Racing at Santa Anita with Marc Doche: Happy New Year!

No better place to ring in the New Year than Santa Anita with a pair of graded stakes races and a great slate card to get 2011 off to a winning start.

We honor a legend today with the Grade 2 Robert J. Frankel, which was previously named the San Gorgonio. After the scratch of Éclair de Lune, we’re left with a field of four older fillies going a mile and an eighth chasing a purse of $150,000.

Later in the day, the first stakes race of the meet on the 6.5 furlong downhill turf course sees seven colts in the Grade 3 $100,000 Daytona.

It’s also an exciting day for yours truly as I run the first horse of my ownership career at Santa Anita in the finale with Two Violins.

We’re off to the races!

Best Bet of the Day (ROI based off $2 WPS bet)

Race 9 - #14 Two Violins (9/2 ML) - He’s finished in the money in all 12 starts of 2010 with blinkers off and we’re hopeful he gets us off to a great start in 2011 with a winner’s circle photo. 

Yesterday’s Result—Off the board with Suwaalif (-$6.00)

Total for 2010-11 Santa Anita meet—(-$9.40)

Early Pick 4

Leg 1 - Race 6 (2,5) - An allowance race for California-bred maidens sprinting 6.5 furlongs and No. 2 Shred the Secrets should give trainer Anthony Saavedra his first win in a long while. He got nailed on the wire in his debut and has a bright future ahead of him.

We’ll also use Darrell Vienna’s first time starter Baraja de Oro off a sold work tab. 

Leg 2 - Race 7 (3,8,9,10) - Baffert is double tough in here and Derrick Do is sharp on the outside. Royce has a shot to mow them down late.

Leg 3 - Race 8 (ALL)—We’ll hope for a price in this competitive heat in today’s feature.

Leg 4 – Race 9 (14) - We’re clearly biased here and looking for a big score on many fronts in the night cap.

Recap—(2,5) w (3,8,9,10) w (ALL) w (14) - Total cost of ticket = $56

Make sure to follow me on Twitter @mdoche for last minute changes caused by scratches and much more.

Good luck!

Yesterday’s Result - (-$36)

Total for 2010-11 Santa Anita meet - (-$370)

Total for 2010 Del Mar meet - (-$554.55)