ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 6, WOODSTOCK MEMORY

FIRST RACE

The Saturday card includes a handful of races in which under-achievers are the top choice, including 11-start maiden STARLITE STYLE in this Calbred maiden turf route. The beaten favorite at odds-on in three straight, her most recent start may have been her best. She was in an okay spot saving ground on the backstretch, but then shuffled to last into the far turn. Instead of continuing to save ground, she let loose with a crazy wide move, was caught eight-wide into the lane, tried to finish, but had too much to do. She missed by less than two lengths. It can be unwise to apologize for a career maiden, but his filly is in good form and gets a rider switch to Flavien Prat. She merits another chance. EASY SONG set a fast pace and held third in a good comeback sprint. Her only route last year was a promising third. Tab for improvement second start back. She may be the one to catch. MY AUNT TILLIE finished in front of the top choice last out, while continuing her gradual improving pattern. The seven-start maiden hit the board her last three routes.

SECOND RACE

This is the only five-horse race on the card. LOUD STALKER returns to claiming and has enough speed to set or press the pace against a field short on pace. He could be long gone. Since late February, trainer Jack Carava is 8-for-38. UNCLE GRUMPY, the only three-time winner, returns to a sprint in his first start off the claim. Seven furlongs can be a good distance for turn-backs. MYSTICAL IMAGE also drops, and should be forwardly placed chasing/pressing easy splits. SLASHER and ICEBERG SLIM complete the field. Pick five bettors probably should consider “all.”

THIRD RACE

MARCHTOTHEMUSIC and GATO DOLCE are tough to separate in this maiden-20 sprint at five and a half. ‘MUSIC is a 3yo facing older, with an apprentice rider, and therefore a 13-pound weight break over his chief rival. He also is drawn outside his foe, and quick enough to engage early. GATO DOLCE, beaten favorite three straight at this level, nonetheless has the top speed figures in the field. His runner-up finish last out was validated when third place Awesome Image returned to win by more than four lengths with a big number (74 Beyer). BIG HEARTED split the field, virtually, in both starts on the comeback. He benefits by a switch to jockey Martin Pedroza. First-time starter RALPH JACOBS was a vet scratch from a maiden50 two weeks ago; he shows up at rock bottom. KING PACAL is longshot speed, second start back. He is kind of an interesting price play, actually.

FOURTH RACE

This turf route for maiden fillies and mares is another race in which the top choice is a habitual underachiever. But nine-start maiden SCANDAL, a 5-year-old, finished second her last four starts including a nose loss last out. Her off-the-pace running style has been the winning profile lately over this turf course. She is the horse to beat, but a tough one to trust. She is trained by Richard Mandella, who also entered stretch-out LINE. The latter broke slowly both comeback starts on the hill, finishing in the back half of the field both times as the favorite. But she is bred to run long (dam a three-time turf route graded winner), and she continues to train like she has more ability than she showed in three starts. GOSEECAL is a 10-start maiden with six in-the-money finishes; ARROWSPHERE goes long for the first time and is likely to influence the pace. European import CREME DE LA has nine in-the-money finishes from 10 starts. Trainer Dan Blacker’s two mostrecent Euro-imports (Double Touch, Arethusa) finished second at 23-1, and 34-1.

FIFTH RACE

BRONZE AGE was eased as the favorite last out in the G3 Sunland Derby, but he bounced back quickly from the debacle. He has a series of solid workouts, and returns to the surface on which he posted a highly rated win two starts back. That maiden race Feb. 18 is fast enough to win this N1X for 3yos. BRONZE AGE is drawn outside his

main pace rival, and the one to beat with a frontrunning/pace-pressing trip. However, he faces a serious rival in COLONIST, a visually impressive maiden winner last out in his second career start, and first around two turns. COLONIST will roll from off the pace. HOWDY KINGKOWBOY returns to Southern California following two sharp efforts in Arizona. He won the Turf Paradise Derby two back, and finished second by a head last out in a turf route stakes. He is entered for the optional $75k claim tag. MILTON FREEWATER finished ninth in the Santa Anita Derby last out; LIFELINE ran super both starts on turf, this is his dirt debut. WHO’S HOT wired maiden sprinters and is the main pace rival for the top choice.

SIXTH RACE

It took him 14 starts to finally win a race, but maiden-20 graduate WOODSTOCK MEMORY could be the most probable winner on the card if he reproduces his most recent start while realistically placed in a $12.5k claiming N2L route. Lastout maiden winners win frequently at this level; WOODSTOCK MEMORY has speed for a pressing trip. Not quite a slam dunk, but under the circumstances, he is rock solid. SPANISH EYES finished last in a small field of $16k claiming 3yos, but was claimed by trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. Since mid-February, Hollendorfer is 10-3-4-1 first off the claim at Santa Anita. Improvement is likely. UNBRIDLED ROCKET has been stuck at this level for a long time. The 1-for-21 gelding missed by a head last out, while finishing more than six lengths clear of third.

SEVENTH RACE

BOLO wheels back two weeks after finishing ninth as the favorite in a G1 at Keeneland. The multiple graded winner loves the Santa Anita turf; he has four wins and two in-the-money finishes from six starts. Third in a G1 on this course two back, winner of a G2 three back, he enters as the class of the field. SAWYER’S HILL is the sharpest in the field, seeking his third straight win moving up in class from N3X. He was a top 3yo in 2014 when he finished second in a pair of G2s, and has returned to peak form. The front-runner is the speed of the field. TWENTYTWENTYVISION is an enigmatic gelding that is good enough when he fires. He can be forgiven for misfiring last out on dirt; his best races are on grass. Graded placed on multiple occasions, he reportedly has trained and will be rolling late. FABOZZI finished second to SAWYER’S HILL last out.

EIGHTH RACE

Yet another career maiden (seven starts) trying to break through, HOLLYWOOD STRIKE ran well enough to win each of his last two starts. Runnerup twice recently, the 4yo is fast enough to make the lead and probably the one to catch. SECRET TOUCH finished a half-length behind the top choice last out while making just the second start of his career. The 3yo gets a six-pound weight break and will be forwardly placed. UNION REBEL has improved each successive start; his most recent was a runner-up finish behind race-6 contender Colonist. HONOR AND COURAGE might be ranked too low. Runner-up both routes in winter, this is his first start in nearly three months.

NINTH RACE

Fun race to end the Saturday card, this N1X/ optional $40k claiming turf route includes a host of logical contenders. None have won more often than 12-for-43 BUYMEABOND. Claimed from a third-place finish last out, he shortens from a mile and one-eighth to a mile, and is qualified to win from off the pace. But this field is deep, and RYE PATCH will be positioned in front of the top choice while dropping from a N2X on synthetic The front-runner will contest the pace, but there is other speed in the field. BRANDOTHEBARTENDER scratched from a similar spot April 1; he finished fourth by a length his only try at this level. TERZETTO went too fast and faded last time. He helps insure honest fractions. CROWN THE KITTEN will rally late at a price.