Check out my Wednesday (12-31-25) Santa Anita Park Race 5 analysis below.
SA 5 (Eddie Logan, 8T) – Post Time 5:00 PM ET
Primary – #2 PLUTARCH, #4 Stark Contrast
Secondary – #1 Third Beer
Horse Comments:
#2 Plutarch (2-1) picked up his first win in his fifth career start as the even money favorite in a 9T affair at DMR Nov. 30, and he looked good visually closing from post 11 that day. He looked better than the G3 Cecil B. DeMille runners on the same card and four of those runners are in this heat. He placed in three straight stakes races prior to his last. He landed the place in the G3 Del Mar Juvenile Turf Sept. 7 (8T). He returned to dirt and finished a close third in the G1 American Pharoah (8.5f) Oct. 4, and he checked in third as the beaten chalk in the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance at 8T Oct. 31. He reunites with his Del Mar Juvenile pilot Juan Hernandez and Bob Baffert is a profitable 36% with his recent graduates taking on winners.
#4 Stark Contrast (8-5) was 4th of 6th (beaten 11 lengths) in his dirt sprint bow, and he rallied to beat Medici by a length as the favorite from an outer post in a turf route second time out. He saved ground behind the speed from the inside post in the G3 Zuma Beach Oct. 5 and he won that race by a length. He was on the upswing heading into the G1 BC Juvenile Turf on Oct. 31 and he stalked the pace and was second best as a 58-1 longshot. His tactical speed should serve him well in this spot. His regular rider Kazushi Kimura stays put and he is 0-for-14 with Michael McCarthy.
#1 Third Beer (8-1) rallied to win as the favorite in his CA-bred 8T bow at DMR. He was 7-1 in the G3 Zuma Beach at SA Oct. 5 and he rallied for the place behind Stark Contrast. He ran faster second time out and had an uncomfortable trip and ended up 12th of 14 at 56-1 odds in the G1 BC Juvenile Turf last time. Tim Yakteen saddled two winners at SA on Sunday and this one figures to save ground behind the speed.
Wagers:
#2 to win
Exacta box 2-4
Trifecta 2-4/1-2-4/1-2-4
December 2025 Bettor Bet$ Free Pick Winners
Dec. 1 – My Cairo Kid/Seahorse Stampede Quinella ($16.00)
Dec. 3 – Portfolio Duration/Pop Art Exacta ($8.20)
Dec. 5 – Tina Turner/Clubhouse Bride/Brookys Girl Trifecta ($17.00)
Dec. 8 – Yes He Can/Immelmann Exacta ($26.00)
Dec. 10 – Leading Role ($9.64)
Dec. 11 – Cooey/Volatiled Exacta ($7.40)
Dec. 14 – Lovin’ On the Run ($4.60)
Dec. 21 – Silver Moonlight ($5.00), Trifecta ($59.00)
Dec. 23 – Mo for Us/Blessed Assurance/Nodah Trifecta ($77.80)
Dec. 26 – La Cantera ($4.60)
Dec. 27 – Montador/Juris Doctor Exacta ($10.40)
Dec. 30 – Mailata ($2.40)
Please visit The Runaway Horse Shop to purchase my full cards.
