ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 1, GUST FIRST RACE

GUST looks tough to beat in this maiden-40 sprint for fillies and mares. Runner-up vs. special-weight maidens last out in her first off the claim, she drops back to the maiden-claiming ranks and meets an apparently weak field. Looks like a standout from here. RIGHTEOUS DIXIE finished an okay second last out, behind a next-out winner. Blinkers are on the lightly raced (two starts) filly. She should be positioned relatively close to a moderate pace. MANDY D broke slow and split the field in her debut vs. special-weight maidens. She meets easier second time out. SUMMERTIME MISCHIEF has decent figures, but sprinting has not really been her game.

SECOND RACE

CHAYBABY figures to start at a short price in this route for 3yo maiden fillies. Sired by Curlin, ‘BABY finished a respectable second in her sprint debut, has a steady work pattern since, and should love the stretch from seven furlongs to one mile. She figures to be forwardly placed, facing only one apparent pace rival. That is BERNINA STAR, a sixstart maiden drawn directly outside the favorite. ‘STAR has three routes under her belt, including a runner-up finish last out in which she finished more than five lengths clear of third. One of these days, she will find the right field. CZARINA, a stablemate of the top choice, returns from a twomonth layoff. The only time she ran long on dirt at Santa Anita, she finished a close second behind subsequent G1 winner Abel Tasman.

THIRD RACE

The runner-up finish last out by HOW ABOUT ZERO was a lot better than it appears in her past performances. Overlooked at 27-1 in the Cal Cup Oaks, she was shuffled back into the first turn, steadied sharply and completely lost position on the turn and into the backstretch, knocked a rival sideways at the head of the stretch while rallying, and finished with run. With a different trip, she might have given the winner a battle. ‘ZERO handles turf or dirt (rain forecast), and should make short work of this field assuming a clean trip. MY PI ROMANCER misfired in the Cal Cup, but her frontrunning maiden win two back would put her in the mix. Like the top choice, ‘ROMANCER can run on dirt. PRINCESS ROI also figures off her third in the Cal Cup.

FOURTH RACE

AUTUMN TWILIGHT was in too tough in an open $25k claiming sprint, and faded after pressing the pace. She stretches back to two turns, drops considerably in class to $16k claiming N3L, and would be tough to beat if she runs back to her N2L romp two back. SHESWILDNFREE switched to Flavien Prat and dominated N2L foes from off the pace. Her style is opposite the top choice, seems like a short exacta. PASCHALITSA finished an okay third last out in a similar race.

FIFTH RACE

YAVRIG moved up a ton first off the claim by Jorge Periban, finishing second in a $25k claiming N2L sprint while more than seven lengths clear of third. A wet track would be fine, there is enough speed to flatter her closing kick as she shortens from seven furlongs to six. ROCKANTHAROS enters with the top last-start figure, a 72 Beyer she earned finishing second after setting the pace in a similar race at five and one-half furlongs. Win or lose, she will be part of the speed. SHARP HOLIDAY has back-toback thirds at this level, and enough speed to keep the pacesetter in her sights. TUSCANY BEAUTY helps keep the pace honest.

SIXTH RACE

DISTINCTIVE B and WELL MEASURED are tough to separate in this N2X/optional $62.5k claiming sprint. DISTINCTIVE B finished second last out in a highly rated race at this level. The winner Moe Candy returned to finish second in a graded stake; third-place finisher Drover Crazy returned to win a $40k claiming sprint. DISTINCTIVE B has speed, is versatile, and drawn outside his main rival. That is WELL MEASURED, who improved a bunch first off the claim and finished second in a $150k state-bred stakes. He might have won if he had not lugged in through the lane. WELL MEASURED must overcome the rail post, which he has run well from in the past. Possibly the fastest in the field based on his 98 last-out Beyer, the question

is whether he string together top efforts without a layoff line in between. BLAMEITONTHELAW ran the race of his career two starts back winning a N1X on a track listed “good.” Conditions could be similar this time. KENTUCKIAN returns from a layoff. A stakes winner at 3, he is now 5.

SEVENTH RACE

This sprint for Cal-bred maiden fillies is scheduled for the hill, but with rain in the forecast, footing is uncertain. A switch to dirt would fine for sevenstart maiden RADISH, runner-up by a head last out while more than three clear of third. In the money six of seven on dirt, RADISH may finally have found a field she can beat. GEE STREET was a wellbet disappointment in her debut five months ago at Golden Gate. Following that ninth-place finish on synthetic, she was transferred to trainer Richard Baltas in Southern California; the Street Boss filly should return as an improved 3yo. ASHLEY’S CHARMS ran well in her third-place debut, and then regressed in her second start. She was keen, rank, visibly unhappy and finished eighth. Blinkers off, shortens to a sprint, she is a legitimate threat from off the pace. Not sure if a switch to the main track would be to her benefit, however. She is a sibling to millionaire multiple graded turf winner Ashleyluvssugar.

EIGHTH RACE

CHILEANNA drops for the first time into a maidenclaiming race, and switches to dirt for the first time. The lightly raced (two starts) filly has a dirt pedigree; her fourth-place debut three months ago in a Cal-bred maiden special-weight would be just about good enough to win at this level. GIO’S LADY is a seven-start maiden with two in-the-money finishes from her last three on the main track. Though her development seems to have stalled, this might be the easiest field she has faced. HER BIG MOMENT stretches out to two turns, with a pedigree that gives her a license to improve at the trip (Awesome Again, A.P. Indy). Furthermore, if the track comes up wet, her Tomlinson wet figure is 428, tops in the field. Theoretically, she should relish mud. PARTY GIRL stretches out with enough speed to contest the pace.