Bernier: Santa Anita pick four play for Saturday, Sept. 27

RACE 8

Shared Belief is strictly the horse to beat and will be my lone ‘A’ here. Should he win here in the Awesome Again, he will enter the Breeders’ Cup as the heavy favorite for the Classic and would likely stamp himself as the heavy favorite for Horse of the Year honors. He figures to work out another nice trip under Mike Smith, and it would be an ultimate shocker if he were to lose in this spot.

A: 4 – Shared Belief
B: NONE
C: 8 – Imperative

RACE 9

On the Backstreets is 3 for 3 going down the hill at Santa Anita, and I believe this is the ultimate “horse for course” track. She should be able to sit just off the speeds early and get first run on the horses coming from well out of it – she’s a logical favorite.

Alexis Tangier broke her maiden impressively down the hill here in June and followed that effort with another victory going two turns on grass at Del Mar. She’s become a different filly since trying grass, and I don’t see any reason why she can’t be a major player again today.

A: 3 – Alexis Tangier, 4 – On the Backstreets
B: 2 – Cal Gal, 7 – Cool Kat, 8 – Stars Above Me
C: 1 – Wonderfully, 9 – Gender Agenda

RACE 10

Conquest Eclipse exits a salty renewal of the Del Mar Debutante, and it’s not as if she ran poorly – she just happened to run into two of the top 2-year-old fillies on the West Coast. Today, she seems to fit in here nicely and should take a step forward in her second start off the layoff for Mark Casse.

Morning Coffee is going to need to take a major step forward on the Beyer Speed Figure scale and demonstrate the ability to jump from 5 1/2 furlongs to 8 1/2 furlongs successfully, but based on her gallop-out she gives the impression that distance won’t be an issue.

Although Dad’s Princess is still a maiden, she’s run two very good races and figures to move forward going two turns on the dirt.

Majestic Presence dug in gamely late in her maiden score going two turns – and the fact that she’s won going two turns is something that could give her an edge; the fact that she’s paired up Beyer Speed Figures in her two starts is another feather in her cap.

A: 2 – Conquest Eclipse, 7 – Morning Coffee, 10 – Dad’s Princess, 11 – Majestic Presence
B: NONE
C: 3 – Danette, 6 – Maybellene

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RACE 11

Papacoolpapacool will be getting some nice class relief here today and is strictly the horse to beat. If he replicates his latest effort in the stakes race at Del Mar, he’ll be tough to beat. I’m expecting him to finally break through and graduate.

A: 7 – Papacoolpapacool
B: 4 – Borealis Breeze
C: 9 – Dream It Do It