Check out my Sunday (4-26-26) Santa Anita Race 7 analysis below.
SA 7 (OC-20k/1x, 6T) – Post Time 7:03 PM ET
Primary – #11 CHRISTEL CLEAN, #7 Idessia
Secondary – #2 Goodnight Nellie, #8 Kikuride, #1 Tiger of the Sea
Horse Comments:
#11 Christel Clean (3-1) was part of the trifecta in all six starts (6 2-3-1). She was the favorite in a dirt sprint at this distance at DMR in November and won that CA-bred OC-20k/1x dirt sprint by a half-length. She moved to turf, dueled on the lead, and was second best at 6T Jan. 24. She rallied to miss by a nose at 6.5T Feb. 22. Dam has tossed a turf winner, Armando Ayuso takes the call, and I like her consistency and versatility.
#7 Idessia (9-2) turned back and stalked and scored as the favorite in a $30k/3L affair at 6.5T March 9 and that was her first start since May 2025. Antonio Fresu sticks with Phil D’Amato’s class riser and she might be this good.
#2 Goodnight Nellie (5-1) ran well in three of her first four claiming dirt sprints. She won a $25k/2L affair by 3+ lengths at LRC on 7-6-25 and Jorge Periban claimed her from Andy Mathis that day. She dueled and held the place at 5T on 7-26-25 and was 5th of 8 at 5T in August. She returned to dirt and finished third as the even money favorite in October and Mathis re-claimed her, and she captured a CA-bred OC-20k/1x dirt sprint at LRC on Dec. 12. She returned to turf and stalked from the inside post and finished 3rd of 9 Jan. 24. She chased from post 10 and split a 10-horse field Feb. 22, and she pressed, led, and was second best at 6.5T March 22.
#8 Kikuride (4-1) finished in the top three in all five starts (5 2-2-1). She rallied for the show in her 6T bow and won twice and finished second twice as the favorite in four flat mile turf starts since. She turns back and Juan Hernandez strings along.
#1 Tiger of the Sea (8-1) rallied for the show in a dirt sprint March 29. She hit the board in all four turf attempts and will probably impact the pace from the inside post.
Wagers:
#11 to win
Trifecta key 11/1-2-7-8
Trifecta 1-2-7-8/11/1-2-7-8
April 2026 Bettor Bet$ Free Pick Winners
April 2 – Charlie’s Curlin ($5.60)
April 3 – Joint Venture ($3.60)
April 4 – Meaning ($3.80)
April 8 – Dresden Row ($6.58), Trifecta ($67.28)
April 11 – West End Kid ($5.72), Exacta ($10.58), Trifecta ($29.28)
April 12 – In Our Time ($12.88)
April 13 – Play the Gray ($8.20)
April 15 – Rothko/Coalmoon Exacta ($42.26)
April 16 – Chapman’s Peak/Concord Green/Carcano Trifecta ($232.24)
April 21 – Black Rose/Quality View Exacta ($41.80)
April 22 – Evanescence/Beyond Belief Exacta ($11.32), Trifecta ($19.12)
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