Free Selections / GP & SA / Saturday 1-4-2014

The holiday guests have hit the road, and the final serving of Aunt Sadie’s fruitcake is gone. But there is a glimmer of good news this weekend. Gulfstream Park has a sweet day of grass racing on tap, and Santa Anita has weather most of the nation would love to have. Winning Ponies is bringing you handicapping guidance that a horse player can use. We are planning on bringing the heat with the blazing-hot E-Z Win Forms. The E-Z Win Forms have already won over $81,000, and the year is only three days old!

 

Gulfstream Park

The weather forecast calls for 75 degrees and a 60% chance of rain.

Santa Anita

The forecast is 75 degrees and partly cloudy.

 

Gulfstream Park

Race #3 – The (G-3) Old Hat – 6f – 1:38 p.m. ET

#2 – Zensational Bunny (3-1) – Joel Rosario up for Mark Casse, and this daughter of Zensational is making her second start off the layoff and goes from poly-dirt. She is cutting back in distance, and the barn wins (22%) making the second off the shelf move. Toss in a couple of works at Palm Meadows and she is acclimated to the Florida sunshine.

 

Race #6 – O.C. $25,000 – 5f on the turf – 3:05 p.m. ET

#10 – Drunken Love (3-1) – Luis Saez is the pilot for Jamie Ness (25%). A speedy son of Whiskey Wisdom is moving up in class and shooting for three-in-a-row. Ness wins (23%) with his turf sprinters, and he is both 10/14 ITM going the distance and on the sod. He has been away since 11/13, and the barn wins (28%) with layoff runners.

 

Race #9 – The (G-3) Marhshua’s River – 1 1/16 on turf – 4:33 p.m. ET

#7 – Deanaalen’skitten (4-1) = Alan Garcia in the saddle for Chad Brown (29%). This daughter of Kitten’s Joy is 7/7 ITM over the GP turf, and loves ground with give. Oh, for the decision breaker. She is a perfect 11/ 11 ITM going this far. Garcia has always been a solid turf rider, and sometimes gets over-looked when the jockey colony is so tuff. She makes her third off the layoff start for a very good trainer, and is stepping up in class ranks. I like the rider, the trainer, and the distance. If I had to pick one reason to use her for place, it would be that both Lezcano and Castellano have ridden her, and both have other mounts. I still have plenty of confidence with Garcia and Mr. Brown, and with the early pace in here, she can grind down the field if she’s ready.

 

Santa Anita

 

Race #2 – The (G-2) Santa Ynez – 6 1/2f – 4:00 p.m. ET

A compact field of talented fillies go to post in this race that may give us a glimpse of things to come in 2014.

#1 – Taste Like Candy (1-1) – Rafael Bejarano (21%)  in the saddle for Jerry Hollendorfer (18%), and they make the second time out start today. She is a daughter of Candy Ride, and was an impressive maiden winner at Santa Anita at first asking. She drops back in class and cuts back from a 1 1/16. She has the golden rail,and should pick up the pieces when the pace collapses.

 

Race #6 – Mdn Sp Wt – 6 1/2f on the turf – 6:00 p.m. ET

#6 – Sheeza Smoke Show (7-2) – Joe Talamo gets the nod from Peter Eurton, and this filly by Wilko made a hot middle move and was not able to get through down the lane. Talamo rode the chalk #7 – Keezheekoni, and he stays aboard here. The extra half furlong on the downhill course may be just what the doctor ordered. The rider and trainer are winning (27%) at the meet together.

 

Race #8 – The (G-2) San Gabriel – 1 1/8 on the turf – 7:00 p.m. ET

#9 – Jeranimo (3-1) Rafael Bejarano ( 21%) in the irons for Michael Pender. He has been on the shelf since the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, and this son of Congaree is 6/10 ITM over the SA course and 5/7 ITM at the distance.  He won the San Gabriel off a similar layoff last year, and has the service of one of the best finishing riders in the country.

 

Use this as a guide to whet your whistle! – Always defer to the E-Z Win Forms for the complete picture on how the race is shaping up. They are color coded, easy to use, and have Last Race Ratings and Composite Ratings to gauge how your runner is coming into the race. If they are on turf, the Turf Class Rating can give you that added edge to make your day a winner! – Good luck from your friends at Winning Ponies!