Everything points to Halo Darlin in starter allowance

ARCADIA, Calif. – None of the runners in the featured seventh race Friday at Santa Anita is as old as the 6-year-old mare Halo Darlin – or more experienced and accomplished than the 27-start veteran who has won three races and $180,503.

More important for bettors, none is a more likely winner of the starter-allowance turf mile than Halo Darlin, whose attributes include sharp current form, established class at the level, speed, and running style that suits the likely pace. She is a favorite without a flaw on an eight-race no-frills card with seven claiming races.

Mike Pender trains Halo Darlin, runner-up in both starts since he claimed her on Feb. 9 at Santa Anita. Kent Desormeaux rides against six rivals. Late-running comebacker Cynthiana has an upset chance; stretch-out sprinters Anonymously and Operandi help insure a legitimate pace. The remaining entrants are Sweet Connie Girl, Madaket Sunset, and the maiden Equal Measure. They are up against it.

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Halo Darlin was unlucky the day Pender claimed her for $20,000. It was three starts back, and trouble began early in the mile turf race. Halo Darlin got keen coming off the first turn, steadied on the backstretch, was blocked coming off the final turn, had nowhere to run the length of the lane, and finished sixth of seven. It was a brutal trip, to say the least.

Pender wheeled her back a week later on Feb. 16, and this time Halo Darlin made an easy lead. She set the pace to deep stretch, but the 1 1/8 miles on turf was slightly out of reach. She missed by a head.

The effort validated the decision to claim Halo Darlin, and she improved next time out. She saved ground in third, angled wide into the lane, finished willingly, but lost by three-quarters of a length to the rail-skimming favorite. Halo Darlin ran each quarter-mile faster than the previous.

On Friday, Halo Darlin returns at the same class level and figures for a ground-saving trip while the leaders ding-dong. Her kick should be effective, even with the rails up. Four of the last seven rails-at-30 turf miles were won from the middle or back of the field. It adds up to a likely win for Halo Darlin and another for Pender, who won with 2 of 4 starters last weekend.

Cynthiana, a closer, is the main threat returning from an 11-month layoff for Peter Eurton, who won with his last three comebackers off six months or more. Cynthiana’s rider is Flavien Prat.