A new racing week at The Great Race Place gets started Thursday afternoon with a 9-race slate that gets rolling at 3:30 pm ET / 12:30 pm PT. The card is headlined by a pair of state-bred first-level allowance events at one-turn over the Santa Anita sod. Here are a trio of horses I have interest in wagering on to get the third week of the Classic Meet started.


Race 3:

My first play of the week comes in the first of the two aforementioned 6-furlong affairs for Cal-breds over the grass. #1 Jetovator was understandably made the significant 9-5-ML favorite after nailing #3 Grazed at the wire in a 5-furlong dash at Del Mar in late November. The 10YO gelding has won 6 of his 7 career races over this course and should find a prominent spot early along the inside under jockey Mirco DeMuro. Hopefully, Grazed, #5 Jaguar Jon and even #7 Bro Bro off the layoff make things difficult towards the front end and set things up for #6 Gold Council. The son of Passion for Gold returns from a 19-month break in early October for new trainer Antonio Garcia and put in a strong late run at odds of 46-1 to miss by a neck. His start at Del Mar in November was not nearly as good, but he was caught wide and off the pace on a day where the rails were out and the inside was the place to be. The 6YO gelding has done his best work in Arcadia and should be a nice price with Diego Herrera returning to ride.

Play: #6 Gold Council (8-1 ML)


Race 5:

The fifth race is the biggest race of the day for most horizontal players since it concludes the early Pick 4 & Pick 5, kicks off the late Pick 5, and makes up the first leg of the Thursday $3 All-Turf Pick 3. Most horseplayers will understandably use 5-2-ML favorite #6 Columnist after a pair of third-place efforts at this same distance dating back to late August for trainer Tim Yakteen. Yakteen is off to a good start to the meet and takes the blinkers off this son of Dads Caps for the first time. However, I prefer #1 Dark Blue. The Amerman Racing colt goes two sprints to a route in his first start in 2026 for trainer Michael McCarthy. The son of Maxfield broke just okay and put forth an even fifth on debut in late September and then showed improved speed from the gate, but was up against it from a race shape perspective nonetheless when we saw him last. McCarthy stretches Dark Blue out to a route of ground and adds the shades both for the first time, which along with his rail draw should allow jockey Umberto Rispoli to find a comfortable spot relatively close to the early proceedings. I am expecting a career best run from this guy in career start number 3.

Play: #1 Dark Blue (7-2 ML)


Race 9:

Trainer Mark Glatt came into the meet on a bit of a slow streak and it took a couple of days to start winning races in Arcadia, but he certainly has figured things out of late. The veteran Southern California conditioner has won with 7 of 20 over the last 15 days for an ROI of $3.39. Glatt sends out #4 Big Bill for his first start since early October in this state-bred MSW event at one-mile over the grass.. The English Channel gelding burnt a good deal of the public’s money as a 3YO, but based on the morning line is likely to be second choice in this spot with a pace advantage. Look for jockey Abel Lezcano to take Big Bill to the front in the Thursday finale and have plenty left late to earn his first lifetime score.

Play: #4 Big Bill (2-1 ML)