The Lead:Weekday rains pushed back opening day at Santa Anita to Sunday, but the traditional slate of stakes races that welcomes action back to The Great Place remains. Six important stakes emblaze the marquee, headed by the Grade 1 American Oaks, Grade 1 Malibu and Grade 1 La Brea. I'll focus on the Race 8 La Brea over 7 furlongs with a deep field of 11 sophomore fillies.Horseplayers at 1/ST BET and Xpressbet be sure to take part in the $10,000 Exacta-Thon promotion, and don't forget the Sunday return of the Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 and Sunset Pick 6 wagers with Santa Anita's sister track Gulfstream Park. Also note Santa Anita has added Monday racing on December 29 to replace 1 of the missed programs for opening weekend.​​Field Depth:Grade 2 winner FIVE G has the top victory in the lineup. LIsted stakes winners SO THERE SHE WAS, SIMPLY JOKING and SILENT LAW are also either Grade 1 or Grade 2-placed. SIMPLY JOKING arguably has kept the strongest company lines, but this field has just the 1 graded stakes winner and therefore is ripe to be taken on a class rise by a sharp filly.​Pace:SILENT LAW is the most committed front-runner in the field and will pop from the outside if she runs to form. Stablemates USHA and BRILLIANTLY won't be far off of it, nor will MAGNIFICAT, FORMULA ROSSA, ARTISMA and FIVE G. The pace should be strong.Our Eyes:Here are my horse-by-horse notes.#1-SIMPLY JOKING: Midwestern transplant has made a new home in Michael McCarthy's Santa Anita barn. She was second-best to elder star mare Hope Rode at Del Mar at a mile last out. The cutback in distance and hot pace could serve her well under Kazushi Kimura, who won this race last year aboard Kopion.#2-SO THERE SHE WAS: Remington Park Oaks winner followed that with a fourth-place finish in the Mother Goose at Aqueduct. She returns home and to the sprint ranks for the first time since summer. A bullet workout Dec. 10 from the gate hasn't been followed up in the morning, so it's fair to question if the Doug O'Neill trainee did a little to much that morning.#3-FIVE G: Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks winner hasn't run since March and returns in a difficult spot on the road for Florida-based trainer George Weaver. She won the 1-turn mile Cash Run at Gulfstream, but has primarily routed with much success. Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount. Watched her workout at 1st.tv and thought it was so-so for the comeback with only 1 timed drill in a month.#4-ARTISMA: Blinkers go on this Richard Baltas trainee as she exits a trio of allowance runner-up finishes. Second-itis has been the diagnosis 5 times in 6 starts this year. Fits fairly well with several of these based on her allowance performance November 16 at Del Mar and has been working well since.#5-USHA (pictured): First of 3 Bob Baffert trainees in the gate as he aims for a record-padding 10th win in the La Brea and third straight. Tiz the Law filly disappointed in the maiden ranks with several short-priced losses, then turned it on at Del Mar this summer before a befuddling fold in the Raven Run at Keeneland. Juan Hernandez won this race in 2022 and 2024 and was aboard for her Del Mar scores. Looked good in December 20 workout video cutting the corner. Capable, but not trustworthy at a shorter price.#6-BRILLIANTLY: What his Bob Baffert trainee lacks in experience, she makes up for in potential off of her December 15 workout over the track. She literally toyed with elder Grade 1-winning colt Nevada Beach that morning and could be rounding into a freakish effort in just her fourth start and first in a stakes. That Flavien Prat takes the mount speaks volumes. The form may not show it, but she's my horse to beat. When Baffert horses train like this, you don't shop elswhere.#7-SCHILFLIED: 13-start veteran of the field has been racing on turf each time and is bred for the grass. Paddy Gallagher takes a dirt fling here and has Tyler Baze aboard at what will be big odds after 36-1 and 49-1 dull efforts turf sprinting.#8-HER LAUGH: Trainer Riley Mott brings this Kentucky filly from her Florida winter base in a second-off-the-layoff form cycle. She was off March to November when returning for a decent second in the allowance ranks at Churchill Downs. She won Tampa Bay Downs' Untapable Stakes routing on the front end, but projects more of a midpack to closer in this spot under Jose Ortiz. Regular rider Irad Ortiz Jr. hops seats to Five G on Sunday.#9-FORMULA ROSSA: Veteran jockey Mike Smith looks for a record-setting sixth La Brea Stakes score when he partners with this Mark Glatt trainee. The Vekoma filly ran a sharp second to the elder sprint star Sweet Azteca in the Rancho Bernardo at Del Mar in August and comes off the layoff. She's fired big fresh in the past and is dangerous here despite just 3 career starts, but has been asked for some run in her morning drills.#10-MAGNIFICAT: Trainer Richard Mandella hopes to follow up Kopion's La Brea win last year with this lightly raced daughter of his star Omaha Beach. She's won 2 of 3, both in photos and has yet to taste defeat on dirt. She won a Nov. 16 allowance against Artisma and Brilliantly, who return in the La Brea as well.#11-SILENT LAW: Tiz the Law filly is the final of 3 Baffert trainees in the La Brea field and she's got 1 way to go -- to the front. Juan Hernandez jumps to ride stablemate Usha, leaving the mount to Joel Rosario. I thought she got out-worked recently and it's odd to see a quality horse have 3 straight gate workouts. She's run against tome top elders like Tamara, but I'm not certain she's flourishing right now.Most Likely Exotics Contender:BRILLIANTLY has my undivided attention.Best Longshot Contender:MAGNIFICAT has hard-to-knock form and her BRIS Late Pace Figures are admirable to garner a share. You could do worse at 20-1 morning line.Sending it in ($100 bankroll):$90 win BRILLIANTLY. $5 trifecta key BRILLIANTLY over MAGNIFICAT and USHA ($10).

A Christmas Eve gift to horseplayers is the Daily Double promotion we have Wednesday for Gulfstream Park. Not only will there be 10X 1/ST Rewards Points on the entire card, but also a $2,400 late pick 4 Hit & Split when you play with 1/ST BET and Xpressbet. What better way to attack the Daily Double promotion than Gulfstream's dynamic handicapping double of Brian Nadeau and Ron Nicoletti? Here are the picks.Brian Nadeau Gulfstream Wednesday SelectionsRace 1:4 – Tiadoro2 – Lion Lake11 – Brat PackRace 2:3 – Distinguished Guest4 – Magic Red2 – Final PaymentRace 3:7 – Accelerate Me2 – Sound of the Beast5 – Mustang BayRace 4:1 – Well Shaken5 – Rosie Dozie6 – Lucky BerryRace 5:5 – Shades of Jade (Best Bet)4 – The Dove Rules8 – On the PayrollRace 6:3 – Final Drama7 – El Guty6 – MiloRace 7:7 – Baytown Parfait5 – American Speed4 – American FarmerRace 8:1 – American Monach4 – Souper Quest3 – Pure ClassRace 9:1 – Louise Proctor (Longshot)4 – Alluring Angel6 – La MehanaBest Bet: R5: #5 Shades of Jade (7-5)* MSW win hints at big things to come* Catches a modest group of winners* Antonacci/Irad are 6-for-12 togetherLongshot: R9: #1 Louise Proctor (10-1)* Lightly raced with plenty of upside* Brown runners can outrun their figs* Turf ace rarely runs without a chanceRon Nicoletti Gulfstream Wednesday SelectionsRace 1:11 – Brat Pack9 – Forget About You (IRE)7 – Osmosis (FR)Race 2:1 – Expert Witness4 – Magic Red2 – Final PaymentRace 3:7 – Accelerate Me3 – Song So Sweet5 – Mustang BayRace 4:2 – Divine Blue1 – Well Shaken6 – Lucky BerryRace 5:5 – Shades of Jade8 – On the Payroll6 – Clay SoldierRace 6:6 – Milo7 – El Guty4 – ImapeppaRace 7:4 – American Farmer7 – Baytown Parfait8 – BulldozeRace 8:1 – American Monarch (BB)2 – Neshume7 – Beach Colt (CHI)Race 9: The Via Borghese5 – No Show Sammy Jo (GB) (LS)4 – Alluring Angel (GB)6 – La Mehana (FR)Best Bet: R8: 1 American Monarch3 for 6 at the distance on the dirt, moves to the main track after the recent inconsistent campaign sprinting on turf vs a notch tougher.Longshot: R9: 5 No Show Sammy JoWas beat 1 1/4 lengths by Morning Line fave Alluring Angel last out, despite the fact she bumped & was shuffled back in G3 Long Island.

Good things come to those who wait is what I was once told as a youngster. That seems to be the case for Southern California racing fans to close 2025. Mother nature has stepped in forcing track officials to push the traditional December 26 opening day card at Santa Anita Park back until Sunday, December 28. All good here though. It should make for an outstanding Sunday Funday that has been made even better by the 1/ST BET and Xpressbet marketing team. They have not only brought the Exacta-Thon back just a week after the $5000 promotion at Gulfstream Park last Saturday, but they have upped the ante to $10,000! The goal once again is to connect on the most $2 exactas over the course of the 11-race extravaganza. Those who hit five, split $7,500, the customer(s) who hit the most, get the other $2,500. Here are a few I will include as part of my attempt at the $10k.Race 2:My first play of the day comes in this MSW event for 2YOs where I expect most horseplayers to understandably gravitate to the Bob Baffert uncoupled entry of #1 Winston Ave and #4 Newton. Winston Ave holds the experience edge after coming from off the pace to finish second on debut last month at Del Mar. His stablemate Newton comes in off a long series of drills and attracts Juan Hernandez for his first lifetime start. He could be quick, but the amount of gate works leading up to his debut is a bit concerning. I will try to beat them both with #2 Liam Smith. The Donald Dizney homebred is a half to talented Brian Lynch runner Jimmys Dailys and comes in off some quick local drills. New jock to the colony Emisael Jaramillo will be onboard. For those not familiar with Jaramillo, he is one of the best in the game at getting a horse into the race. Hopefully, he can do just that with this son of Midshipman.Play: Exacta 2 with 1+3+4Race 7:The late Pick 5 kicks off with this first-level allowance down the hill where there are only two horses I fully trust over this unique configuration. #1 Anmer Hall is the deserving 7-2-ML favorite. He has 5 career wins, 3 over this course, and even won at the 6.5-furlong distance out of town at Kentucky Downs in mid-September. The only concern for those willing to swallow chalk is the inside draw and lack of early speed. Antonio Fresu knows him well, so I am not too worried about him getting caught on the rail, but I do think #8 Mucho Del Oro could get the jump. The 7YO gelding makes his third start since entering the George Papaprodromou barn this fall. He was off slow last out costing him any chance in a five-furlong dash at Del Mar and prior to that he went very quick early before fading back to fourth in the Eddie D (G2). He is 7 for 16 over this course and could be tough to catch if Edwin Maldonado can control the early pace.Play: Exacta Box 1-8Race 9: San Gabriel (G3)This year’s San Gabriel field does not have that much speed signed on. #6 Nesso’s Lastharrah could be the pacesetter, but he missed the break last out in a softer spot and has been on the sidelines since. #9 Cabo Spirit is the only other runner in here with any sort of early zip. The son of Pioneerof the Nile is consistent when he has things his way. Last out in the Seabiscuit, it was Umberto Rispoli aboard not normal rider Mike Smith. Rispoli opted to stalk just off the early pace going 8.5-furlongs at Del Mar and ended up tiring badly late. With Smith back onboard, I expect him to be aggressive from his outside draw, especially if the pace appears moderate early. Either way, I like the chances of one of these price options to have things their way early and be tough to get by late. At their likely off odds, not only can I get a lot of bang for my buck, but also could knock down an exacta that most other players will whiff on in the Exacta-Thon.Play: Exacta 6+9 with 4+6+8+9Have a great holiday and I will be back on Saturday with full card selections for this fantastic opening day slate at the Great Race Place!!

EXTRA INCENTIVESBet $100, Get $10 | Turf Paradise | today’s racesPegasus World Cup VIP Sweepstakes | now through Jan. 4NOTABLE CARRYOVERSJackpot Pick 5 | $57,072 | Parx | begins Race 1 | 12:05 pm ETJackpot Pick 6 | $200,376 | Turf Paradise | begins Race 3 | 4:15 pm ET--Parx will have a mandatory payout Tuesday on late pick 5KEY RACESDelta Downs | Race 8 | 4:16 pm ET | Rosewater StakesLONGSHOT RACE ALERT FROM BETMIXParx | Race 1 | 12:05 pm ETDelta Downs | Race 6 | 3:20 pm ETTurf Paradise | Race 7 | 6:15 pm ETTRAINERS TO WATCHNestor Rivera | Mahoning Valley | all 4 entrants 4-1 or less oddsDID YOU SEE?Yesterday | Mahoning Valley | trainer Tim Hamm | 2 wins, 1 second from 4 startersPUT US ON YOUR HANDICAPPING TEAMJeremy Plonk: Turf Paradise Bet $100, Get $10 PicksFrank Carulli & Brian W. Spencer best bets today in Xpressbet.com member’s section

Opening day at Santa Anita may have been pushed back a few days by Mother Nature, but even she would envy the 6 stakes on the card drawing 57 entries. The Grade 1 $300,000 Malibu at 7 furlongs matches 10 top 3-year-olds in a final season showcase for the sport’s most well-known division of horses.Horseplayers with 1/ST BET and Xpressbet be sure to take part in the $10,000 Exacta-Thon promotion Sunday for Santa Anita’s card.Let’s meet the contenders for the Malibu Stakes (Race 10):#1-MODUS BESTIA: Since starting 0-5, this Maclean’s Music colt has started to show his $500,000 purchase price promise with back-to-back wins. The Richard Baltas trainee was 0-2 last season at Santa Anita and looks to parlay his Del Mar success to The Great Race Place. Edwin Maldonado rides for the first time as Flavien Prat opts for Cornucopian on Sunday.#2-SPENARD: Son of Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Spun to Run makes a massive hike in class after back-to-back losses in New Mexico. His 2-for-10 mark includes wins at Turf Paradise and Prairie Meadows, while 3: 0-0-0 in stakes tries. Tyler Baze rides for Dan McFarlane.#3-MADAKET ROAD: Grade 1 Woody Stephens runner-up remains eligible for a first-level allowance, a year after breaking his maiden on opening day of the 2024-’25 Santa Anita Classic Meet. He’s the first of 5 Bob Baffert trainees in the field, and comes in off an August freshening while picking up superstar jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. Those two teamed to run second in the Rebel and Pat Day Mile this spring. Baffert’s 6 wins in the Malibu are tied with Richard Mandella for the most all-time.#4-SPEEDY WILSON: Multiple California-bred stakes winner for Phil D’Amato gets a class test Sunday. He rallied to collar Del Mar allowance sprint rivals in open company November 29, and will see if he can do it against stakes-class foes this time. Armando Ayuso rides the late runner who is 3-for-3 at the Malibu’s 7-furlong distance.#5-MIDLAND MONEY: Bob Baffert trains this $650,000 colt by Shancelot, who was runner-up in his racing heyday in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and the Santa Anita Sprint Championship while under the San Gabriel Mountains. Midland Money also has a touch of second-it is, runner-up in a pair of allowances at Del Mar and Santa Anita as the favorite this fall. Blinkers go on colt who has lost 3 straight since opening his stop-and-start career 2-for-2. Regular rider Juan Hernandez is up.#6-BERLIN WALL: California-bred allowance winner November 16 tries to parlay that 7-3/4 length score into a major upset. Steve Knapp and Tiago Pereira once again team up with this son of Practical Joke, who will be making his stakes debut in lifetime start #6.#7-SMOOTH CRUISEIN: Sophomore has faced California’s best older sprinters this year in the Triple Bend, Bing Crosby and Santa Anita Sprint Championship. Those efforts put him in the hunt against fellow 3-year-olds as regular rider Kyle Frey returns for trainer Karen Headley. The barn has just 2 wins in all of 2025, including this colt’s April 26 allowance win at Santa Anita.#8-CORNUCOPIAN: Smashing February 23 debut winner at Oaklawn Park had the Triple Crown trail buzzing with a triple-digit Beyer Speed Figure. But this $1.1 million Into Mischief colt failed to negotiate 3 additional furlongs a month later in the Arkansas Derby and then disappointed in late April at Aqueduct before the plug was pulled by Bob Baffert. Blinkers come off for the return from that seven-month layoff and Baffert has gone to his typical series of 6-furlong workouts to make up for lost time. Flavien Prat takes the mount for the first time, while Irad Ortiz Jr. ends up on Baffert’s Madaket Road. Prat won the Malibu aboard Flightline (2021) and Speed Boat Beach (2023), the latter for Baffert.#9-BARNES: After winning the San Vicente on January 4 at Santa Anita to improve to 2-for-2, many considered this the Kentucky Derby winter favorite. The $3.2 million colt by Into Mischief failed to stretch out, losing the San Felipe and Santa Anita Derby before some time off. Barnes disappointed in his return bids, third in the H. Allen Jerkens at Saratoga and fourth at odds-on in the Gallant Bob at Parx. His smashing win at Keeneland in October’s Perryville looked more like what was expected. Jose Ortiz rode at Keeneland and will again Sunday for Bob Baffert. The two best performances of his career have come at this 7-furlong trip.#10-GOAL ORIENTED: The last of 5 Bob Baffert trainees in the mix, Goal Oriented cuts back in distance for the first time since an April sprint debut win at Santa Anita. The Preakness fourth-place finisher added placings in the Haskell and Pennsylvania Derby at a quarter-mile farther than the Malibu. Blinkers come off this Not This Time colt, who will be ridden for the first time by 2-time Malibu winner Joel Rosario. He’s one of 3 Grade 1-placed runners in the field – joining stablemates Madaket Road and Barnes.

It’s the season finale of the 1/ST BET and Xpressbet Winter Winner-Land promotion on Tuesday. Turf Paradise will be the featured track in the Bet $100, Get $10 promo. The 8-race card from Phoenix heats up the holiday week with first post slated for 3:15 pm ET.Here are my key plays.Turf Paradise: Race 5#1 Not a Word (8-1 morning line odds) makes her second local start since arriving from Canterbury after an even effort. Trainer Isaiah Ortiz’s Turf Paradise starters have shown big improvement since starting 0-6 at the meet, winning 3 of the next 6 (including $15 and $38 winners). Win bet #1. Exacta key-box 1 with 2,4,8. Daily Double 1-4 to next play.Turf Paradise: Race 6#4 Chainsaw City (8-1 morning line odds) makes a Turf Paradise return after racing in good form this fall on dirt at Mountaineer. Edward Kereluk takes over the local training and note that barn is doing good things in December with limited tries. Four starters this month have included a 6-1 winner, 5-1 runner-up and 15-1 third-place finisher. Win-place bet #4. Exacta 7-4 heavier, 4-7 smaller with a logical favorite.

Northfield Park has a 15-race card with the $1.00 Late Pick 4 starting in Race 11. The sequence has a $10,000 guaranteed pool with a 14% takeout, and it will be my focus. Comments and selections are based on a fast track.Race 11 (9:40 PM EST)1-TT's Magnum Force (6/5)-Comes off a weather scratch and recent form has been dull. Not loving the short price at all but will include with this post draw. Dan Noble should get an efficient trip, and if he pushes the button at the right time it could be picture time.7-Mo Bay (7-1)-The Sam Schillaci entry can be in the hunt. Gets a new addition in Aaron Merriman and that could be the winning difference. There should be an honest pace, if so, the veteran could grind it out and pop at a nice price.Race 12 (10:02 PM EST)2-Tru N Lovely Honor (3-1)-Has the tactical speed to give the 3-year-old filly an edge. Noble will be out and rolling and could get on the point. But if not could win off a pocket ride as well and either way should have enough left to seal the deal down the lane.8-The Toddfather (3-1)-Makes the 1st start for the Jason Shaw barn and this will be 1st time Merriman. Competitive gelding has hit the board in 14 of 19 this year and 5 of 6 at Nfld. Has the gate speed to get a good seat off the car. Also can stalk, then roll by down the lane and the post draw helps the price.Race 13 (10:24 PM EST)2-Be A Lucky Star (9/5)-Last week was hung the mile in the snow and still finished 3rd losing by 1-length. The short price is tough to swallow because has gotten camera shy this year (22-2-3-2). But has been tossing hints and is a major player with a smooth trip versus this bunch.9-Bullvillespandemic (25-1)-Greg Grismore drives and trains and this will be the 3rd start for this outfit. The post draw is an issue but fits with this crew and just qualified to get into the Series with its earnings. The faster they go the better and could be in the mix if gets a good seat around the 1st turn, and with a sharp drive.Race 14 (10:46 PM EST)1-Mister Marvalous (3-1)-Comes off a big win leaving from the 2nd tier and fighting through a wide trip. Does good work racing near the top of the stack and could get a more efficient journey tonight.4-Shrimp And Grits (7/5)-Beat the $8k claimers in the fall at Nfld and won its last race going gate to wire versus the $6K claimers. Comes back against the same kind and is a logical play at a tiny price.$1 Late Pick 41,7/2,8/2,9/1,4Total Bet=$16Check me out on Twitter!

EXTRA INCENTIVESPegasus World Cup VIP Sweepstakes | now through Jan. 4NOTABLE CARRYOVERSJackpot Pick 5 | $43,692 | Parx | begins Race 1 | 12:05 pm ETPick 5 | $6,019 | Mahoning Valley | begins Race 1 | 12:15 pm ETJackpot Pick 6 | $176,938 | Turf Paradise | begins Race 3 | 4:11 pm ETKEY RACESTurf Paradise | Race 2 | 3:43 pm ET | AQRA Turf Paradise Quarter Horse FuturityDelta Downs | Race 8 | 4:16 pm ET | Boyd Rewards StakesLONGSHOT RACE ALERT FROM BETMIXDelta Downs | Race 4 | 2:24 pm ETParx | Race 9 | 3:41 pm ETTurf Paradise | Race 8 | 7:05 pm ETTRAINERS TO WATCHMichael Pino | Parx | 4 of 5 entrants 5-1 or less oddsDID YOU SEE?Santa Anita | has shifted opening day from Friday to Sunday due to forecasted rainsPUT US ON YOUR HANDICAPPING TEAMFrank Carulli & Brian W. Spencer best bets today in Xpressbet.com member’s section