HORSE RACING
January 27, 2011 - 2:02 am
TODAY AT SANTA ANITA PARK
By Richard Eng
Post Time 1 p.m.
Race 1 - 6 furlongs, Purse $27,000, Maiden claiming $40,000, 3-year-olds
6 Schuylkill Punch - Claimed for $60k by Doug O'Neill, shows up today for $40k; tactical speed to sit a perfect trip.
2 Bryan Daniel - Taking the biggest class drop in racing from MSW to maiden claiming; taking the blinkers off too.
Long Shot - 4 Aqua Fever
Race 2 - 1 1/16th miles, Purse $54,000, Maiden special weights, Fillies, 3-year-olds
1 Around The Twig - Looked like a test drive in debut; is bred to relish 2 turns, should improve a lot this afternoon.
3 Lunch Time Diva - 3-for-3 seconds and it's beginning to look like a trend; this clearly will be the limit of her distance.
Long Shot - 2 Withgreatpleasure
Race 3 - 1 mile (turf, rail at 30 feet), Purse $45,000, Claiming $50,000, 4-year-olds and up
5 Hey Elvis - Game win as the chalk in last; proven turf runner should be right at home at this class level, with his friends.
1 Celtic New Year - Ground-saving trip for this dead-late closer; will improve in second start off a 2-month hiatus.
Long Shot - 4 Waltzing With Blue
Race 4 - 7 furlongs, Purse $63,000, Optional claiming $80,000, 4-year-olds and up
1 Mythical Power - Tries turf for the first time off a 4-month hiatus; Bob Baffert hoping the grass is to his liking.
3 Red Door Drive - Baffert has an uncoupled entry, he is winning at 43 percent this meet; this one figures to show speed.
Long Shot - 6 Red Eye Express
Race 5 - 1 mile, Purse $18,000, Claiming $10,000, 4-year-olds and up
1 Skellytown - Claimed by Kristin Mulhall off a good second facing some of these; slight improvement for a minor upset.
9 Self Insured - Must overcome a parking lot post and wide trip for the win; his best stride will come late in the lane.
Long Shot - 4 Super Harmony
Race 6 - 6 furlongs, Purse $19,000, Maiden claiming $20,000, Fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up
6 Once in Awhile - Suspect she faced tougher at Del Mar than these; Bruce Headley wanted dirt, is 0-for-9 so far this meet.
5 Jordanelle - Another taking the biggest class drop in racing from MSW to maiden claiming; been away 11 months for John Shirreffs.
Long Shot - 3 Guilded Reward
Race 7 - 1 1/16th miles, Purse $59,000, Optional claiming $62,500, 4-year-olds and up
4 Game On Dude - Sight unseen since the Triple Crown; this will be step one of what should be an interesting 4-YO season.
3 El Martillo - The other Bob Baffert charge; sprinter stretching out could be the rabbit to set up his stablemate.
Long Shot - 2 Sundarban
Race 8 - 5 1/2 furlongs, Purse $22,000, Claiming $16,000, Fillies, 3-year-olds
1a Intentional - Looks like a powerful entry from two different trainers; both are dropping way down in class.
9 Banana Cream Pie - Sliding down the claiming ladder to this career-low level; wide trip allows Joel Rosario to spy the speed.
Long Shot - 6 Social Event
Best Bet - 6 Schuylkill Punch (race 1)
Santa Anita Park Sunday - Picks/Winners/Mutuels, 18/5/$31.20; Long Shots, 9/0/$0; Best Bet, 1/0/$0
Santa Anita Park Totals - 334/88/$563.50; Long Shots, 165/23/$256.00; Best Bets, 19/9/$34.50
SIMULCAST PICK OF THE DAY - 4 Gandolf (8/5) in race 3 at Tampa Bay Downs. For scoring purposes, we'll make a hypothetical $2 win, place and show bet, $6 total. On Sunday, Maybelle Slew won at Gulfstream Park paying $5.20 to win, $3.60 to place and $3.00 to show. Stats - 19/15/$127.70