Below is the early Pick 5 ticket at Santa Anita Park for February 10th, 2018. As always the ticket is $20 or less.
Race 1
Celebrate Life (#8, 5-2) drops in class after being used from the rail in a speed duel last time out. He is drawn outside today and still has room to improve after making just 3 career starts. Shortening up from 6 and 1/2 furlongs to 6 furlongs only helps his cause.
Yo La Tengo (#6, 12-1) has gradually been improving and could spring an upset at a big price if Celebrate Life and Big Champion burn each other out on the lead. I like the speed he showed last time and could see the gelding sitting a pocket trip while shortening up in distance.
Squared Squared (#4, 7-2) has been inconsistent, but his best should be good enough to win at this level. He should get a favorable pace setup and drops to a new low for John Sadler.
Race 2
Rocky’s Show (#8, 5-1) goes from a 0% trainer to the capable hands of Charles Treece. This gelding has run very competitively with blinkers on and comes into this race with an outside draw and a bullet work.
Liberation (#4, 15-1) could be the reason this Pick 5 pays well. He has run much better since being gelded in June and faces N2L competition for the first time. He gets off the rail and should be finishing late against a weak field.
Kaboom (#3, 5-2) blitzed maiden foes last time and a repeat effort may be good enough to win here. It is hard to take a short price on a horse facing winners for the first time, but this gelding could be tough to run down.
Gutsy Streak (#6, 3-1) was impressive on debut and has room to improve. His win came going 5 furlongs at Los Alamitos however; so he must prove that he can handle the change of scenery.
Trapalanda (#7, 7-2) drops to his lowest level ever first off the claim for David Jacobson. He appears to be going to wrong way, but he is a prime contender in this spot on his best day.
Race 3
Maestro Dearte (#1, 7-2) has the potential to be a stakes horse and he catches a field with limited upside. Peter Eurton stated in an interview with XBTV prior to this gelding’s last race that he may be a bit short for his comeback race. He won that race while enduring trouble, despite not even being fully cranked up. He should win right back in this spot before going on to bigger and better things.
Race 4
Unique Bella (#4, 3-5) needs no introduction and the star filly should roll on the front-end in a race with very little other speed to challenge her. The 2017 Eclipse Award winner for Best Female Sprinter may prove to be even better routing now that she has learned to ration her speed.
Race 5
Bowies Hero (#2, 5-2) is a mile specialist and has a recency edge over his main rival. He tackles older foes for the first time, but is in razor sharp form and showed that he can lay close to the pace if needed in his last victory.
Blackjackcat (#3, 6-5) went on a tear in the second half of 2017 and ran the race of his life when finishing 3rd from post 13 in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. He should sit a great trip and is obviously the horse to beat. The only negative is a short price in his first race back from a short layoff.
$0.50 Pick 5 Ticket: 4,6,8 – 3,4,6,7,8 – 1 – 4 – 2,3 = $15
-Padraic Manocchio
@xbtvpadraic
