Check out my Saturday (3-21-26) Santa Anita Park Race 9 analysis below.
SA 9 (G3 San Luis Rey, 12T) – Post Time 8:10 PM ET
Primary – #2 TRULY QUALITY, #8 Watsonville
Secondary – #5 Mondego, #4 Gold Phoenix
Horse Comments:
#2 Truly Quality (5-2) won three straight turf route stakes races in 2024 including the G2 Hollywood Turf Cup. He was flat as the beaten favorite in his first start last year in the San Marcos (G3) in February, and he showed signs of life when rallying to finish 4th of 9 (beaten 1/2 length) in the Del Mar Handicap (G2) on Aug. 30. He removed blinkers and repeated in the G2 Hollywood Turf Cup in November, and he was a clear third as the beaten favorite in the John B. Connally Turf Cup Jan. 24. He showed nice late energy when rallying for the show and missing by a length in the G3 San Marcos at 10T Feb. 14. Antonio Fresu takes the call and he is back at his winning distance.
#8 Watsonville (12-1) was just out for the exercise when finishing 5th of 6 in the G3 Daytona at 6.5T June 14. That was his first start in 9+ months and he was last of 10 from the inside post in the Wickerr on July 19. He chased the pace and finished an improved third in the restricted Lure Oct. 19, and he rallied to win a flat mile OC affair Jan. 11. He stalked and finished third in the G3 Thunder Road last time. Mike Smith is his new rider and I am not sure he wants to go this far, but he will probably attend below par splits.
#5 Mondego (6-1) won a DMR optional-claiming affair at 1 3/8 miles on turf in August, and he was 5th of 9 in the Del Mar Handicap and 4th of 7 in the John Henry Turf (G2). He rallied for the show in the G3 San Gabriel at 9T in December, and stalked the pace and upset the field at 9-1 odds in the G3 San Marcos last time. Emisael Jaramillo got to know him last time and he figures to put this one in a stalking position again.
#4 Gold Phoenix (7-5) is 5-for-10 at DMR and 4-for-4 at 11T and he clearly loves that turf course, but he is not the same horse at SA. He won the G2 Del Mar Handicap in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. He owns the Del Mar ‘Cap and maintained sharp form in the G2 John Henry Turf at 10T last September at SA. He finished 5th in the BC Turf last fall, and was a wide 7th of 8 as the even money favorite in the G3 San Marcos at 10T Feb. 14. The 8-year-old gelding sports three local works since his last and was third in this event last year. I don’t trust him as the favorite.
Wagers:
#2 to win
Exacta box 2-8
Trifecta 2-8/2-4-5-8/2-4-5-8
March 2026 Bettor Bet$ Free Pick Winners
March 1 – Mysterious Husband/Call Me Sir/Sneaking Candy Trifecta ($77.80)
March 5 – Saudi Crown/Bendoog Exacta ($6.20)
March 8 – Track Tiger/Sammy Davis Exacta ($6.20)
March 11 – Accent/Rugelach Exacta ($15.00), Trifecta ($41.00)
March 18 – Dienekes/Up Country Exacta ($51.16)
March 20 – Rethink/Ou La La/Prestige Fungson Trifecta ($107.80)
Please visit The Runaway Horse Shop to purchase my full cards.
