Hammersly: How I'd play Santa Anita on Sunday, March 15

When you play basketball with someone and they continue to hit shots, you continue to feed that player the ball, sticking with the hot hand. It’s the same in this game. Right now, there’s one barn on a roll, particularly when teaming with another rider, so we’ll continue “feed that player” at least once on Sunday’s card. This filly may prove a linchpin for both your in-race and multi-race wagers.

Race 5

CHAULK O LATTEY is sent out for her first turf try by trainer Richard Baltas, who has been on quite a run lately. He also goes to leading rider Rafael Bejarano, and it’s been with Bejarano he’s done his most damage. Eight of Baltas’s first 12 wins this meet came with Bejarano aboard, and those came from 20 outings for a hefty 40 percent win rate.

Chaulk O Lattey has two things going for her here. First, she actually may be the main speed in this hillside turf race. Second, while it’s first time on turf, her daddy is Silic, who was only a top-class turfer (Group 3 winner in France, came to the U.S., and won the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile and the Grade 1/Grade 2 Shoemaker Mile) and whose best runners are turfers. There’s not a lot signed up against her here.

Race 6

DESERT THIEF pressed the pace and was a decent fourth for $20,000 here Jan. 19. Not only did Bill Spawr see fit to claim her (five for last 20, 25 percent, off a claim), but he brings this gal back up in price despite the fact she’s out of “jail.”

She’s no stranger to this class level either, as she won a race like this here Oct. 23 and was a good second at this level here Dec. 31.

To show her readiness, she zipped a bullet five furlongs in 59 seconds here March 8. Not only is that nice just on the face of it, that was the best of 41 five-furlong works that day, but it looks even better when you note Spawr isn’t really one to push hard on his horses in the a.m. So, odds are, she did that on her own, which is most encouraging.