Santa Anita Race 1: Post: 12:00 PT Grade: B+
Main Ticket: Defiance
Backups: 9-Nafisa.

Forecast: Defiance debuts in this extended turf sprint for older maiden fillies and mares and has looked extremely precocious in a series of visually impressive breezes for trainer R. Mandella. It’s taken a long time to get the daughter of Curlin to the races, but the wait might be worth it. Her dam (Arrange) was a multiple Grade-1 winner on grass and this talented homebred has shown in the morning to be a lovely mover with smooth, economic, sprint-type action. Yes, it’s true, first time starting maidens from this barn rarely run as well as they work, but this filly might prove to be the opposite.


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Santa Anita Race 2: Post: 12:34 PT Grade: C
Main Ticket: Busy Making Money; 3-Chips; 5-Skylight Ride.
Backups: none.

Forecast: Busy Making Money has hit the board in all three starts, but she’s been a beaten favorite in each outing and her speed figures are average at best and are headed in the wrong direction. At 8/5 on the morning line, she doesn’t offer an ounce of value, yet on paper she looks like a logical top pick in a field that is woefully weak. Chips displayed early speed before gradually fading at Los Alamitos in her debut last summer. She could be a better type this time around with the addition of Lasix. Stylish Ride has no real style – no early speed and no late kick – but she’s dropping in class and actually is quite competitive on speed figures. Toss her in if you’re playing but this is a race that should be handled with care.


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Santa Anita Race 3: Post: 1:06 PT Grade: B-
Main Ticket: Upstart Yankee; 5-Veritas Aequitas.
Backups: 6-Rich Gold.

Forecast: Upstart Yankee always tries hard – he’s been first or second in 13 of 25 career starts – and looks fairly dependable in this starter’s allowance main track miler for Pleasanton-based older runners. He has several back numbers that are good enough to win and looks very much like the controlling speed in a race without much zip. Veritas Aequitas was overmatched facing first level allowance foes when fourth at 23-1 last month but actually earned a career top number in defeat. He had won his previous pair against lesser from off the pace, and if he can get decent early fractions to run at the son of Keen Ice could make some noise close home.


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Santa Anita Race 4: Post: 1:36 PT Grade: B+
Main Ticket: American Renegade
Backups: 4-Toppers Wager.

Forecast: American Renegade shows the classic two-sprints-and-stretch-out pattern in this middle distance maiden claimer for bottom rung $20,000 older runners. In his second start off a layoff, the son of Mr. Big should produce a significant forward move, having improved his Beyer speed figure by 24 points in his most recent outing. The J. Mullins-trained gelding projects to be on or very near the lead facing a sluggish group of plodders and at 5/2 on the morning line offers a reasonable gamble and worthwhile rolling exotic single.

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Santa Anita Race 5: Post: 2:07 PT Grade: C+
Main Ticket: 5-Vulin; 2-Super Ellie.
Backups: none.

Forecast: Vulin vans down from Pleasanton where she compiled a respectable record around two turns in moderate claiming events for fillies and mares. Second in her most recent outing, the daughter Kitten’s Joy Mare is a bit of a grinder but should be able to secure a nice second flight position in a race that projects to be slowly run throughout. Super Ellie has been non-competitive in her last pair but hails from a winning barn and has several previous numbers that can with.

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Santa Anita Race 6: Post: 2:37 PT Grade: B+
Main Ticket: 7-Terry’s Boy; Mas Rapido
Backups: 5-Whatmakessamnyrun; 8-Count of Amazonia.

Forecast: Terry’s Boy is a tough-as-nails turf sprinter who will beat this $32,000 field if he duplicates his big figure score over this course and distance two runs back. He should be on or near the lead throughout based on our pace projection and picks up F. Prat. Mas Rapido lost position soon after the start and never was able to get involved in a hot Hillside affair on opening day. He’s better than that race will show, and this class drop and the switch to the flat course could be what he’s looking for.


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Santa Anita Race 7: Post: 3:07 PT Grade: B+
Main Ticket: 7-Cotton Roser
Backups: none.

Forecast: Cotton Roser, assuming he leaves with his field, should be too fast for these maiden $50,000 older California-bred runners. Off a tad slowly in his debut, the son of Vronsky moved up quickly to be part of a hot pace in a much tougher straight maiden affair last month before paying the price and fading in the final furlong. Dawn comfortably outside, the S. McCarthy-trained gelding has the option to pop and go or stalk and pounce in a field without much zip, and with any kind of forward move he should handle this assignment as a strong win play and rolling exotic single.


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Santa Anita Race 8: Post: 3:37 PT Grade: B+
Main Ticket: 2-Air Force Red
Backups: 4-Turn On The Jets (Ire); 6-Unconquerable Keen (Ire).

Forecast: Air Force Red never really had much shot in the Joe Hernandez S.-G2 last month, lacking room when attempting to rally through the lane to finish off the board in a race you can draw a line through. He’s a five time winner over the local lawn, retains top rider J. Hernandez, and catches what looks like an easier field in this year’s edition of the Clocker’s Corner Stakes. He’s pretty quick and is most effective as the controlling speed, though we doubt he’s a need-the-lead type, so stalking tactics might be employed if Hamwood Flier (Ire) is committed to the front end. We’ll make the veteran Irish-bred gelding a win play and rolling exotics single on the top line but also include a couple of backups for protection.


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Santa Anita Race 9: Post: 4:07 PT Grade: B
Main Ticket: Mega Moon; Magic Account
Backups: 6-Teddy’s Triumph; 10-Rogue Son.

Forecast: Mega Moon is a first-off-the-claim play returning to the same level after finishing second over the local main track last month. The Frosted gelding gets a major upgrade to F. Prat after earning a career top figure last time out and not much more will be needed today. Magic Account, first or second in four of five career starts over the Santa Anita dirt track, tackles tougher today following a vacation but has improving numbers and might be this good. He’s got good tactical speed and should have dead aim and every chance from the quarter pole home.


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Santa Anita Race 10: Post: 4:37 PT Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 4-Muscled; 7-Legitimate.
Backups: 2-Dettori; 11-Broski (Ire).

Forecast: Muscled is one of several with a right to win this maiden turf miler for sophomores. In the frame in his last two starts with steadily rising speed figures, the P. Gallagher-trained colt can turn it on late, so with some pace to chase and clear sailing from for the head of the lane to the wire he’ll have his chance to graduate in his fifth career outing. Legitimate adds Lasix and switches to F. Prat. He should improve enough to be a strong factor after earning a career top number when third at Del Mar in his most recent outing in early December.


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