Santa Anita Recap for Friday (4-8-22)
Fast main track and firm turf course. No front running winners on dirt. On the turf course, a dueling front runner won the 9f opener, a last-to-first closer scored at 9f, and a stalker tallied at 6.5f (rail at 30 feet).
Four-bagger for Juan Hernandez (3 dirt sprint wins).
The 20 cent Rainbow 6 pool was $67,972, and multiple tickets with six winners paid $1,910.50. The jackpot carryover stands at $236,755.
April 8 Claims: Race 3 – Smiling Goodbye ($25k, Lorenzo Ruiz). Race 8 – Conundrum ($20k, George Papaprodromou).
Santa Anita Full Card Highlights for Friday (4-8-22)
SA 1 Kirstenbosch/Rhea Moon Exacta (SA Best Bet #1, $22.00)
SA 5 BIG HAND ($8.60), Exacta ($24.80)
Double (races 4-5, $26.20)
SA 6 DANCING DANA ($10.60)
Double (races 5-6, $51.00)
Pick 3 (races 4-6, $170.20)
KEE 9 NEST ($5.40)
*Full card highlights based on $2 wagers unless otherwise noted.
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Santa Anita Recap for Saturday (4-9-22)
Fast main track and firm turf course. Two front running sprint winners on dirt (6f, 6.5f). On the turf course, a presser won the downhill opener, a presser scored at 8f, a front runner won at 9f, a stalker tallied at 8f, a slow starting closer moved early and graduated at 6f, an outside stalker won down the hill, and a closer earned his diploma in the 8f finale.
Hat trick for Umberto Rispoli (2 graded stakes wins). Riding doubles for Ricardo Gonzalez (1 stakes win) and Mike Smith (2 graded stakes wins). Phil D’Amato saddled two graded stakes winners and Rispoli rode both.
Santa Anita Stakes Recaps for 4-9-22
Monrovia (G2): In this 6.5T affair on the downhill course, Alice Marble set the pace from the inside post and Brooke Marie ($11.20) chased from 2nd. Those two knocked heads for the duration of the race with the latter gaining the advantage by a half-length when all was said and done. Tobys Heart chased from 3rd and was best of the rest. Royal Address (IRE), Tapwater, and Cover Version also ran.
Echo Eddie: Smuggler’s Run ($4.00) was too good for these. Moose Mitchell and What in Blazes dueled, and Smuggler’s Run staked from 3rd, ranged up outside, and kicked clear to win by 2+ lengths. Moose Mitchell won the pace battle and was clearly second best, and What in Blazes saved 3rd over Mr. T’s Thirsty. Finneus never got involved in a disappointing effort.
SA Oaks (G2): Big surprise here. Under the Stars stumbled badly at the start and that changed the race shape. Ain’t Easy went to the front and strong favorite Adare Manor pressed from 2nd. Those two were clear and Desert Dawn started moving closer. Those three separated from the rest and Adare Manor briefly looked like a winner, but Desert Dawn ($31.20) advanced and tried to break loose but Adare Manor fought hard til the end. Desert Dawn prevailed by a neck and Ain’t Easy was 7+ behind those two in 3rd. Under the Stars was next and Microshare eased to the wire and walked off.
Providencia (G3): Cairo Memories ($7.80) stole this one. Sterling Crest (IRE) broke on top and could have gone on with it, but Rispoli surprisingly deferred to Mike Smith and Cairo Memories, and the race was over early. The latter just coasted along without any serious pressure and scored by an easy 4-1/2 lengths. Sterling Crest chased and was second best, and Gold Dragon Queen rallied from last to garner the show. Eleuthera, beaten favorite Lucky Girl (IRE), and Sixteen Arches (IRE) also ran.
SA Derby (G1): Another surprise. Forbidden Kingdom got to the front as expected, but his stamina was always suspect and the even money favorite could never get separation from Messier. The latter did the pace dirty work and looked like he would win with a furlong to go, but his $1.7 million stablemate Taiba ($10.60), fresh off a fast debut sprint win, wore him down from an outside stalking position and pulled clear late by 2-1/4 lengths under Mike Smith. Messier was miles clear of show finisher Happy Jack. Armagnac was another neck back in 4th and was followed by Win the Day and a fading Forbidden Kingdom. Taiba now has 100 Derby points and a ton of raw ability, but only has two starts and the 10f Ky Derby is a huge ask for such a lightly raced runner. Messier is probably the one to play out of this race. He has a nice foundation and can build on this solid effort, but I am not sure about 10f.
Royal Heroine (G2): This was a free bingo square for Going Global (IRE) after the defection of controlling speed Park Avenue. Javonica inherited the pacesetting roll and Going Global ($2.60) chased from 2nd and always had Javonica measured in a comfortable win by a bit less than two lengths. Excelerina (IRE) was 3rd and Avenue de France (FR) trailed.
Evening Jewel: In the biggest shocker of the day, Golden Gate shipper Power Surge ($155.20) got to the front and would not let returnee Connie Swingle pass her in a game head victory. Those two were 7+ clear of Big Novel. The other six runners failed to seriously get involved.
The 20 cent Rainbow 6 pool was $270,156, and multiple tickets with six winners paid $13,546.68. The jackpot carryover stands at $298,180.
April 9 Claims: Race 3 – Bestrella ($25k, Steve Knapp).
Santa Anita Full Card Highlights for Saturday (4-9-22)
SA 2 SMUGGLER’S RUN ($4.00)
Double (races 1-2, $27.20)
Double (races 2-3, $27.60)
Pick 3 (races 1-3, $174.40)
SA 9 SCENIC MASTERPIECE ($9.60), Exacta ($36.20), Trifecta ($82.40)
Double (races 8-9, $29.80)
Pick 3 (races 7-9, $55.80)
SA 11 BURNIN TURF ($8.40), Exacta ($67.60), Trifecta ($808.40)
SA 12 HALFBARBERBINGIE (SA Best Bet #3, $7.80)
Double (races 11-12, $26.00)
AQU 8 MO DONEGAL ($6.30), Exacta ($23.60)
AQU 10 Nostalgic/Venti Valentine Exacta ($38.80)
KEE 9 Zandon/Smile Happy/Emmanuel Trifecta ($66.00)
*Full card highlights based on $2 wagers unless otherwise noted.
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Santa Anita Recap for Sunday (4-10-22)
Fast main track and firm turf course. Pressers/stalkers captured four dirt races, and a closer won the other. On the turf course, a closing favorite won the 5f opener, a stalker scored at 6.5f, a front runner graduated at 6f, a stalker scored at 6f, and an inside stalking favorite earned her diploma in the 8f finale (rail at 20 feet).
Two dirt sprint wins for Juan Hernandez.
Santa Anita Stakes Recaps for 4-10-22
Siren Lure: Cotopaxi (IRE) set the pace as expected, and Bran ($7.00) chased that one from 2nd and gradually wore down the front runner to tally by a half-length. Delaware (GB) stalked inside and finished 3rd, and Indian Peak and Kanderel rounded out the compact field. The final time for 6.5T was 1:14.82.
John Shear Mile: I tried to beat classy returnee Royal Ship ($4.80) at a distance much shorter than his best, but that did not work out very well. Mandella’s 6yo gelding got a nice prep for longer graded events in this race. He battled with Affable early, put that one away, and kicked clear in an authoritative five length tally. My top choice Triple Tap stalked the pace from 3rd and was clearly second best. Affable weakened to 3rd and Shooters Shoot rounded out the superfecta. Restrainedvengence, Extra Hope, and Lambeau also ran. Defunded scratched. The final time was 1:36.07.
The 20 cent Rainbow 6 pool was $293,387, and multiple tickets with six winners paid $512.38. The jackpot carryover stands at $365,341.
April 10 Claims: Race 1 – St Helena ($25k, Jerry Wallace II). Race 2 – Nang Singha ($40k, Jeff Mullins). Race 9 – Boisterously Irish ($20k, Jorge Periban).
Santa Anita Full Card Highlights for Sunday (4-10-22)
SA 4 EMPIRE PASS ($10.80)
Double (races 3-4, $41.00)
Double (races 4-5, $40.80)
Pick 3 (races 3-5, $109.40)
SA 6 Ganadora/Musica/Del Mar Drama/Little Rachel Superfecta (SA Best Bet #1, $32.40)
Pick 3 (races 4-6, $74.80)
*Full card highlights based on $2 wagers unless otherwise noted.
Article by Jarrod Horak
