October 19, 2024
Jeff Siegel’s “What You Need to Know”
Santa Anita
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Santa Anita 1st Race – Post: 2:30 PT. Degree of confidence: A
Top Selection: 2-Renatus
Backups: none.
Forecast: Renatus will certainly be heavily backed on the tote, so there’s little we can do with her other than use her as a short-priced rolling exotic single. Barring something unforeseen, the daughter of Clubhouse Ride should easily handle this modest state-bred maiden special weight turf miler for juvenile fillies. A closing third with a less than ideal trip in a similar spot in just her second career start, she shows a healthy series of drills since that late August outing at Del Mar and seems sure to produce a forward move today from her comfortable inside draw. We view her as a free bingo space in the various rolling exotics.
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Santa Anita – 8th race – Post: 4:30 PT. Degree of confidence: B+
Top Selection: Man O Rose
Backups: 5-Exaulted; 9-Seal Team.
Forecast: Man O Rose is clearly the controlling speed in this year’s edition of the Lure Stakes, and after wiring his outclassed rivals at Los Alamitos last time out at this one mile trip, the son of Stanford tackles a tougher group today while switching back to grass, a surface he can easily handle. In fact, his career top speed figure was earned over the local lawn in an allowance sprint last summer, and there’s strong evidence to suggest that he’s just as good now as then. Top speed rider E. Maldonado stays aboard and knows him well and is certain to employ gate-to-wire tactics from his comfortable two-hole post. He’s listed at 5/2 on the morning line and offers solid value at or near that price.
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