Bernier: How I'll play Santa Anita for Sunday, July 2

Admittedly most of my attention for Sunday's racing is north of the border at Woodbine for Queen’s Plate Sunday. Sunday’s card at Santa Anita shouldn’t go overlooked, however – there’s a 2-year-old stakes race on tap, as well as a carryover in the single-ticket Jackpot Pick Six of nearly $351,000. Here are some ideas for two of the six races featured in that sequence.

RACE 5 – LANDALUCE
Considering Peter Miller already has one of the favorites for the Landaluce in SURRENDER NOW (5), this feels like an ambitious – and confident – placement for first-time starter SAUCE ON SIDE (1). It’s too early to tell what Violence will become as a stallion, but Sauce On Side’s dam was unbeaten from two starts as a juvenile, and it appears this filly has been working forwardly in the mornings. Another horse to consider in the Landaluce outside the logical runners is EMPRESS OF LOV (4) for Gary Sherlock. A Cal-bred daughter of Empire Way, this filly broke awkwardly in her debut before putting in a strong stretch run to finish second; she returned in her second lifetime start and broke her maiden convincingly at five furlongs. Again, not the likeliest of winners, but one to consider in exotics.

RACE 9
BLACKJACKCAT (9) stretches back out to a route of ground for the first time as a 4-year-old, and that’s likely his best game. His speed always makes him dangerous, even with the presence of other speedy types. Gary Stevens gets reacquainted with this Mark Glatt trainee, and he figures as one of the more likely winners of the race. If you’re looking to add a price to any exotic wagers, why not CLEVER ROYAL (8) for Kristin Mulhall? Admittedly I've always been a fan of this horse, a gelding who gets class relief after facing San Carlos winner Danzing Candy and Collected, winner of the Precisionist. Whether turf is what Clever Royal prefers is up for debate, but he also figures to infuse speed in this mile route on turf; I’m interested in possibly playing a two-speed number here.