Racing At Santa Anita With Marc Doche: San Gabriel Featured on The Day After
With another successful opening day at Santa Anita in the books, the day after offers up another pair of stakes races on a solid nine-race card that features the Grade 2 $150,000 San Gabriel for older horses going a mile and an eighth on the turf course.
The Usual Q. T. was installed as the 9-to-5 morning line favorite off a solid third place effort in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Churchill Downs last month. He’s a perfect three-for-three over Santa Anita’s turf course for trainer James Cassidy, but could be a touch vulnerable today with some moisture remaining in the grass after nearly 15 inches of rain in the past week.
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One of his rivals that should relish the softer going is Violon Sacre, who will be making his second start on the West Coast for trainer Patrick Biancone and has won 10-of-18 in his career. Listed at 8-to-1 on the morning line, he is likely to go off a touch shorter than that after three scratches have left us with a field of seven.
“He ran ok in the Citation. He didn’t have too a clean trip. He was a bit unlucky,” said Biancone of his horse’s eighth place finish beaten four lengths at Hollywood Park. “We hope for some improvement today especially if the ground is a little bit softer.”
In his race before shipping west, Violon Sacre won the Grade III Knickerbocker over a yielding turf course at Belmont Park. Prior to that effort, he also won a pair of ungraded stakes and missed by just a neck in the Grade III Oceanport at Monmouth Park.
Joel Rosario, who swept all three graded stakes races yesterday, takes over for the first time today and might give Violon Sacre the added boost needed to be competitive on this circuit.
“It’s tough everywhere, but maybe in California it’s a little bit tougher,” said Biancone.
Along with his string at Gulfstream Park, Biancone has ten horses with him at Santa Anita and, as is the common theme so far early in the meet, is pleased with the new dirt main track.
“It played fast because it was a bit wet, but it seems that the horses handle it right and it is of very good quality,” he said.
We’re off to the races!
Best Bet of the Day (ROI based off $2 WPS bet)
Race 5 - #5 Magic Launch (5/2 ML) – Likely to be forwardly places early with Patrick Valenzuela back aboard in a race with no other early speed. In three starts on this turf course she has a win and two second places finishes and has finished first or second in five of her six starts at today’s mile distance.
Yesterday’s Result – Show dough for Capture the Call (-$2.80)
Total for 2010-11 Santa Anita meet – (-$2.80)
Late Pick 4
Leg 1 – Race 6 (4,11,13) – Bottom level fillies sprint six furlongs to start the sequence and we’ll go three deep.
No. 13 Our Bellini Bikini drops after running well in her last three starts against tougher. Drawn outside, she can stalk the speed to her inside under Rafael Bejarano.
No. 4 Lost Prophet is fast early and is dangerous based on how the track played yesterday even going half a furlong further than she did last time when she coughed up a clear lead.
No. 11 Mary Strong rates an upset glance on her return to dirt after she ran well twice at Fairplex in September.
Leg 2 – Race 7 (1,3,6) – The $100,000 California Breeders’ Championship going seven furlongs on the main track features seven promising California-bred two-year-old fillies.
No. 1 Teddy’s Promise and No. 3 California Nectar should both be forwardly placed and have trained well since their last efforts. No. 9 Warren’s Flyer is the likeliest to run them down late after facing a better field in the Moccasin in her previous start.
Leg 3 - Race 8 (1,3,5) – Along with No. 3 The Usual Q.T. and No. 5 Violon Sacre, we’ll also use No. 1 Proudinsky, who is a candidate to win in wire-to-wire fashion breaking from the inside with PVal. He’s never won in that fashion, but this race is also devoid of speed and he’s likely to fin himself on the front by default.
Leg 4 – Race 9 (4,7,9,10) – More bottom level fillies, this time two-year-old maidens sprinting five and a half furlongs.
No. 4 Sweet Consolidator has four in the money finishes in eight starts and might have found a field she can beat today.
No. 10 Homework faced allowance company in her last and should be competitive with these for low profile connections.
No. 9 Exponential has been training in decent fashion for her debut having not missed a beat in three months.
No. 7 One More Palo draws outside the other speed today after dueling inside of horses last time and holding on for second.
Recap – (4,11,13) w (1,3,6) w (1,3,5) w (4,7,9,10) – Total cost of ticket = $108
Make sure to follow me on Twitter @mdoche for last minute changes caused by scratches.
Good luck!
Yesterday’s Result – (-$100)
Total for 2010-11 Santa Anita meet – (-$100)
Total for 2010 Del Mar meet – (-$554.55)
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