Trio of turf routes featured on Friday card

ARCADIA, Calif. – A dry winter in Southern California has allowed Santa Anita to use its grass course more extensively than in any winter in the last 10 years.

Turf races normally account for about 27 percent of the program from December through early March. But this winter, more than 36 percent of races at Santa Anita have been on turf. The pattern continues Friday with a nine-race card that includes three races on turf.

Race 1 is a $16,000 claiming starter allowance at a strangely predictable distance of 1 1/8 miles on turf. Favorites are 10 for 15 this winter at that distance on turf. Lazzam, a runner-up last out with a closing style that suits the course profile, is the likely favorite. The turf rails are at 20 feet; closers have won all four nine-furlong races at the configuration.

Race 5 is a $100,000 maiden-claiming race for 3-year-olds at a mile on turf. Santa Anita this season increased the number of maiden-claiming races on turf – 10 of the 54 one-mile turf races have been maiden claiming. Samdar, a potential favorite, drops in class after finishing sixth in maiden special weight company.

Race 8 is one-mile turf allowance race for statebred fillies and mares ages 3 and up. The overflow field includes Battleground State, a contender drawn poorly in post 10; also-eligible contenders Lostintranzlation and Speakers; and My Aunt Tillie, who drew the rail as she stretches out from an upset win in a downhill sprint that marked her return from a layoff.

Battleground State’s jockey on Friday, Flavien Prat, entered the week as the meet’s leading turf rider. Prat has 19 wins from 95 turf mounts, seven more wins than second-place turf riders Rafael Bejarano and Kent Desormeaux. Battleground State finished fifth last out in a sprint; she has been more effective around two turns.

My Aunt Tillie won a statebred maiden turf sprint two months ago in her comeback. She will be ridden by Corey Nakatani, whose 20 percent win rate on turf (10 for 50) matches Prat.

The increased number of turf races this winter is a new direction for Santa Anita racing secretary Rick Hammerle.

“Turf racing is more prevalent across the country, and field size for turf races is [more than] nine,” Hammerle said. “We’re trying to give bettors what they want.”

Although the first turf race on Friday has just seven entrants, races 5 and 8 have big fields with also-eligible lists. This winter, average field size on turf is 9.03, compared with 7.49 on dirt.