Rain adds uncertainty to Thursday card

ARCADIA, Calif. – Wet weather is messing with the Santa Anita winter meet. Training schedules have been disrupted, turf races are moving to dirt, and field size is taking a hit.

More rain is expected leading into a five-day racing week that begins Thursday with a card of seven claiming races and one starter allowance. The forecast makes preliminary handicapping of the eight-race card subject to change, including for the only race on turf.

There are 55 horses entered in eight races Thursday and 53 horses entered eight races Friday. Over the first nine days of racing, already nine races scheduled for turf have been moved to the main track.

Rprettyboyfloyd figures as a leading contender on either surface Thursday in race 7, a $32,000 claiming race at one mile. He finished fourth last out after breaking from post 10 of 10 in a similar turf race at Del Mar; he moves to the inside post on Thursday.

The first 21 starts by Rprettyboyfloyd were on dirt and resulted in 2 wins and 12 second- or third-place finishes.

Flavien Prat rides the gelding, claimed two back for $25,000 by trainer Michael McCarthy.

If the race moves to dirt, Dadtaughtmewell is the one to beat while moving up in class. Claimed three starts back for $16,000 by trainer Dean Pederson, the gelding has won both of his starts for Pederson, a $20,000 claiming race at Del Mar and a starter allowance at Los Alamitos.

Martin Garcia rides Dadtaughtmewell, whose tactical style should lead to a comfortable trip setting or pressing the pace in a race that is short on speed. Other contenders include All Call, Freddies Dream, Ebadan, Carlsbad Mountain, and Sweet Daddy.

Three of the first four races Thursday have five starters each, and trainer Bill Spawr is a key participant. Spawr, who began the meet winning four races from nine starters, has leading contenders in three early races.

Spawr starts the 20-win veteran Moments Notiz in race 1, a $16,000 claiming sprint in which the Jack Carava-trained Success Rate figures to be loose on the lead. Spawr starts top choice Out of Patience in race 3, a $20,000 claiming sprint, and likely favorite Pontificator in race 4, a $75,000 maiden-claiming sprint for fillies.