Hammersly: How I'd play Santa Anita on Sunday, Oct. 19

The day appears set to get off to a chalky start. THREE BLONDES and SUSAN B GOOD have been knocking heads and taking turns beating one another on turf the past few months. The day’s opener appears to be in their hands.

As far as the early double goes, chalk may still rule the play as WHEN WE MET looms the favorite in race 2, having won four straight. Robertino Diodoro claimed him for $10,000 off a big win Aug. 10 at Del Mar, brought him back without a tag attached Sept. 6 at Los Alamitos, and saw the 8-year-old win again. He’s back in for a tag, yes, but it is $16,000, so he’s two levels above what they claimed him for.

Some tough veterans knock heads at a mile on turf for $25,000 in race 4, and it may again be Diodoro who is the key. He has also-eligible MAMBO MAN on the drop. The 5-year-old son of Purge blossomed last winter/spring with four straight big efforts (three of those wins). That was enough to earn a shot at the two-mile Belmont Gold Cup on June 6. Well, that didn’t go so well, and after a freshening came a couple so-so Del Mar outings. He’s been freshened again and takes a significant drop, which may get him back on track. Should he not get to play, JOMELO certainly is playable as the Philip D’Amato trainee appears to be improving. After a couple modest outings, he ran fourth on Del Mar’s main track Aug. 31 and was then a sharp rallying third (beaten a half-length) for this price tag on this course Sept. 26. And it’s no small matter top rider Rafael Bejarano stays.

LOVE THE BREEDING may be a timely claim by Mike Puype. The 4-year-old filly leads race 5, having won for $20,000 June 14 at Belmont. She next was third in the slop July 27 at Saratoga, shipped west, and was a respectable fourth against much tougher Sept. 6 at Los Alamitos for $40,000. Puype saw fit to claim her that day (25 percent off a claim) and drops her a bunch in what looks like the money run.

RED OUTLAW looks like your linchpin in race 6 for your end-of-the-card multi-race wagers. The son of Tribal Rule not only is unbeaten in five starts, but three of those came in stakes, including the Baffle on this hillside course (the site of this race). If you’re looking for someone to link up with him in the exotics, or beat him outright and eliminate many other tickets, STREET ICON could be the key. The son of crack grass sire Street Boss won his only grass start, which coincidentally came on this course Jan. 16. He was then gone eight months but returned to be a solid third to the highly talented Bob Baffert 3-year-old Indianapolis on dirt here Sept. 26. He can benefit from that outing and surely from the return to turf.

Races 7 and 9 are puzzling maiden events, but LAW DOG in race 8 has appeal. The 4-year-old gelding is a multiple turf-sprint winner. When he won for $25,000 on the Churchill Downs sod June 21, he was claimed for $25,000 and his new connections thought enough of him to try a turf sprint stakes next July 5 at Arlington. Those waters proved too deep. He shipped west and was a very respectable fifth (beaten just 1 1/2 lengths) in a turf route Aug. 13 at Del Mar. He’s been freshened, returns to what figures his best game (sprinting), and gets top rider Bejarano.