SANTA ANITA PARK TODAY;Cost $7.50; Sept. 24, 2020 by Richard Eng author of “Betting On Horse Racing for Dummies”
Post Time 12:30 p.m. PT
Race 1– 5 ½ furlongs (turf, rail at 10 feet), Purse $59,000, Optional claiming $62,500, Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up
5 Mischiffie – Tiny edge in a wide open affair, big rider switch to Flavien Prat who always seems to find the right spot to be
2 Fantasy Heat – This is the kind of field where I’m not even sure who will go to the front, I surmise it will be #1 Watch Me Burn
Long Shot– 1 Watch Me Burn
Race 2 – 6 furlongs, Purse $36,000, Claiming 440,000, Fillies, 3-year-olds
3 High On Gin – After a sharp win at Del Mar for $32,000 she is properly spotted for $40,000 as she is loaded with back class
5 Dehydration – Claimed by Jeff Metz off a good second behind the favorite High On Gin, Abel Cedillo figures to send her to the lead
Long Shot– 6 Trouville
Race 3 – 5 ½ furlongs (turf, rail at 10 feet), Purse $38,000, Claiming $40,000, 3-year-olds and up
7 Ultimate Bango – Gets important class relief from 3 consecutive stakes starts for this $40,000 claimer, Drayden Van Dyke takes over
8 About Our Time – Interesting Midwest shipper makes his SoCal debut, has good tactical speed to get position early on
Long Shot– 5 Psycho Dar
Race 4 – 1 mile, Purse $43,000, Claiming $50,000, 3-year-olds
4 Polar Wind – Cliff Sise adding blinkers on but more importantly keeps Umberto Rispoli to ride, won his maiden at Santa Anita
6 Big Hoof Dynamite – Dead late closer won nicely last time out under Flavien Prat, key will be class rise from $25,000 to $50,000
Long Shot– 2 Bronn
Race 5 – 5 ½ furlongs (turf, rail at 10 feet), Purse $55,000, Maiden special weights, Cal-breds, Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up
9 Cassie Belle – Don’t mind the cutback in distance where she may be back a bit early but should be closing strongly late
10 Va Va Voom – Probably her best chance to upset is to show good early speed and see what happens, from a parking lot post
Long Shot– 1 Eddie’s Sister
Race 6 – 6 ½ furlongs, $100,000 Chillingworth, Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up
2 Qahira – Bob Baffert has an uncoupled entry and both have a big chance to win this, she has developed into a nice sprint specialist
1 Message – This is the other Baffert, she is cutting back in distance so the two won’t duel, Flavien Prat sits a trip and rally fast late
Long Shot– 7 Amuse
Race 7 – 5 ½ furlongs (turf, rail at 10 feet), $200,000 Eddie D, 3-year-olds and up
1 Wildman Jack – The race that sticks out to me was the big effort in the Daytona at Santa Anita back on May 23, will slug it out
7 Big Runner – Exits a chalky win in the Siren Lure last time out, has been working bullets of late so he is ready to rumble
Long Shot– 2 Give Me The Lute
Race 8 – 6 furlongs, Purse $25,000, Claiming $25,000, 3-year-olds and up
5 Fratelli – Claimed by Peter Miller who decided to take the blinkers off, Luis Saez is riding this weekend in SoCal, expect big things
11 Zorich – With a lot of early speed types in here this could be a dead late closer to pop out of the pack, Flavien Prat has the reins
Long Shot– 1 Nesbitt
Race 9 – 1 mile (turf, rail at 10 feet), Purse $57,000, Optional claiming $40,000, Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up
1 Gypsy Spirit – Pair of Leonard Powell fillies uncoupled in the betting, you know I like the rail draw in a 2-turn mile on dirt or turf
2 Avenue De France – Both Leonard Powell horses like to settle in arrears early and then fire their best shot turning for home
Long Shot– 6 Awesome Drive
Race 10 – 6 furlongs, Purse $20,000, Maiden claiming $20,000, Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up
14 Scream And Scout – Must overcome a parking lot post but there are a lot of no can run horses in here, big class dropper
13 Into Victory – Claimed by Bob Hess as she keeps on switching barns, will root for a big pace duel so she can chug down the lane
Long Shot– 6 Miss Georgie Gal
Best Bet – 4 Polar Wind (race 4)
BELMONT PARK Thursday – Picks/Winners/Mutuels, 19/3/$23.10; Long Shots, 10/0/$0; Best Bet, 1/0/$0
Dmr, Kee, KY Downs & Sar Final Totals – 916/229/$1,505.70; Long Shots, 460/62/$669.10; Best Bets, 43/15/$58.60
SIMO POD – #2 Nick Papagiorgio (5/1) in race 9 at Pimlico . For scoring purposes, we’ll make a mythical $2 win, place and show bet, $6 total. Minister’s Strike won at Pimlico paying $3.80 to win, $2.60 to place and $2.10 to show – 135/90/$719.40; Follow me on Twitter: @richeng4propick; Register to my home page for FREE at www.racedaylasvegas.com