Daily Racing Form expert handicapper and analyst Brad Free handicaps the Sunday, June 14 racing card at Santa Anita, including his projected 1-2-3 finishers. His best bet of the day comes from Race 1.
Also, view FREE DRF Past Performances for today’s Race of the Day.
BEST BET: Come On Om (1st race)
First Race
1. Come On Om ]
2. Volcanologist
3. Marla Hooch
Debut runner-up COME ON OM looks tough running back in a similar turf sprint for Cal-bred maiden fillies. ‘OM pressed a strong pace first out, put away the front-running favorite (who finished eighth), and got worn down while finishing five clear of third. Sharp effort first out by ‘OM, the likely pacesetter who can be long gone at low odds. VOLCANOLOGIST finished five+ lengths behind the top choice last out, but the effort was not bad. VOLCANOLOGIST was sandwiched between foes while off the pace, she kept to her task in the lane and finished evenly in an effort that was vastly improved over her speed-and-fade debut. She won’t be a maiden much longer. MARLA HOOCH already “won” a maiden race but was disqualified for interference two starts back. She is an off-the-pace threat. TAKING A JOY RIDE lost her chance early last out. She broke last from the rail, and that was the end of that. Her runner-up finishes her first two starts give her a look. First-time starter ROUSING RHYTHM appears to have trained well; the Rousing Sermon filly was produced by a mare whose four runners include two debut winners.
Here are Brad’s thoughts on the other eleven races on Sunday’s Santa Anita card.
Second Race
1. Thirty Two Chunk
2. Letmein
3. Ima Track Star
Mark Glatt-trained THIRTY TWO CHUNK and LETMEIN top this small-field starter allowance. THIRTY TWO CHUNK finished second as the odds-on favorite last out, but he actually ran well, making his first start in three months. He chased the eventual winner throughout and finished more than three lengths clear of third. Now he is drawn outside, with speed for a front-running/pace-pressing trip. His main rival is stablemate LETMEIN, who ran like a horse that needed a prep last. Making his first start in eight months, he raced wide and merely ran around the track to finish an okay fifth. The second- and fourth-place finishers from the race returned to win their next start. LETMEIN can improve with a prep under his belt. IMA TRACK STAR moved up in class after wiring a maiden-32 with a decent speed figure. Win or lose, ‘STAR will help keep the pace honest.
Third Race
1. Her Names Charlie
2. Mystic Aurora
3. Lease Instead
Maiden 2yo fillies sprint five furlongs on turf; first-time starters HER NAMES CHARLIE and MYSTIC AURORA get top billing. HER NAMES CHARLIE has worked fast for her debut, progeny of first-crop sire Golden Pal are 4-for-14 first time out, and the filly’s dam won her career debut. ‘CHARLIE could be gone for trainer Ryan Hanson, whose stable is rolling. MYSTIC AURORA also has worked fast for her debut; progeny of first-crop sire Early Voting are 3-for-5 first out. Victor Garcia trains ‘AURORA, who is believed to be quick. Second-time starter LEASE INSTEAD scratched from a Cal-bred maiden dirt race Saturday to run in this turf race instead. She was well-bet into her debut, but raced greenly, dropped to the back of the field, and finished on her own. She posted a :35.60 gate work since, and is likely to improve with a race under her belt. Sired by Pavel, LEASE INSTEAD was produced by a stakes-winning turf filly. NYLIE showed speed and tired in her debut against males. She also is eligible to improve second time out.
Fourth Race
1. Wizard of Westwood
2. One Smokin Dude
3. Clever Clover
WIZARD OF WESTWOOD plummets in class from a third-place finish for $40k claiming all the way to $10k claiming. A turf-route stakes winner three years ago, ‘WESTWOOD enters as the “best horse” in the field, although the class drop tempers enthusiasm. ONE SMOKIN DUDE won for $12.5k last out, and drops a notch to $10k. He will be rolling late. CLEVER CLOVER also won for $12.5k last out, he was claimed, and drops a notch first start for new connections. DES DOIGTS is the speed of the field, up in class first off the claim after he dueled and cracked last out. There is less gas in this field; DES DOIGTS could have things his own way on the front end. Win or lose, he figures to lead the field into the stretch.
Fifth Race
1. Can’t Sleep
2. Kuwaitya
3. Imaboutago
Off since last summer, CAN’T SLEEP is the choice in this N2X filly-mare turf sprint. ‘SLEEP runs well fresh (debut winner, layoff winner), she has worked very well for trainer Carla Gaines, and her speed figures rank among the highest in the field. KUWAITYA makes her first start of the year and first in California. She won her U.S. debut last fall at Keeneland in a fast N1X allowance turf sprint, then regressed two subsequent starts. Off since November, working well for new trainer Phil D’Amato, KUWAITYA is ready to fire. Her allowance win last fall at KEE earned the highest figure in this field (87 Beyer). IMABOUTAGO misfired without a visible alibi last out, but she posted two bullet workouts since then. She might be sharper this time. TAHINI is longshot speed. She’ll lead the field as far as she can.
Sixth Race
1. Conquest Sue
2. Dad’s Bad Bunny
3. Shady Stripes
If she reproduces her last-out runner-up finish at this Cal-bred maiden-12.5k class level, CONQUEST SUE will be tough to beat with a pace-pressing trip. She dropped to the bottom level for the first time last out, set the pace, and got worn down while earning a 59 Beyer that is plenty fast enough for this level. Her main rival is racing at the bottom for the first time. DAD’S BAD BUNNY drops from maiden-20 to Cal-bred maiden-12.5k, she has speed to flee the rail, she probably will set the pace. She squandered a four-length lead at the eighth pole last out, but should be tough dropping in to face Cal-breds. SHADY STRIPES tumbles from Cal-bred maiden-50. She is likely to be outrun early, but she will be running late.
Seventh Race
1. Don Rebelde
2. Koekkoek
3. Legal Heir
This turf sprint for older maidens is a good spot to take a shot at a price. The fourth-place debut by DON REBELDE was better than it looks on paper, and positions him for an upset win second time out. He broke dead last in his debut, spotted the field many lengths, then actually made it respectable thereafter to split the field. He posted two sharp works since raced, and with a clean start should be closer to the pace. His odds should be fair. He was 10-1 in his debut, which he lost by eight lengths. Tab for an upset. KOEKKOEK, runner-up in back-to-back maiden turf routes in February-March, cuts back to six furlongs for his first start in two and a half months. He will rally late, while LEGAL HEIR benefits by the shorter distance of this six-furlong race. He set the pace to near the eighth pole last out racing six and one-half. He posted two bullet works at Los Alamitos since, and probably is the one to catch. But he will have to cope with expected pace rival MONUMENTAL, who adds blinkers and switches to a speed rider. GALLATAIN goes route to sprint as a first-time gelding.
Eighth Race
1. Pocket Listing
2. Jonny’s Cap
3. Simple Majority
Cal-bred maiden 2yos sprint five furlongs on dirt, first-time starter POCKET LISTING has trained like a colt that will fire first out. He worked well from the gate in company on May 30, and followed last Sunday with a :46.20 bullet gate work. All systems go for the colt sired by Listing, whose 2yo progeny are 3-for-6 first out according to Formulator. The dam of POCKET LISTING produced stakes winners How About Zero and Don’t Sell. JONNY’S CAP followed his off-slow third-place debut vs. Cal-breds with a slightly improved third-place finish vs. open maiden 2yos in a race won in a romp by He Is No Lie. JONNY’S CAP is back in with Cal-breds, blinkers are off. SIMPLE MAJORITY chased open company and faded his first two starts, albeit with excuses in both. He broke slowly and had trouble first out, he was racing on grass second out and had trouble again. Now in with state-breds, back on dirt, he figures as a fringe contender. This race is a split of race 10.
Embed from Getty ImagesNinth Race
1. Gold Phoenix
2. American Hope
3. Poor Connection
The class of the field, 8yo GOLD PHOENIX is likely to start at a short price in the G3 San Juan Capistrano, a mile-and-three-quarter turf race he figures to win. A nine-time graded winner who earned more than $2.3 million, GOLD PHOENIX had an impossible trip last out finishing seventh in a G1 at Churchill Downs. He was blocked the length of the stretch. His previous start, at Santa Anita, was a solid G3 victory at a mile and one-half. The veteran gelding continues to train well; there is no reason to believe he will not handle a mile and three-quarters. As for his advanced age, no big deal. Recent 8yos who ran in the San Juan include 2016 winner Quick Casablanca, 2018 runner-up A Red Tie Day, 2022 runner-up Red King, and 2024 runner-up Rockemperor. The knock on ‘PHOENIX is price. This race lacks an obvious second favorite, which means the favorite’s odds could be short. AMERICAN HOPE moves up in class following a sharp N2X win at a mile and one-eighth. That was just his second start of the season, he is a fresh 5yo with a license to improve the second half of the season. Longshot POOR CONNECTION is a potential pacesetter in a marathon that came up light on speed. POOR CONNECTION could take these a long way, at a price. GROGU has run races that give him a chance to hit the board.
Tenth Race
1. Net Par
2. Poppi’s Charlie
3. King Kameha
Cal-bred maiden 2yos sprint five furlongs on dirt in this split of race 8. First-time starter NET PAR debuts with decent works for Antonio Garcia. Sired by Pavel (18 percent winners with debut 2yos), the colt is a sibling to four winners. POPPI’S CHARLIE finished a creditable fourth in his debut after chasing the runaway leader and tiring. Good try first time out; ‘CHARLIE will be involved in the pace scenario. KING KAMEHA improved second time out, finishing third in the fast race POPPI’S CHARLIE also exits. KING KAMEHA removes blinkers and probably benefits by the longer distance of this five-furlong race. CUPID COWBOY adds blinkers after an improved runner-up finish second time out.
Eleventh Race
1. No Cap
2. Yoga Master
3. Canto Della Terra
Who will run early with NO CAP? The front-runner/pace-presser is lone speed in this filly-mare hillside N1X. Although six and a half furlongs might be a reach, she figures to be loose on the lead. If she falters again, late-runner YOGA MASTER could be along in time. Both U.S. starts by ‘MASTER were solid, particularly her most recent. The winner Marian Cross led gate to wire; ‘MASTER rallied from next to last and missed by only a half-length. She’ll be rolling again here. CANTO DELLA TERRA has not raced since a highly rated maiden win in her U.S. debut in winter 2025. She obviously runs well fresh, while SHOCKING GREY is back in the Jeff Mullins stable. She tailed off a year ago after she was sold and changed trainers. She won a $100k Cal-bred stakes the last time she ran for Mullins. This is the mare’s first start since July.
Twelfth Race
1. Private Gem
2. The Old Nine
3. Golden Ale
PRIVATE GEM had been off nearly a year when he returned last month with a creditable third-place comeback on dirt. He is two-for-two on turf, he has speed but also is versatile, and is likely to improve second start back. THE OLD NINE won this condition last out at 27-1 when he ran for the optional claim tag. The veteran runs back at the same level, no tag this time, and figures for an up-front trip. GOLDEN ALE is speed, probably the one they have to catch. Six furlongs is a challenge for the speedster who probably prefers five furlongs. Santa Anita added a Monday (June 15) to its racing calendar, but Sunday is a wrap for this handicapper. Taking a short break, returning June 26. Los Alamitos daytime racing begins June 19.
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