FOURTH RACE

A decisive Santa Anita win last out by MAYAN WARRIOR stamps the gelding as the one to beat over a Los Al surface on which he has run well. The race that ‘WARRIOR won was somewhat validated when seventh-place finisher Delta Forum returned to win. ‘WARRIOR is trained by Steve Knapp, whose 12 Los Al favorites the past five years produced 6 wins, 3 seconds, 2 thirds. In other words, Knapp runners fire when they figure to fire at this track. BILLY THE HOTT, who has won three races open to Quarter Horses, “stretches out” to five and a half furlongs after a tough-trip comeback. ‘HOTT is speed, and a candidate to set the pace along with SHAKE N FRIES. The latter finished first or second in 10 career starts (QH and Thoroughbreds combined).

FIFTH RACE

SOKUDO is fast, versatile, in sharp form and comfortably drawn outside where he can press the pace in the clear or go on with it. The gelding crushed quarter horse company last out at 1,000 yards; he has won at this five-furlong trip. Sharp veteran perfectly spotted in this $8k starter allowance. ROYAL SEEKER is back doing what he does best. That is, run at Los Alamitos. His 15 starts here produced 3 wins, 5 seconds; his 37 starts at other tracks produced zero wins, 4 seconds. His most recent win was at this starter allowance class level. He will be rolling in the drive. LOVE YOUR LIFE had a tough trip last out finishing fourth. He has speed, and also can finish. TIM’S BUDDY will set or press the pace.

SIXTH RACE

Deep closer SHE’S A DIME or front-runner LI’L GRAZEN? Close call between the logical contenders with diverse styles. The call is stretch-runner SHE’S A DIME, who drops to Calbred allowance after finding open company and seven furlongs too much last month. The likelihood of a fast pace suits her style; any of her previous four starts at Oaklawn Park probably would be fast enough for a come-from-behind win here. But she will have to catch the speed of the speed. That is LI’L GRAZEN, who set a blazing pace last time, opened up by four lengths at the eighth pole, then got collared That race was six and a half, she benefits by the cutback to five and a half. But she is not the only frontrunner in the field. STRADARI returns from a layoff of nearly six months. She runs well fresh (debut winner, comeback runner-up), and has a solid work pattern for her comeback. SQUARE PEGGY adds speed; DIM LIGHTS also has gas.

SEVENTH RACE

QUEEN OF THE TRACK is quick enough to pop the gate and lead gate to wire. She dueled on a wicked pace last time, head-and-head with the blazingly fast Lofty before surrendering in deep stretch. That was a turf sprint, ‘QUEEN has run well previously on dirt. Assuming a clean start from the rail, expect her to lead as far as she can. Long gone? MALIBU CAT wanted no part of two turns three weeks ago; she finished next to last against tougher. She shortens to her preferred sprint trip, returns to dirt, and has enough speed to keep the top choice in her sights. WISHFUL disappointed in recent starts vs. Cal-bred allowance company, but this starter allowance represents a drop in class. Expect her to take back off the pace, and produce a late rally. Two previous starts on this track produced two runner-up finishes. RAIN DIVA blasted Cal-bred maiden-50s last time and enters with the highest last-start speed figure.

EIGHTH RACE

With a useful comeback prep under his belt and return to dirt, KING ABNER looks solid in the $100k Soi Phet Stakes (previously named Bertrando Stakes). ‘ABNER had been off four months when he returned last month in a grass race designed as a prep for this Calbred dirt stakes. The veteran gelding has been training at Los Alamitos since early March, likes the track, has tactical speed for a forwardly placed trip, and figures to move up second start back. GALILEAN stretches out and returns to the track on which he won a route stakes two years ago at age 2. GALILEAN set quick