Check out my Monday (5-27-24) Santa Anita Park Race 9 analysis below.
SA 9 (G1 Gamely, 9T)
Primary – #2 RUBY NELL, #7 Linda’s Gift
Secondary – #3 Uncorked, #6 Anisette, #1 Olivia Maralda, #9 Forever After All
Horse Comments:
#2 Ruby Nell (3-1) is 5-for-6 with a runner-up finish at Santa Anita. The flat mile specialist is dangerous in this spot if she can get out there and control the pace. Looking at the paper race, she should be able to do just that under her winning rider Edwin Maldonado.
If Ruby Nell fails to stay the trip, her stablemate #7 Linda’s Gift (5-1) could be the major beneficiary. The latter won’t have any issue with the 1 1/8 miles journey. If anything, this race is too short for her. She won her last three turf stakes starts (2 Grade 3 events) at 1 3/8 miles, 1 1/2 miles, and a mile and a quarter, and was up on the pace in all of those races. Richard Mandella excels with this type of layoff runner.
#3 Uncorked (4-1) moved to the Phil D’Amato barn and got the right closing trip under Frankie Dettori in the Royal Heroine (G3) on April 27. She won by two lengths and that was her first start in more than five months, and show finisher Stay and Scam returned to win the Fran’s Valentine on May 25. She drilled a bullet for this on May 19 and has enough positional speed to keep the leaders in her sights. This is not the toughest Grade 1 contest and she would not have to run much faster to take this.
#6 Anisette (5-2) is a fresh, consistent closer. She rallied to win three graded turf races last year including the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks at this distance. Ruby Nell beat her in the Autumn Miss (G3) at one mile last fall. She likes this turf course and Umberto Rispoli rides her well.
#1 Olivia Maralda (6-1) is an interesting shipper. The overseas transplant made her first start in more than seven months in an allowance turf route at Keeneland on April 20, and she finished nicely for the place. The winner of that heat worked out a perfect stalking trip, and show finisher Sacred Wish returned to win an optional-claiming race at Aqueduct on May 17. Flavien Prat stays put and she should save ground behind the speed.
#9 Forever After All (15-1) moved to the Brendan Walsh barn this year. She won an all-weather route at Turfway Park on Feb. 28 and rallied for the show in the Latonia. She switched to turf in the Modesty (G3) and caught yielding ground, and ended up 6th of 11. It is tough to handle that type of turf course and the Churchill turf course in general can be difficult, so I will just draw a line through that one and give her another chance. Juan Hernandez takes the call and she might be worth using in the exotics.
Wagers:
#2 to win
Trifecta 2-3-6-7/2-3-6-7/1-9
Superfecta key 2/1-3-6-7-9
May 2024 Bettor Bet$ Free Pick Winners
May 4 – Vahva ($5.44), Exacta ($13.20)
May 9 – Mosler Time ($10.20), Trifecta ($20.50)
May 9 – Mosler Time/I Can Do It Double ($65.80)
May 10 – Dontim ($11.20), Trifecta ($168.80)
May 11 – Musical Rhapsody/Duvet Day Exacta (SA Best Bet, $9.20)
May 11 – Party With Paddy ($4.20)
May 11 – $5 Golden Hour Double (SA 9, GG 8) – $35.00
May 12 – Special Club ($5.20)
May 12 – $5 Golden Hour Double (SA 9, GG 8) – $59.00
May 20 – Luv to Win ($7.40)
May 21 – Tony Small ($9.80)
May 25 – Legend of Time/White Palomino/Royal Majesty Trifecta ($33.80)
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