Santa Anita plays host to the GI $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap which features the top two finishers from the Breeders Cup Classic in November, Mucho Macho Man and Will Take Charge. Last years Santa Anita Handicap winner, the always tough Game on Dude, will also be a major player. The undercard to the Big Cap features three very deep graded stakes races including the GI $350,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes, and the GII $300,000 San Felipe a Kentucky Derby Prep race worth 50 points to the winner.
Tampa Bay Downs has its biggest racing day of the year on Saturday featuring the GII $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby as well as two graded stakes race on the turf proceeding it. At Gulfstream Park the feature is the GII $250,000 Gulfstream Park Handicap featuring the return of the 2013 Belmont Stakes winner Palace Malice. Below are my selections for all of the graded stakes races around the country.
Good luck!
Santa Anita
Race 9 GI $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap
1. Will Take Charge (2-1)
2. Mucho Macho Man (9-5)
3. Game on Dude (5-2)
In the Big Cap I think there is a strong possibility of Mucho Macho Man going after Game on Dude early, setting the race up for Will Take Charge. Game on Dude has yet to prove he can beat horses with the talent and quality such as Will Take Charge or Mucho Macho Man, and he also may have lost a step with age. I still believe Will Take Charge was the best horse in the Classic, and I expect him to run down Mucho Macho Man, at a distance that suits him perfectly. This instant classic airs on Fox Sports 1 at 7PM EST time.
Race 8 GI 350,00 Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes
1. Suggestive Boy (6-1)
2. Za Approval (3-1)
3. Winning Prize (7-2)
Suggestive Boy won this race in 2013 before being sidelined. He returned last month and ran an even fifth off of the eleven month layoff. I believe Suggestive Boy, is the most talented horse in the race and he should improve greatly in his second start off the layoff. Za Approval has shown he loves the course at Santa Anita running a massive race to finish behind horse of the year Wise Dan in the Breeders Cup Mile, but he has not run since that effort. While he could certainly win, since Suggestive Boy has the race underneath him, he will be a little sharper. Winning Prize was very impressive in winning the Grade II Arcadia last month defeating many of these but the going gets much tougher here.
Race 7 GII $250,000 San Carlos Stakes
1. Big Macher (6-1)
2. Shakin it Up (3-1)
3. Sahara Sky (4-1)
With a race that seems to have very little speed, I searched for a horse that has speed and Big Macher fit the bill. Big Macher is coming off a stakes win against California bred runners, but he should be able to compete with these. The most talented horse in the race is Sahara Sky, but his last race off the layoff was nothing to get excited about. If Sahara Sky runs back to his form of last year he should win this race.
Race 5 GII $300,000 San Felipe Stakes
1. Kristo (4-1)
2. California Chrome (3-1)
3. Midnight Hawk (4-1)
With the scratch of the morning line favorite Bayern, It really opens the race up. I like Kristo because he continues to improve, I am not sure he wants to go far enough, but with the way the race shapes up and Rosario on board he has a serious chance.
Tampa Bay Downs
Race 11 GII $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby
1. Hy Kodiak Warrior (10-1)
2. Conquest Titan (7-2)
3. Ring Weekend (15-1)
I am Top Billing believer, and Hy Kodiak Warrior comes out of an allowance race at Gulfstream Park won by Commissioner, and Top Billing was second. Top Billing and Commissioner both ran in the Fountain of Youth two weeks ago with Top Billing running a very good third. Hy Kodiak Warrior has yet to run a bad race, and I do not believe this rendition of the Tampa Bay Derby is particularly strong. Conquest Titan is the most proven of the bunch, but he will need a good trip coming from the back and he is a short price.
Race 10 GIII $200,000 Florida Oaks
1. Kitten Kaboodle (8-1)
2. Testa Rossi (2-1)
3. Interrupted (15-1)
Race 9 GIII $150,000 Hillsborough Stakes
1. Riposte (2-1)
2. Cloud Scapes (9-2)
3. Waterway Run (7-2)
Gulfstream Park
GII $250,000 Gulfstream Park Handicap
1. Golden Ticket (5-1)
2. Palace Malice (5-2)
3. Brujo De Olleros (6-1)
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