds has the look of a serious contender here.