ANALYSIS

FIRST RACE

LIAM THE CHARMER drops from a fourth-place finish in a productive G2 to N3X allowance. This is the first time he has strung together three starts without a layoff. ‘CHARMER missed by less than three lengths last out, winner Itsinthepost won a G2 at KEE next out; seventh place Inordinate returned to win a G3 at SA. ‘CHARMER has won at this mile and one-quarter distance; he will be ridden by Victor Espinoza, whose election into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was announced this week. NEWSMAN returned from a seven-month layoff four weeks ago with a solid N1X comeback victory over next-out winner Prince of Arabia. BEACH VIEW returns to turf and shortens in distance after a credible fourth in a G3 marathon on dirt. ‘VIEW finished only a length behind the top choice two starts back.

SECOND RACE

This five-runner field continues a trend; 12 of 39 dirt races this meet had five starters or less. Bob Baffert holds the aces in this mile maiden race with well-bred HOT BLOODED GIRL and SOUTHERN MISCHIEF, fourth and fifth last out in a sprint. HOT BLOODED GIRL is a Tapit filly that is a sibling to Northwest-based stakes winners Stopshoppingdebbie, Smarty Deb and Shampoo. ‘GIRL raced evenly first out, trained well since and should improve with a race under her belt. SOUTHERN MISCHIEF might be the speed of the field. She set/pressed a fast pace last out and tired the final eighth. The fractions are likely to be slower in this route; she could be loose. TIZCOOL stretches out and returns to dirt; seven-start maiden QUEEN SCHEHERAZADE is the only entrant that has raced two turns; MAJESTIC VIXEN stretches out and tries the main track.

THIRD RACE

The lightly raced filly ADIOS CALI drops into the claiming ranks ($40k) for co-leading trainer Peter Miller (18-5-4-4). ‘CALI has gas to be forwardly placed; speed is good at six furlongs on dirt: six of the last seven won by the pacesetter, the other by a horse positioned second. CIOPPINO PASADINO was compromised last time by her trip at a class level (Cal-bred stakes) slightly out of reach. She broke from the rail, was rushed inside to chase the pace, and backed up. The field’s only threetime winner returns to claiming ranks, moves to an outside post and should get a favorable trip pressing the pace in the clear. GEMINI JOURNEY misfired in a turf-route experiment; her starter allowance win two back in a dirt sprint over this surface makes her a contender.

FOURTH RACE

This is the first leg of the pick six on a nine-race Friday card. ALSATIAN ran well last out second start back from a layoff. Stretching out from a sprint comeback, he had minor trouble on the first turn, was floated wide in the homestretch, kept to his task, finished with run and missed by less than a length. Good effort by the lightly raced 3yo, who can knock off this Cal-bred N1X turf route with one more forward move third start back from a layoff. CALLI WAY did not have a great trip in his fifth-place comeback, although he sputtered once clear in the lane. Gelded since raced, he is likely to improve second start back for co-leading trainer Richard Baltas. HEAT wheels back eight days after a runner-up effort in a turf sprint at this level. Wonder if he might prefer to sprint, however. OVER PAR has earned speed figures that are fast enough, but he has lost six times at this class level.

FIFTH RACE

Trouble-prone NO NAME JUST FAME drops from special-weight to the maiden-20 bottom. Unplaced her first four starts, finishing last three of those, she faces a meager cast and has enough speed to be forwardly placed. That assumes she handles the main track. LA GALY returns from a layoff of more than seven months, with appropriate credentials for this level. In the money four of eight, all at higher levels, she returns in the basement with works that suggest she will fire first start back. All her works have been at Los Alamitos, however. FELLINA goes from inside to outside after splitting

the field in her comeback. It will be an upset if a filly other than one of the top two wins.

SIXTH RACE

Wheeling back in six days and stretching to a mile after a runner-up finish at seven furlongs, PASSED BY PAUL is the one to beat in this maiden-30 route. ‘PAUL earned a decent figure his only previous dirt route; trainer Doug O’Neill has three wins and two seconds from his last eight maiden-claiming runners that ran back in seven days or less. NEVER DOUBLE DIP improved slightly his second start, third with a wide trip in a similar maiden-30 route. He will be chugging away late. SLEEPIN N CHEATIN goes long for the first time, with a sevenpound apprentice rider aboard. The speed of the field, ‘CHEATEN will take them as far as he can. KITTEN’S ROYAL goes turf to dirt, drops from maiden-75, and removes blinkers. Improvement likely vs. suspect rivals.

SEVENTH RACE

Most turf routes here recently have been won from off the pace, a profile that favors closer TIZ ADORE. She washed out in the post parade last time, and her late rally was ineffective in a race that saw the 1-2-3-4 pacsetters take the top four spots. TIZ ADORE was freshened nearly three months, returns in a race with pace to flatter her closing kick, and can wear them down late. GOLDEN LIGHT finished an okay second last out, with some trouble, against a better field (Calbred N1X) than this starter allowance. She has more speed than she showed last out, but does not require the lead, and could fall into a good trip saving ground forwardly placed right behind the speed. If no one wants the lead, she can set the pace. Either way, she is an obvious contender. MOONLESS SKY overcame a wide trip to win a Cal-bred special-weight in her California debut. In the money all five starts, she is eligible to this starter allowance because she ran for a claim tag in her debut last summer. SHARP HOLIDAY has speed, while stretch-out sprinters CHUCHOTTI and HALO DARLIN help insure a legitimate pace.

EIGHTH RACE

BOLITA BOYZ scored a sharp win last out in a $32k claiming sprint, and can fire right back first off the claim by Kristin Mulhall. ‘BOYZ pressed a hot pace, opened up in midstretch and won by a nose over two closers. It was a solid win that earned another good figure; the six-time winner probably benefits from the cutback from seven furlongs, to six and a half. Good sprinter is the one to beat, but another sharp horse who won a $32k claiming sprint last out is PRAY HARD. An eight-time winner, he will roll late. SPANISH HOMBRE and DR. DORR will pick up the pieces, while front-runners GIANT INFLUENCE and GUY CODE will duel up front.

NINTH RACE

CONQUEROR missed by less than two lengths last out in a special-weight turf route at this mile and one-eighth distance. He drops to maiden-75 and can wear them down late third start back from a layoff. Trainer Vladimir Cerin and jockey Israel Ocampo popped two weeks ago with 23-1 turfroute upset winner Malko. MARQ ONE returns to the maiden-claiming ranks. It is uncertain if a mile and one-eighth is his preferred distance, but his runner-up finish two back at one mile puts him in the hunt. PAPA ROYALE looms an upset candidate,

BEST BET: RACE 6, PASSED BY PAUL