The Saturday card at Santa Anita is as exciting as it gets from a racing standpoint; five stakes fill the card, with three of them being of the Grade 1 variety. Not to go overlooked is the Grade 2 San Felipe for 3-year-old males, as well as the China Doll for 3-year-old fillies rounding out the card. There are a couple of horses I’m intrigued with in the final two races of the day; I’ll look to be alive to each of them in doubles. Here are the plays:
RACE 9
Race 3:
Fratello Del Nord (#3)
Threw his head at the start and was squeezed back early, costing him any chance last time.
Has run well at this level on a number of occasions.
The Pace Projector is predicting he will be on the lead in a situation favoring the frontrunner.
7-2 on ML
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A pair of $20,000 claimers, followed by a trio of interesting maiden events, make up the pick five, which begins with race 1 Saturday at Santa Anita.
The opener can be pared down to the dropping turf/dirt runner BACKINTHEACADEMY (1); MIDNIGHT CANDY, who’s making her first start off the Jeff Mullins claim; and MARGIE’S MINUTE (4), who retains leading rider Prat off a strong showing.
Anchored by a single in the last race at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday, a debuting 3-year-old filly in a maiden special weight contest, here is my strategy for playing the late pick four there, a sequence that includes three graded stakes, including the Tampa Bay Derby.
Race 9, Florida Oaks
Tampa Bay Downs | Race 11 | Post Time 5:27 p.m. (ET) | Go To The FREE TimeformUS PPs
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Aqueduct | Race 6 | Post Time 3:50 p.m. (ET) | Go to the TimeformUS PPs
At lease Giuseppe the Great had his act together to complete an exacta from last week’s Pick. Enough said. The rest of the week was pretty good for BreezeFigs maidens with a dozen of them coming home on top headed by five at Gulfstream (including two BreezeFigs exactas). The others came at Aqueduct (two), Laurel, Oaklawn and Tampa Bay (three, including two BreezeFigs exactas.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The pick six paid $3,647 to 16 ticketholders Thursday at Santa Anita, resulting in a carryover of $124,640 in the single-ticket jackpot pool for Friday’s eight-race program.
The single ticket provision of the pick six has not been hit in eight racing days, since Feb. 20. The single ticket portion of the pool is paid out only if there is a single winning ticket in the pick six.
Thursday’s pick six began with a carryover of $112,133 from Sunday’s program. Bettors added $109,253 to the pick six pool Thursday.
Race 6
Five Star Rampage (#5)
Was wide against a strong rail bias last time.
Had previously run a competitive speed figure on Dec. 7 despite racing toward the inside on a day the rail was bad.
Should sit a good stalking trip just off the speedy favorite.
10-1 on ML
:: Get TimeformUS PPs for these races at Aqueduct
Race 8
It is the Grade 3 Florida Oaks and not the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby that holds the most wagering appeal to this horseplayer at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday. That’s because the two morning-line favorites, graded stakes winners La Coronel and Daddys Lil Darling, are unraced since November and are seemingly being prepped for even more notable contests at Keeneland or somewhere else.
