ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 3, ON MARS

FIRST RACE

it is closing day at Santa Anita, Los Alamitos opens Friday for a two-week daytime meet. BURGOO ALLEY ran better than looked in her fifthplace U.S. debut. She broke last from the rail, got stuck behind runners on the turn, and finished okay to miss by less than three lengths. With a clean takeoff second start back, she can reel them in. She must catch speedster NEW DRAMA, who wheels back one week after blowing a big lead at six and a half furlongs. She benefits by this shorter six-furlong trip, the class raise from maiden-50 to maiden special-weight is minor. Come catch her. BEAUTIFUL TEMPLE may have only been prepping three weeks ago in her midpack debut. She can improve. UNUSUAL RIDE missed by a neck in her career debut vs. Cal-breds. She will be rolling late as one of the choices.

SECOND RACE

PAID INFORMANT drops to $30k claiming N3L; her daylight win two back would obliterate this field. MISS ALEGRIA makes her first start since November. Both wins were first start following layoffs. DOZO also returns from a layoff, while entered with the “no-claim” waiver. That usually signals optimism. Bottom line: top-choice favorite PAID INFORMANT looks tough to beat at low odds.

THIRD RACE

One bad trip after another cost ON MARS her chance at developing into a top Cal-bred turf filly. Her trouble lines include: steadied, stumbled, wide, pulled and shuffled. It’s a been a veritable nightmare. Here goes again, this time back from a short layoff with Joe Bravo riding for the first time. The filly is not easy to handle, but she has enough ability to win a N2X, and with a clean trip should defeat this modest bunch. The only other time she ran a mile and one-eighth, she won by open lengths. DUTCH PAINTING, a four-time winner shipping from Golden Gate, has an up-front style that could play well in a field that came up a bit short on speed. She wired this level last out at GG, and may fit in SoCal. MOONHALL MILLY finished only a head behind, and a half-length, behind the top choice when they met in February and March.

FOURTH RACE

BIG CITY LIGHTS ran the fastest race of the meet by a 2-year-old, dominating his debut by double digits while running 4.5 furlongs a blazing 51.63 seconds. His works since include back-to-back bullets the past two weeks. ‘LIGHTS looks tough to beat at low odds. He is trained by Luis Mendez, who also starts off-the-pace upset candidate BOCHOMBO. The latter followed his modest runner-up debut with an improved maiden win second out. He rallied from behind to win going away; the race was validated when runner-up Bet On Mookie returned to crush. Mendez has this race covered, BIG CITY LIGHTS on the lead and higherodds BOCHOMBO rallying from behind. STREET ART defeated BOCHOMBO first out, though the inside post does STREET ART no favors. He will be pressured by fast rivals to his outside. HEAVEN SHINES ships from Golden Gate, where he won his debut in a four-runner field. First-time starter BUEHLER’S DAY OFF worked in company from the gate June 16 with BIG CITY LIGHTS. Same workout time, but no comparison visually. ‘LIGHTS toyed with the unraced colt.

FIFTH RACE

TITRATE is back with maidens after an okay fourth vs. winners. Gelded since then, speed for a pressing trip, ability to rally from behind, logical choice returning to the level at which he was claimed in

early April. COMMANDING CHIEF, in the money 10 of 13, will be running late while starting for the first time in three months. AURELIAN MAN could steal it. He drops from MSW to maiden-50, goes sprint to route, gets a weight break with the leading apprentice, and has been gelded since he ran. Long gone on the front end?

SIXTH RACE

Mandatory payout in the pick six, the sequence begins with a grim maiden-20 sprint for fillies and mares. VANNA gets the call based on a trainer change to Jeff Mullins and fast gate work early this month that suggests she is a better filly since her three starts last summer. First-time starter RICOTTA is a sibling to six multiple winners, seven winners overall. Her workout pattern looks okay, her rivals look slow. MY TIGRESS, in the money all four starts, worked a bullet three furlongs since raced and should be forwardly placed. SASSY CHASEY has a gap in her works from May 10 to June 3, but trainer Hector Palma posts an occasional upset with low-level maidens. Wouldn’t sell her short in this weak field.

SEVENTH RACE

Back-to-back thirds vs. the top turf milers in California stamps durable veteran RESTRAINEDVENGENCE the choice in this G3. ‘VENGENCE finished third in the G1 Shoemaker, third in the G3 San Francisco Mile. An eight-time winner from 30 starts, he gets class relief. The knock is his come-home times both Santa Anita turf starts this season are ordinary. He did not crack 24 seconds in either. He is the one to beat, but hardly invincible. Comeback gelding NEPTUNE’S STORM ran races last year that would win this. The questions are will he fire first start since September, first start since changing trainers? His up-front, pressing style should play well in a field with just one other true front-runner. MAJESTIC EAGLE finished willingly for third in his comeback three weeks ago. That was a sprint, he wants to run long. Improvement possible second start back. SASH is the aforementioned front-runner/presser who could keep NEPTUNE’S STORM honest.

EIGHTH RACE

AT THE SPA crushed rivals first out, she won by seven lengths over a filly that won her next start. ‘SPA trained well since, is quick enough to make the lead even with speed to her outside, and looms the one to beat. But she faces a legit rival in this juvenile filly stakes race. ROYAL O’HAIGAIN was equally impressive in her debut. She broke from the rail, zoomed to the lead, and rolled by more than five. She blew out three furlongs Wednesday in a snappy 34.20, fastest work of the day, and will apply heat from the outside post. LAUREL CANYON won her debut at Gulfstream Park over a filly that returned to win clear while improving her Beyer 15 points. ‘CANYON faces an uncertain trip from her inside post, but does appear to have quality. MUNNY PENNY finished second to AT THE SPA first out, then improved a ton second out to win by more than five. LOVEHERHEART improved likewise to win her second start by more than five.

NINTH RACE

Stretch-runner WARREN’S SHOWTIME was compromised in her last four starts by the “race flow.” All four races were won by the pacesetter, which rendered the closing rally of ‘SHOWTIME ineffective. She ran well each time, she always does. In the money 13 of 14 on turf, she benefits by a crowded pace scenario. If the front-runners ding-dong, the race could unfold perfectly for her rally. That is, unless LEGGS GALORE runs them off their feet. She stretched out for the first time and wired Cal-bred stakes rivals last out. She might be the speed of the speed, but worth noting is her only subpar turf race was the only time she was not treated with Lasix. She did not have a good trip in that race, two starts back, therefore it might be coincidence. Win or lose, she will be involved early. IPPODAMIA’S GIRL is a must-use longshot whose highly rated allowance win two back compares favorably to these. She subsequently misfired wheeling back on short notice, but has been given two and a half months, and will be rolling late. Price play, for sure. The front-runners that will keep LEGGS GALORE honest include BROOKE, QUIET SECRETARY and GIDGETTA.

TENTH RACE

Debut filly SEA DREAMER is working like she means business first time out for the productive trainer-jockey combo of Simon Callaghan and Flavien Prat. ‘DREAMER showed speed from the gate her final work June 11 (viewed online); she worked in company with multiple graded-placed Paige Anne on June 5 and went easier than her accomplished rival. Sired by Into Mischief, DREAMER looks ready to roll. Callaghan and Prat are 6-for-14 with dirt-sprint firsters the past five years. JUST DISTORTED ran well in her debut, runner-up behind next-out Santa Anita Oaks winner Soothsay. But JUST DISTORTED scratched twice since, both times as the program favorite (March 19, May 2) in maiden races similar to this. She obviously has ability, but it has been a challenge to get her career going again. Her debut was late February. ZYDECO MAMA chased the pace and finished an okay second in her debut 16 days ago, while first-timer REV RITA appears to have trained okay.

ELEVENTH RACE

GYPSY BLU squandered an easy trip last out at odds-on, a race she should have won after virtually coasting on the front. So she might be tough to trust. But she was claimed for $25k from that open race, drops significantly to Cal-bred N1X/ optional claiming, and enters as simply the best horse in the field. ‘BLU is the one to beat despite a last-out defeat when she had things her way. SMILING ANNIE ran super a month ago in a starter allowance. She chased a sizzling pace, opened up in the lane, and got worn down by the stretchrunning favorite. Good comeback by ‘ANNIE, who is probably facing easier in this Cal-bred race. EMPRESS OF FIRE returns from an extended layoff while going route to sprint and having changed trainers since raced. Not sure if she is a sprinter or prefers to route, but she has raced only five times and could return as an improved filly at age 4. That is a wrap for Santa Anita, the two-week Los Alamitos daytime meet begins Friday.