The racing week in Southern California continues later today at Santa Anita Park where there is a special holiday card starting at 1PM local time. The Monday slate is ten-races in total headlined by the $80k Swingtime Stakes for fillies and mares at one-mile over the grass. Here are a few horses I like most on the afternoon, including my thoughts on the featured event.


Race 7: Swingtime
The pace should be honest in the Columbus Day feature given the presence of #8 Bit Tiger’s Magic, as well as the filly drawn to her inside #7 Pura Vida Princess. This should allow 5-2-favorite #6 Tirupati to find the perfect spot early under veteran European rider Jaime Spencer. I would not swallow too short of a price though on the Augustin Stable mare since she is coming in off an arduous task at Kentucky Downs where she failed the as the odds-on choice. In fact, the daughter of Mitole has struggled to fail to cross the wire first yet in 2026. I will she moves early or hangs late and #5 Firenze Flavor makes the last move. The daughter of Liam’s Map was outrun at 50-1 at Del Mar in the John C. Mabee (G2) in early September, but that was her first start in over ten months. Plus, her best efforts have all come over this course. If the pace is fast, she should be rolling late.

Play: #5 Firenze Flavor (8-1 ML)
Picks: 5-6-1


Race 9:
Trainer Mark Glatt holds a strong hand in this second-level allowance event at six-furlongs over the Santa Anita sod. He has 9-5-ML favorite #6 Bad Uncle Barry, potential speed #5 Simple Song, and lightly-raced #2 Tap the Gin. All lure top-tier riders on the circuit and should find good spots early. Tap the Gin and Simple Song are not for me, while Bad Uncle Barry looms a likely underlay as the one to beat. I will take on the Glatt trio with #7 Mescalero. The son of Into Mischief moves to an outside draw for the first time as a 4YO after chasing the pace in the Green Flash (G2) from a less advantageous spot inside draw. He won over this course/distance to kick off his career and should get a great trip this afternoon under Kazushi Kimura.

Play: #7 Mescalero (6-1 ML)
Picks: 7-6-8


Race 10:
I will close the card endorsing the 5-2-ML favorite in this two-turn MSW event for 2YOs over the main track. #7 Mixit chased the pace early and had nothing left late in his debut effort at Del Mar in early September, but that came at far shorter versus a higher quality group at this stage of the juvenile’s careers. I was encouraged by the early speed of this colt given the competition and expect him to find a prominent spot early against a group that has not shown all that much to be fearful of thus far.

Play: #7 Mixit (5-2 ML)
Picks- 7-3-9