Turf racing in full force at Santa Anita with five on the card

ARCADIA, Calif. – Handicapping can be black-and-white obvious when all the pieces of the puzzle are available. It’s the gray areas that befuddle, such as Friday at Santa Anita.

Five turf races are carded as Santa Anita returns full-bore to grass after running a total of five turf races the previous two weeks over four racing days. The main focus Friday is California-bred maiden and allowance races. For bettors, the focus is handicapping and gambling.

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The race 2 exacta is easy – 3-year-old Thrive and 4-year-old Scary Fast Smile meet slow rivals in the California-bred maiden sprint. Thrive finished third both starts; Scary Fast Smile runner-up three straight. Their rivals all lost by double-digit margins last out, at 50-1 or higher. A $1 exacta from Thrive to Scary Fast Smile probably would pay less than $3.

Race 5, one mile on turf, presents a dilemma. Storm the Bastille is fastest on figures and proven at the starter allowance nonwinners-of-three condition. He finished second at the level two back. But that was at 1 1/8 miles; Friday is only a mile. Is it too short?

Sea of Liberty drops in class for trainer John Sadler and jockey Umberto Rispoli. Since the start of last year, the Sadler-Rispoli duo is 19 for 60 on turf and 2 for 19 on dirt. Sea of Liberty returns from a 3 1/2-month break.

“He fits the condition well,” Sadler said. “He had a little bit of a pause [since] his last race. We just gave him a little bit of time, but I think he’s probably a good fit in there.”

He might be the most probable winner on the card. Sea of Liberty drops in class, for a trainer-jockey turf combo that has won at a 31 percent clip. That is nearly three times higher than Sadler’s turf win rate with other riders. Since the start of last year, with riders other than Rispoli, Sadler has won with 11 percent of his turf starters (22 for 201).

Race 7, a California-bred allowance sprint, is a formality if Fratelli takes to turf. It is a big if. The controlling speed of the 6 1/2-furlong race, fresh off a highly rated dirt win at the same level, Peter Miller-trained Fratelli could be long gone under Flavien Prat.

However, he finished last his only previous turf start, and in his only try past six furlongs he ran fourth as the favorite. Fratelli might prefer dirt, he might prefer shorter. But is one subpar effort on turf, and one subpar effort at 6 1/2, reason enough to go against?

If lone speed Fratelli does not handle grass or the distance, late-runner Perfectionistic could be along in time. Well, maybe. Phil D’Amato trains Perfectionistic, who surprised him by winning his only start six months ago.

“We didn’t think we had him fully cranked first time and he surprised us with a win,” D’Amato said. “I feel the same way coming into this race. He’s probably 80 to 90 percent cranked. But his style lends itself to not having to be fully cranked to win. He just comes with his late run.”

Perfectionistic, whose rider is Tyler Baze, was laid off due to a shin issue. He won first out at 5 1/2 furlongs, and probably benefits by the additional furlong of the Friday race.

Race 8, California-bred maiden fillies and mares at 5 1/2 furlongs, offers another mystery. As in, what happened to Sadler-trained Delta Wind first out? She was favored in a California-bred turf sprint, based on sharp works and turf pedigree. She finished sixth at 3-2.

“She got a little sick after her race. It probably was bugging her,” Sadler said. “And I don’t think she cared for the turf, either. So we kind of stopped, and started back up.”

Delta Wind switches to dirt Friday, utilizing a seven-pound apprentice allowance with Jessica Pyfer. She could be long gone. If not, three others have a chance. They are dropper Fi Fi Pharoah, speedster Omg It’s Jessica, and surface-switcher Alice Marble.

Fi Fi Pharoah improved in her second start for trainer Walther Solis. Runner-up in the Evening Jewel Stakes for Californa-bred fillies, she drops in class Friday, adds blinkers, and enters with the highest speed figure. Sired by American Pharoah, she is the first runner produced by multiple stakes winner My Fiona.

Omg It’s Jessica, runner-up twice on dirt, will provide pace pressure from her post near the outside. Alice Marble, full sibling to multi-surface multiple stakes winner Enola Gray, tries dirt for the first time in her first start for D’Amato and first since October.