Saturday’s card at Santa Anita Park comes just two weeks before the running of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships down the freeway at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. The 10-race slate gets rolling at 4 pm ET / 1 pm PT and is headlined by the $80,000 Lure S. named for one of the best turf milers in my lifetime. The restricted stakes event over the grass goes as Race 9 and is included in a number of Santa Anita’s player friendly horizontal wagers. Here are a few horses I like on the card, including my top choice in the feature.


Race 5:

This state-bred MSW event for 2YO fillies over the sod that kicks off the Pick 6 and the All-Turf Pick 3 drew a field of eight led by #5 Druliner. The Clubhouse Ride filly comes in off a runner-up effort in her first try over the lawn back on August 28 at Del Mar. She beat #7 Eighties to the wire that day, but I give Eighties a big shot to turn the tables in her second start over the lawn. The Reddam Racing homebred was caught three-wide most of the way and moved before Druliner did to take on the leaders. She understandably did not have a ton of energy left late, but still battled hard to the wire to earn third. She gets a rider upgrade to Umberto Rispoli, should get the jump on the favorite once again, and appears poised to breakthrough for career victory number 1.

Play: #7 Eighties (9-2 ML)


Race 9: Lure Stakes

The condition of the Saturday feature is key in assessing the chances of runners to get to the wire first since it is a significant class drop for horses exiting graded stakes events. The $80k race at one-mile over the sod is for those that have not won a stake of $60k at one mile or longer other than state-breds. This essentially means you have horses coming in to this spot not in their best form. I am hopeful this is the wake-up call for #4 Endlessly. The Amerman Racing colt was very good on the all-weather early in his career, tried the Kentucky Derby, and has not been the same since. That said, he has faced far better competition than he encounters today. Plus, one could argue he is rounding back into form despite failing to hit the board in three straight starts. Trainer Michael McCarthy probably sent him too far last out in the Del Mar Handicap (G2) and he ran better than the running line suggests two-back in the Wickerr. The son of Oscar Performance reunites with Umberto Rispoli. Hopefully, he comes to life with the decrease in competition.

Play: Endlessly (7-2 ML) * pictured*


Race 10:

The finale is a state-bred first level allowance at event at 6-furlongs over the main track where I like 10-time winner #11 Brookys Gal. The I’ll Have Another filly makes her second start of the form cycle for trainer Isidro Tamayo after a half-length defeat at 6-1 at Los Alamitos in mid-September. The 4YO gal has already proven she can be competitive at this venue and over this surface with her runner-up finish to a gate-to-wire winner in a slightly lesser spot on March 8. She draws to the far outside, so traffic issues should not be a problem for jockey Abel Lezcano. Her nose for the wire and 8-1-ML offering make her my top play to close the day.

Play: #11 Brookys Gal (8-1 ML)