Hammersly: How I'd play Santa Anita for Saturday, Oct. 4
Big fields add up to a lot of opportunities at Santa Anita on Saturday, but it’s a small field that may prove your linchpin for multirace wagers.
The Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship (race 8) lured just six, but on paper it’s strictly a two-horse race between top-class sprinters Goldencents and Secret Circle. Goldencents comes off maybe his best race, a powerful victory in the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien at Del Mar. After thoughts of turf danced in their heads, his connections decided to keep him sprinting.
Secret Circle is superb off the bench, having returned here last fall to win after 18 months off, then winning the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint. But Goldencents looks too strong if he comes anywhere close to repeating his Pat O’Brien try. He’s got the versatility to give his rider all the options. Much as I respect Secret Circle, Goldencents looks like a solid single.
Using Goldencents as your key won’t get you rich on its own by any means, but the surrounding races may help in that regard.
Race 6, which starts a pick three sequence where you can use Goldencents, is a tough maiden race. Trainer Bob Baffert looks poised with two bullets. Bollywood, a $700,000 son of champion Bernardini and Grade 1 winner Tarlow, was seventh first time out but can surely improve, while One Lucky Dane, a $490,000 son of champion Lookin at Lucky, was a strong second in his first route try at Del Mar Aug. 30. Toss in Prospect Park (by top sire Tapit and kin to Grade 1 winner Silent Sighs and Grade 2 winner Proposed), who gets blinkers and a stretchout off a so-so debut sprint, and Secreto Primero, who added blinkers and was a sharp second in his first route at Del Mar Aug. 20, and you may have it covered.
Race 7, the Swingtime, matches some hard-hitting turf gals. Theatre Star was very sharp last winter and spring. She tailed off some but she was a good second at Del Mar Aug. 14 and boasts a lights-out recent work.
Kathleen Rose is the one to beat. She came into her own this past fall and winter, and is 5 for 8 over this course. Heat Du Jour just beat Kathleen Rose in the Solana Beach at Del Mar Aug. 17 and was then fifth in the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon there Sept. 1, beaten 2 ½ lengths.
Race 9, the Grade 2 City of Hope, did not lure the region’s top turf milers and in some respects that’s good for bettors. But you will need to spread in your exotics tickets.
Big Bane Theory may be ready for a big run. He was second in the Harry Brubaker on Del Mar’s main track Aug. 30, and that was his first start in nine months. Turf may be his best game. Other contenders include: Grand Tito (an invader from Florida), Avanzare (an invader from the Midwest), Mr. Commons (second in his return at Del Mar Aug. 15, his first start of the year), Poshsky (back to a better distance) and Trend (seemingly peaking).
Race 10 is for $12,500-claiming sprinters. Those with appeal include: Pressure Time (a troubled fourth for $16,000 but claimed Bob Hess Jr. and getting Rafael Bejarano); Fly High (a sharp second for half this price at Los Alamitos Sept. 21, his first start in eight months) and This Cat’s Awesome (second in his first start in a couple months vs. cheaper at Los Alamitos and given an encouraging hike in value).
Three of the first five races are for maidens and seem fairly inscrutable. Race 4, the L.A. Woman, attracted only six, and My Happy Face may be an overlay. She faces some tough local gals as well as unbeaten Northwest invader Stopshoppingdebbie. My Happy Face comes off three straight third-place finishes, two of those as the favorite, which may send a few of her fans looking elsewhere. She also shortens up, and while she’s a Grade 1 winner going a mile, that was a one-turn race and came in 2012 when she was 2. She nearly won the Grade 1 Test last summer, so the feeling here is this one-turn game may be her best, and returning to it after a couple routes may be just what the doctor ordered.