Check out my Friday (10-4-24) Santa Anita Park Races 8-9 analysis below.
SA 8 (Str-OC-50k, 8f) – Post Time 7:30 PM ET
Primary – #8 SALTWATER COWBOY, #7 Jerry’s Spirit
Secondary – #1 Navy Man, #3 Don’t Hit Me Bash, #9 Coach Cronin
Horse Comments:
#8 Saltwater Cowboy (3-1) switched to dirt and dropped into a Mcl-40k affair on Sept. 1, and he stalked outside and kicked clear to graduate by 3 lengths. Doug O’Neill is a profitable 21% with his recent grads trying winners for the first time, and Umberto Rispoli stays put and another outside stalking trip is expected. He earned a decent number last time and could easily score again.
#7 Jerry’s Spirit (9-2) was up the track in his all-weather sprint bow late last year and the 1-2 finishers were both next-out winners. He moved to the Dean Pederson barn and switched to dirt in his Sept. 13 comeback at LRC, and he added lasix and ran away from his foes in a fast Mcl-40k victory at 5.5f. He is going to be a handful if he can route, and he does have route influences in his pedigree (Ghostzapper-Tapit).
#1 Navy Man (7-2) drops out of the OC-40k/1x ranks and stretches back out. He is entered for the $50k tag, Juan Hernandez (40% route rider) sticks with him, and he might show more in his second start of the year.
#3 Don’t Hit Me Bash (6-1) moved to dirt and improved in his last pair. He missed by a half-length in a clear runner-up finish at DMR on Sept. 2, and he wired the field in his CA-bred MSW dirt sprint win at LRC on Sept. 22. Edward Freeman is 4-for-9 with his first route starters and he will probably impact the pace.
#9 Coach Cronin (12-1) earned decent speed ratings in his first two dirt sprints this year. He raced evenly at 5T in July and split a 12-horse field in a dirt sprint at DMR last time. Armando Ayuso stays put and he is a profitable 22% route rider.
Wagers:
#8 to win
Exacta box 7-8
Trifecta key 8/1-3-7-9
$5 Late Double (races 8-9): 8-4 ($5)
$5 Late Double (races 8-9): 8/2-4-5-8 ($20)
$5 Late Double (races 8-9): 1-3-7-8-9/4 ($25)
SA 9 (MSW, 8T) – Post Time 8:00 PM ET
Primary – #4 SEA RUNNER, #2 Aleramo
Secondary – #5 Lee’s Baby Girl, #8 Resolve
Horse Comments:
#4 Sea Runner (7-5) stalked the pace and completed the exacta in both turf routes at DMR. I thought she ran fine from post 11 in the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf last time, and she gets a better post and Umberto Rispoli strings along.
#2 Aleramo (4-1) missed by a neck in an 18-horse field in her 7.5T debut in Ireland on July 25. She was the even money favorite in her US bow at 8T on Sept. 6 and she rallied mildly to finished 4th of 9 from the outside post. She sports two local moves for this and Juan Hernandez knows her now.
#5 Lee’s Baby Girl (6-1) hit the board in 4 of 5 starts. She set the pace and completed the exacta in her last two flat mile starts, and she returns to turf and might be the one to catch under Antonio Fresu.
#8 Resolve (10-1) broke slow and passed two rivals in her 8T debut at DMR on Sept. 6. They paid $250k for this one and dam has tossed a turf winner, and her new rider Hector Berrios is a profitable 21% turf pilot. Leonard Powell shows a profit with second timers and better seems possible.
Wagers:
Exacta 2-4-8/5
Trifecta key 4/2-5-8
Recent Bettor Bet$ Free Pick Winners
Sept. 23 – Bostontonian ($3.50), Exacta ($6.90)
Sept. 23 – Rotknee ($4.10), Double (races 7-8, $5.60)
Sept. 25 – Eff Thirty Five ($2.80), Trifecta ($38.00)
Sept. 28 – Toupie ($4.00)
Sept. 30 – Possiblemente/Goodie Goomer Exacta ($38.40), Trifecta ($95.80)
Oct. 1 – Beads ($10.20), Exacta ($28.00)
Oct. 3 – Donegal Momentum/Royal Majesty Exacta ($61.00)
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