Check out my Friday (10-30-26) Santa Anita Park Race 9 analysis below.
SA 9 (MSW, 8T) – Post Time 8:15 PM ET
Primary – #6 FEDERATION, #5 Character
Secondary – #7 Absolution, #3 Magic Time, #8 Mackinaw
Horse Comments:
#6 Federation (5-2) stretched out, switched surfaces, and stalked wide and finished a good second at 8T Oct. 3 (blinkers on). Michael McCarthy’s $200k colt can pick up his first win if he runs a bit faster.
#5 Character (5-1) was the favorite in his dirt sprint bow and had a troubled start and was climbing and going nowhere fast (7th of 9 – runner-up next-out winner). He was 32-1 in a turf sprint second time out and stalked the pace and ended up a solid 3rd of 10. Dam has tossed a turf winner.
#7 Absolution (4-1) ended up less than a length behind Federation Oct. 3. He was also stretching out and moving to turf second time out, and his new rider Ricky Gonzalez is 1-for-7 with Bob Baffert.
#3 Magic Time (6-1) was a wide 9th of 20 in his turf sprint bow at 11-1 odds (runner-up next-out winner). Michael McCarthy and company paid $1.15 million for this Not This Time colt, and dam has produced a turf winner.
#8 Mackinaw (5-1) is a Justify FTS for Richard Mandella and Drayden Van Dyke is 1-for-1 with this outfit. He sports a pair of local 5f bullets for this.
Wagers:
#6 to win
Trifecta key 6/3-5-7-8
Trifecta 3-5-7-8/6/3-5-7-8
$1 Super High Five: 6/5-7/5-7/3-8/3-8 ($4)
October 2026 Bettor Bet$ Free Pick Winners
Oct. 1 – Kathynmarissa ($4.68), Trifecta ($251.84)
Oct. 3 – Domestic Agenda ($3.94), Exacta ($15.14)
Oct. 5 – Mobius ($9.80)
Oct. 6 – Vinsanity ($4.00)
Oct. 12 – Tirupati ($8.00)
Oct. 13 – Celestial Speed/Rock Tune Exacta ($6.00)
Oct. 14 – Jack and Jim ($7.44)
Oct. 15 – Showa ($12.44), Exacta ($23.68), Trifecta ($69.36)
Oct. 16 – Kool Mariah ($5.40), Trifecta ($44.00)
Oct. 17 – Timayyyy ($4.60)
Oct. 18 – Known Idea ($6.00), Exacta ($16.00)
Oct. 22 – Atropa/Maria Louise Exacta ($35.48)
Oct. 23 – Hey Lil Lady ($3.80), Exacta ($16.00)
Oct. 25 – Chiseled in Stone ($7.40), Trifecta ($81.40)
Oct. 29 – White Whale/Guardian Exacta ($11.28)
*All winning wagers based on $2 payoffs unless noted otherwise.
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