ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 3, TCHULA SUNSET

FIRST RACE

RCATCANSCAT was claimed by Jerry Hollendorfer from a solid win for $20k; the filly moves up one class level with a versatile running style that allows her to press the pace or rally from behind. Hollendorfer has two starters on the card (races 1-2), as he and Peter Miller (races 5, 9, 10) battle for the winter-meet training title. IRISH DAME set a fast pace over a track that was not quick, and wired maiden-30s in her return to dirt. Proven at this seven-furlong trip, she might be the one to catch. GOOD N NAUGHTY misfired in her first against winners, but her runaway maiden-claiming win two back puts her in the hunt. VERY HOT was overmatched vs. Cal-bred allowance fillies. She returns to the claiming ranks as a contender based on back-to-back wins on this track in January-February.

SECOND RACE

Hollendorfer-trained IPRAY ran better than the line suggests last out finishing second in a $12.5k claiming starter allowance. The one-three finishers were front-runners; IPRAY was the only closer to make an impact. She drops to $10k claiming, and can be positioned closer to the pace than she was last out. PRINCESS TIZNOW moves up in class to open $10k claiming, following a $12.5k claiming N2L win. Although the win was visually unimpressive, the lightly raced (five starts) filly has now won two straight and she will be on top of the pace. SIDEPOCKET RUN is a 3-for-34 veteran mare making her first start since November. She will be running late, while PRIVATE TERRACE figures as a contender if she gets the same front-running trip she got last out when she crushed by more than six. Not likely she would get another easy lead, however.

THIRD RACE

TCHULA SUNSET returns to the $25k claiming level from which he was claimed two starts back. He was overmatched last out for $40k, but actually ran okay. He set the pace from the rail, and only tired the final furlong. Back at his winning level, with a fast training-track work one week ago, the 3yo pro (3 wins, 2 seconds from 10 starts) might be the best gamble on the card. WE GO NOW missed by a head last out in a similar spot. Although stuck on the rail, and facing a horse that beat him last time, this field includes only one other true front-runner. WE GO NOW is quick enough to establish position from the rail, and could get a good trip sitting second behind the speed. He lost last out to laterunner CAUSA, who figures as a contender right back. BLABIMIR is the speed of the field, dropping for the first time into a claiming race and making his first start since he was gelded. He has 44-andchange speed, and will lead as far as he can.a

FOURTH RACE

NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR is a 10yo pro with 15 career wins, dropping in class after a pair of mid-pack finishes against tougher. Last out, five and onehalf furlongs was too short; he finished sixth. He stretches to seven furlongs, and though the rail post is a challenge, he might simply be the “best horse” based on his wins in December and January. TIZ JOLIE was compromised by a bad start last time, yet rallied from 15 lengths behind to finished second by a length and a half. Claimed off the effort, back to one turn, he is an off-the-pace threat. EDDIE’S TURN returns from a five-month layoff near the bottom level. His workout pattern suggests he will fire first start back. ROUGH PASSAGE and BROADWAY NIKA are speed.

FIFTH RACE

BONA FIDE IMAGE missed by a nose last out while finishing more than four lengths clear of third. If she runs two alike, she should handle this maiden30. Her trainer Bill Spawr had a fantastic meet;

he entered the weekend 15-for-38. Peter Millertrained MY MEL MAR disappointed in her debut last fall, but returns against a relatively easy field of maiden-claiming fillies. Miller is deadly with maiden-claiming comebackers returning from a layoff of six months or more; he is 14-for-26 the past five years according to DRF Formulator. JUST

BE HELD dropped to the maiden-claiming ranks for the first time last out, and ran the best race of her career, runner-up vs. similar.

SIXTH RACE

This maiden sprint for Cal-bred fillies and mares is a good spot to take a shot with high-odds frontrunner PROPER DRINK. She had a short work pattern into her comeback, dueled on a hot pace and faded in the lane. Since then, she worked once a week. She shortens from six and one-half furlongs to five and one half, has a prep race under her belt, and could take this field gate to wire at a price. ROCKETANN will rally late. She returned from a four-month layoff last out, and ran the best race of her career, third with a respectable Beyer. She might be the best late threat. YALLA is a firsttime starter from a stable that pops with these; HAVEITURE WAY has a license to improve off her fourth-place debut. Her first-out 66 Beyer tops the field, but she is buried on the rail and probably will be facing much quicker fractions this time.

SEVENTH RACE

SWEET CHARITY scratched from the G2 Royal Heroine on Saturday to go instead in this N2X turf mile. Based on the form of her three U.S. starts, she should be strongly favored. Runner-up twice at this allowance condition, she finished third last out in a G2. With a class drop Sunday, and a shorter trip, logical choice. SHEEZA MILKY WAY drops from a fourth-place finish in the same race; two starts back she finished a head behind the top choice. The deep-closing filly will be rolling late, ridden for the first time by the meet’s leading jockey Flavien Prat. SALSITA shortens from a mile and one-quarter to a mile; the 8-for-32 pro is another legit closer, while LILY KAI stretches back to two turns after a respectable third in a turf sprint.

EIGHTH RACE

ADROSA SKY and longshot bomber SIVALI are the only starters in this $12.5k claiming N2L sprint that have not lost at the level. The call is ADROSA SKY, whose speed figures are tops in the field; he has been running respectably against tougher company, and he also ndhas speed. SIVALI makes his first start in nearly one year. Last seen winning a maiden-30 via disqualification, SIVALI returns with a relatively light work tab, but this field is soft and the distance is only five and a half. CARULLI and DR. CRABBBY finished three-two last out in a similar restricted claiming sprint.

NINTH RACE

SELCOURT scored a smashing debut victory two months ago, and has pointed to this sprint stakes for 3yo fillies ever since. Hammered to even money first out, she parked by more than nine lengths and trained better out of the race than she did going in. The only knock on her win is she had nothing behind her. Four from that maiden race ran back, none hit the board. Not the fault of SELCOURT, but she is facing tougher company in this stakes, which is essentially a N1X. LIFE’S BLESSINGS broke slowly again, but finished a decent second behind Santa Anita Oaks contender Princess Karen. That was the first start since August for LIFE’S BLESSINGS, who sharpened up one week ago with a bullet workout in 59.20 seconds. With a race under her belt, improvement is likely. CHALON (Miller), the only horse to defeat Unique Bella, has not raced since her sharp front-running debut in June. She subsequently scratched in the post parade of the Landaluce Stakes and has not been seen since. Her workouts at San Luis Rey Downs suggest she is ready to fire. UNION STRIKE won the G1 Del Mar Debutante last summer as a maiden; this is her first start since December.

TENTH RACE

Runner-up both U.S. starts, ZAFFINAH should be favored second start back. She ran well last out behind impressive debut winner Pacific Wind. GOSEECAL is a nine-start maiden that found nine furlongs slightly out of reach last out when she finished third. She benefits by the distance cutback to one mile. RED SHELBY (Miller) ran well in her fourth-place debut, rallying in traffic and showing some late interest. With a race under her belt, she can move. That is a wrap for the meet, and a wrap for this handicapper. One-week spring vacation beckons; returning soon.