Santa Anita Park’s opening day racing card is bringing excitement with a fantastic lineup of races. Expert handicappers Jeremy Plonk and Jeff Siegel are sharing their top picks and analysis for the day. If you’re a fan of horse racing, here’s a detailed breakdown of the action, from the first race to the last.
Opening Day Insights: Santa Anita Picks and Predictions
Race 1: 11:00 AM PT
Top Picks: 8-Mas Rapido, 3-Oscar Joy
Backups: 4-Money Makes Money, 9-Count of Amazonia
Mas Rapido is the favorite with strong speed figures and a recent drop in class. Oscar Joy also looks promising, with a solid late-running style and an experienced jockey on board. It’s a competitive race, so watch for surprises.
Race 2: 11:30 AM PT
Top Picks: 1-Madaket Road, 7-San Saba
This race is all about Bob Baffert’s duo. Madaket Road, already experienced, faces San Saba, a high-priced debut runner with potential star power. Betting might be tricky, so many fans will simply watch and enjoy the action.
Race 3: 12:02 PM PT
Top Picks: 7-Preem, 1-Slick (IRE)
Backups: 5-Lee’s Baby Girl, 2-Big Leap, 3-Lila
Preem looks ready to win with blinkers added and a top jockey. Slick (IRE) steps back into maiden competition and could pose a challenge. Keep an eye on them as this race heats up.
Race 4: 12:32 PM PT
Top Picks: 1-Stop Digging, 4-Nene Diamond, 9-Barbera
Backups: 2-Berry Valley
A wide-open sprint with multiple strong contenders. Stop Digging could benefit from the shorter distance, while Nene Diamond and Barbera bring speed and consistency.
Race 5: 1:02 PM PT
Top Picks: 5-Shocking Grey, 13-Sareeha
Backups: 4-Word Play, 6-Kahuraru
Shocking Grey thrives on this track and looks sharp coming into this race. Sareeha, with top-notch jockey Flavien Prat, is a big threat despite her outside post.
Race 6: 1:33 PM PT
Top Picks: 6-Katonah, 7-Tarantino, 3-J B Strikes Back
Katonah drops in class and adds blinkers, which might give him an edge. Tarantino is consistent, while J B Strikes Back could surprise with his early speed.
Race 7: 2:03 PM PT
Top Pick: 4-Johannes
Johannes is a strong favorite here after a great run in the Breeders’ Cup. He’s the one to beat, and many bettors see him as a single in their bets.
Race 8: 2:36 PM PT
Top Picks: 6-Mystik Dan, 1-Bentornato
Backups: 8-Raging Torrent, 7-Stronghold
Mystik Dan returns after a break and seems ready to perform well at this distance. Bentornato showed class in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint but may find this distance challenging.
Race 9: 3:08 PM PT
Top Pick: 1-King of Gosford (GB)
Backup: 4-Siennois (IRE)
King of Gosford thrives on this track and has a strong inside draw. He’s a clear favorite, with Siennois as the main challenger.
Race 10: 3:40 PM PT
Top Picks: 9-Hope Road, 7-One Magic Philly, 6-Kopion
Backups: 4-Sugar Fish, 3-Kinza, 11-Cavalieri
Hope Road leads a stacked field, while One Magic Philly and Kopion have the potential to shine. This is one of the day’s toughest races to predict.
Race 11: 4:12 PM PT
Top Picks: 8-She Feels Pretty, 4-Kathynmarissa
She Feels Pretty dominates the field after her impressive Queen Elizabeth II Stakes win. Kathynmarissa is on the rise but faces a tough task to upset the favorite.
Santa Anita’s opening day is packed with competitive races and promising horses. From the explosive speed of sprinters to the endurance of distance runners, there’s something for every racing fan. Whether you’re a seasoned bettor or a casual spectator, this event is worth following. Don’t miss the excitement as some of the best horses and jockeys kick off the racing season in style.
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