LOS ALAMITOS RACE COURSE LOS ALAMITOS RACE COURSE

BEST BET: RACE 8, RIVER ECHO

FIRST RACE

AIKAU has a good record over the main track and is coming off a solid effort on the smaller track. He romped the last time he ran here in an open $62,50 claimer, appears to be sitting on a big race, and if he brings his best stuff he should win this. BOUND FOR HEAVEN finished behind WARREN’S COLE in a similar race July 8, but he had to steady late and the shape of the race should work in his favor. WARREN’S COLE came from well back to just miss and once again should be rolling late. What figures to be a moderate pace won’t help his chances, though.

SECOND RACE

JUST BOOKIN is coming off a third-place finish in a key race, drops to a new low, and has a solid 1-2-1 record running over this surface. She’s also trending in the right direction with increasing Beyer Speed Figures in her last three races. SO HERES THE THING was overmatched in the Melair and was out of her element coming down the hill in her first try on grass. She fits better here and her last race on dirt at Turf Paradise puts her in the mix. SHE BEGAN AGAIN used her good speed to win her second start at Santa Anita and might be good enough to handle this group in her first try with winners.

THIRD RACE

AMARANTA should appreciate the easier company she is facing here, and it is hard not to notice the strong numbers Sadler has with horses wearing blinkers for the first time. Her siblings include 10-time route winner Tribal Jewel and $125K Melair winner Miles Rules so this might be what she really wants to do. DIXIE CRYSTAL ran the best race of her short career over this surface nine days ago and could be the one they have to run down if she breaks on top. She is the first foal out of a mare who only won sprinting so there could be distance limitations. She might be able to get a mile with this group, though. CURLINA CURLINA appeared to home and cooled out in a similar race last Sunday, but got nipped at the wire. Not sure how she’ll handle coming back this quickly but at the least she should be considered for the exotics.

FOURTH RACE

SPINYATTA started to roll once she straightened out in her latest versus tougher at Santa Anita and she should love running over the longer stretch here. She also comes out of a very live barn and Talamo got to know her last time. WARRIOR VIXEN was the runner-up when she dropped to this level in her latest and could fire as a fresh horse for Hansen who has solid numbers with horses coming back between 61-180 days. She might want a bit more yardage to work with, though. TIZ CLEVER AS EVER figures to move forward in her second start back after finishing third coming down the hill behind two next-out winners June 1. She has worked well in the interim, and she showed good speed in her only other start which came over this surface in a MSW race over a year ago.

FIFTH RACE

CROATIAN was working well here earlier this year and he picked things up in his latest work coming out of the gate at Santa Anita. He is by a decent debut sire and Baffert can obviously have them ready to roll first time. RIDE TO THE WIRE is the first foal out of a 3-time sprint winner and has been working nicely in Arcadia. Cecil not noted for having his babies fully cranked, but this guy looks like he can run a bit. COLOSI is by the excellent debut sire City Zip and could come out firing for Glatt who has won with two of his seven starters at the meet. TALE OF THE KNIGHT is out of a mare who won her debut at two and anything coming out of this barn has to be respected. Encouraging to see Roman accept the mount, but the rail can be intimidating for a first-time starter.

SIXTH RACE

If PATIENCE OFA SAINT transforms his current

turf form to this surface he is going to be tough to beat. He had excuses in his only two starts on dirt, which came in his debut and second start, and his only sibling is a two-time dirt winner, so we’re assuming he will be fine with the surface switch.

NICOS WAY finished third in a key race in his debut won by subsequent stakes winner Balandeen and attracts Roman for his second start. The first one was at Del Mar last Aug. but the past five years Belvoir has a 15 percent strike rate with horses coming back from layoff of days of 180 days or more. VIGOROUSLY JUAN is also coming off a lengthy layoff, but he just missed in his last start here, has a solid set of works showing, and Gonzalez has decent numbers with horses coming back from this kind of break. TEMPLAR earned his career-best Beyer Speed Figure in his first start for Ruiz and has had time to recover so he shouldn’t bounce. He hasn’t won over this track and the cutback in distance might not be optimal. Nonetheless, he’s had a decent interim work and should be right there if he comes back with a similar effort. Your guess is as good as mine regarding MI QUERIDO CAPI, but he romped in his last start in Mexico, has worked well leading up to this, and attracts the leading rider. CASUALITY improved dramatically in Arizona and New Mexico and has been working well enough at San Luis Rey in preparation for his comeback race. The past five years Rollins is 1 for 13 with horses coming back from a layoff of 180 days or more, though. ONE MORE ROLL has improved dramatically at night since being reclaimed by Treece, and he won in the afternoon here, also for Treece, earlier in his career.

EIGHTH RACE

RIVER ECHO was the runner-up behind Aqueduct stakes winner Do Share in his latest at Belmont and he’s had plenty of time to recover from his trip across the country. He ran well in both of his races at Santa Anita prior to his trip that included a solid effort at Churchill, has good tactical speed, and should get a nice trip sitting just off his stablemate. That would be GOT EVEN who will appreciate the move back to a route and facing easier company following a third-place finish behind Grade 1 sprint winner Macher in the $100K Thor’s Echo. He could also improve for Miller who the past five years has a 19 percent strike rate with claimed horses making their second start for him. CURLIN ROAD won’t mind the move back to dirt, and he did break his maiden here, but the deep closer might be left with too much to do. Use him in the exotics along with CITY STEEL who hasn’t been worse than third in seven starts this year, plus, he finished just behind GOT EVEN the last two times they met.

NINTH RACE

In an improved performance RIGHT TO THE POINT just missed at 32-1 coming down the hill and a couple of her races on dirt look good enough to win what appears to be a wide-open event to close the meet. She is also based here so it won’t hurt that she doesn’t have to make the trip across town. TIZ MI HAINA didn’t fire in her debut in the same race the top pick exits, but she is half-sister to Grade 3 turf winner Ambitious Brew who won a sprint stakes on this track. Easy to imagine her moving forward with a race behind her, and it is encouraging to see Roman picking up the mount. RULED BY GIRLS is by a decent debut sire, has been working well over this track, and is a full-sister to 5-time winner Ruled by Kisses who finished second in his first start.