ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 3, ACED

FIRST RACE

Runner-up in back-to-back sprints at this starter allowance class level, SAUCE ON SIDE stretches to a mile as simply the fastest in the field. The twoturn distance is no problem, she won a maidenclaiming route here in January. Mumbo-jumbo trainer stat: since last spring, leading trainer Peter Miller lost with eight straight with sprint-to-route favorites. MONGOLIAN HUMOR returns to the footing and distance on which she ran the best race of her career. That was a relatively fast runnerup finish in a similar starter allowance here in June. Her next three starts were forgettable turf efforts; she could wake up returning to dirt. VENUE scored a convincing victory last out over Cal-bred maiden-claiming sprinters. She will be forwardly placed; speed has been effective this meet in onemile races on dirt.

SECOND RACE

The solid fourth-place comeback by LYNNE’S LEGACY sets her up as most likely winner of this N1X turf route. The fractions were slow, the winner led gate to wire, ‘LEGACY smoked the final three furlongs in :34.69 to miss by only a half-length. The pace of this race should be quicker; ‘LEGACY can mow them down. SIBERIAN IRIS finished in front of the top choice last out, runner-up with a :34.89 come-home. She ran well, and probably will be positioned in front of the top choice again. The knock on ‘IRIS is she is stuck at the first allowance condition: eight tries produced five seconds, two thirds. Northern California-based SAVANNAH SLEW is a must-use. She has speed, drops from N2X and will be in front of the top pair turning for home.

THIRD RACE

Both runner-up efforts by ACED were decent; his most recent was better than it looks. He had only one workout over the Santa Anita surface, broke slowly from the rail, was briefly trapped behind rivals on the turn, angled outside and finished well behind the odds-on winner. ACED was more than five lengths clear of third at the wire, he worked twice over this track since and enters this maiden sprint as “most probable” winner on the card. However, he faces a worthy rival in comebacker CANDY CORNELL. The latter ran super in his career debut last fall, earning an 86 Beyer while finishing second against a good field. He misfired second out, and then went to the sidelines. This is his comeback; he obviously runs well fresh. CONCUR, in the money five of six, adds blinkers and returns to dirt for his first in two months. His stablemate OUTLAW might be ranked too low. He appears to be training well for his comeback.

FOURTH RACE

TWENTYTWENTYVISION, multiple graded stakesplaced veteran, drops to an all-time low $25k claiming level. It is true that ‘VISION lost 17 races since his most recent victory in September 2016, but he has been running fast enough to win at this level, and is well-suited by the mile and one-eighth distance. Tough to trust based on two years since his last win. RAPID RED, an in-form miler, could find himself setting the pace. Runner-up last out in a $32k claiming turf mile, he drops one level and stretches out one furlong, He wins more than his share; 7 of his last 21. THE BIG TRAIN finished a decent third in his return; he benefits from the extra distance. MR. OPPORTUNIST has enough speed to keep RAPID RED honest on the front end.

FIFTH RACE

GETALOADOFTHIS made the horses-to-watch list after his dud last out. He had an alibi. He broke slowly, was squeezed, and eliminated. He recovered from the takeoff, chased the pace, then weakened. Possibly better-than-looked. He drops from maiden-40 to maiden-20, goes sprint to route, and meets an apparently weak field. STERLING’S TEMPLE goes long on dirt for the first time, first start off the claim by normally high-percent f.o.c. trainer Genaro Vallejo. The gelding’s runner-up finish two back at seven furlongs would be good enough for this one-mile race. Blinkers on, expect

him to show speed on the stretch-out. SPEND IT is a 20-start maiden that will be chugging late; CAPTAIN N. BARRON is a 12-start maiden stretching to a route for the first time after finishing in the money six times in sprints.

SIXTH RACE

Turf is new for FASHIONABLY FAST, but his recent form stamps him the one to beat in this Calbred downhill turf sprint. ‘FAST finished second by a head last out in a stakes race; the winner Bold Fantasy is a seven-time winner that won a Calbred N1X this summer at Del Mar by more than four lengths. The point is, ‘FAST ran well against a good rival. He drops from stakes to state-bred N1X, has speed to stay in contention, and if he handles grass should be tough. HOLLYWOOD SQUARE has something the top choice lacks. That is, proven form on turf. He won a downhill maiden race here in June, he is lightly raced (four starts) and will be pushing the pace. NORTH COUNTY GUY ran well last time, first start off the claim, but five furlongs on turf was shorter than he prefers and he finished fourth. He stretches out to six and a half, and will be running late. ‘GUY is on his way up.

SEVENTH RACE

This N2L claiming route is a scramble. The call goes to class-drop closer TOPGALLANT, who needs help up front to flatter his rally. One previous start at this bottom level produced an okay third; he can wear them down late. As a general rule, speed tends to do well going two turns at Santa Anita. However, not a single one of the first nine dirt races at this mile and a sixteenth distance was won by the pacesetter; two of the last four at this distance were won by deep closers. GLORIOUS CROWN, third in a $25k claiming N2L turf route last out (moved up to second via disqualification) drops and returns to dirt. His win was on this surface. HAYLORD will vie for favoritism off a runner-up finish last out under similar conditions; LIVIN ON PRAYER stretches out for the first time and should on or near the lead.

EIGHTH RACE

Grade 1 winner BATTLE OF MIDWAY is racing into shape; this $75k stakes is his third start after coming out of retirement. His comeback two back was okay, his figure improved next out when fifth in a slow-pace G2 at Belmont. He drops in class, has won 3 of 5 on this track and enters as the class of the field. ST. JOE BAY, a sprinter stretching to a mile, fits on class and figures. The last time he raced at SA, he missed by a head in a G2 sprint. Although most of his career has been in sprints, he has run well long on dirt. His eight dirt routes produced two wins, two seconds. ‘BAY probably is the one to catch. Lightly raced 3yo TATTERS TO RICHES missed a recent start against 3yos due to a quarter crack and abscess, he resumed training early this month. ‘RICHES has won 3 of 4, his last-out win over a small field was validated when the second- and fourth-place finishers returned to win. ‘RICHES is likely to make some noise this winter in the handicap division.

NINTH RACE

BREAKERS ISLE gets the call in this maiden-50 turf route, as he drops slightly in class from MSW. His third-place finish two starts back at Del Mar would be enough for this group. BITTER RING HOME returns from a layoff last month with the best race of his career, a fourth-place finish after setting the pace in a race that saw the 1-2-3 finishers rally from the back of the small field. It might have been a better-than-looked effort by ‘HOME, who drops from maiden-75. FALCONE finished second in three straight turf routes, but this is his first start since November 2017. POINTED has run races that put him in the hunt. Price play?