Racing at Santa Anita with Marc Doche: Hill showdown scratched due to rain

The late scratch of Unzip Me from today’s $100,000 Las Cienegas Handicap (Grade III) due to the race coming off the turf means we won’t get to see her highly-anticipated rematch with Mizdirection, adding to the frustration over the lack luster racing to close Santa Anita’s winter/spring meet.

Mizdirection has a ways to go to match Unzip Me’s success, but she can win for the sixth time in her career trying dirt for the first time since a solid effort over it when she debuted as the runner-up to Home Sweet Aspen just over a year ago. The four-year-old daughter of Mizzen Mast has turned into a prolific turf sprinter since and comes in off a pair of resounding wins down the hillside turf course.

In her debut down the hill in January’s Monrovia (Grade III), Mizdirection flew late to score a 1 ¾-length victory, while Unzip Me settled for a dead-heat in third.

The pair each returned to win their next start in ungraded stakes action down the hill, with Unzip Me notching her seventh career score over the layout in the Wishing Well on Jan. 29 and Mizdirection wiring the Clocker’s Corner on Feb. 25.

The jockey colony is still depleted with the final two major Kentucky Derby preps at Keeneland and Oaklawn today, so David Flores gets the call on Mizdirection for the first time in her 10^th career start.

Teroda inherits the role as the second choice in the depleted field of four off her narrow win in allowance optional claiming company on Feb. 17 on the heels of missing by just a length against Unzip Me in the Wishing Well on Jan. 29. The lone dirt try for the four-year-old daughter of Limehouse came in a disappointing fifth-place effort in last year’s Santa Ynez (Grade II).

NBC Sports Network continues its coverage of the Road to the Triple Crown with the Blue Grass Stakes and Arkansas Derby live in HD on CNBC from 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. PT.

Another commitment means a blogging break tomorrow, so we’ll be back for closing week on Thursday with the hope of better racing.

We’re off to the races!

Pick 4 -

Leg 1 – Race 6 (1,3,6,7,8,9,11) – With this race also coming off the turf more scratches are possible, but as of press time we’ll be using No. 1 Chickie Charms, No. 3 Canuletmedowneasy, No. 6 You Know I Know, No. 7 Sea to Sky, No. 8 Corinthian’s Song, No. 9 Just Tripping and No. 11 Fable Heaven.

Leg 2 – Race 7 (2,3,5,6) – No. 2 Pink Lollipops looks awful tough if she’s overcome what caused her to get pulled up last time, but with Mizdirection in the next race we’ll try to beat this short price with No. 3 Forever Neda, No. 5 My Brite Caroline and No. 6 Melissa Rose.

Leg 3 – Race 8 (5) – The price will be 1-to-9, but her lone dirt try suggests she should be able to easily dispose of her three rivals, who also have minimal main track success.

Leg 4 – Race 9 (2,3,4,5,10,11) – Six runners to close the day with No. 2 Sweet Juju, No. 3 Love My Girl, No. 5 Courageousandbold, No. 10 Whiskey Talks and No. 11 Vegas Rules.

Recap – (1,3,6,7,8,9,11) w (2,3,5,6) w (5) w (2,3,4,5,10,11) – Total cost of ticket = $84

Yesterday’s Result – (-$12.20)

Total for current Santa Anita winter/spring meet – (-$2,728.35)

Total from 12/26/10-12/18/11 – (+$3,512.05)

Pick 5 –

Leg 1 – Race 1 (ALL) – The all button was our friend to get things started yesterday so we’ll try again today.

Leg 2 – Race 2 (1,2) – A rough group of maidens where we use No. 1 Tough n’ Dangerous and No. 2 Clocker Moment, while taking a stand against No. 4 First Blue Angel.

Leg 3 – Race 3 (2,4,5,6) – 77 losses combined for these six runners. Yikes. No. 2 Private Bounty, No. 4 Onebadboy, No. 5 Trueno and No. 6 Take No Prisoners.

Leg 4 – Race 4 (1,3) – The second field of four runners on the card and No. 1 Blake will be winging on the lead in his first try going long. He should run them off their feet at a short price, but if he falters maybe No. 3 Go to the Pulpit can capitalize.

Leg 5 – Race 5 (2,3,6) – Two scratches here leaves us with just a field of six and we’ll use half of them with No. 2 Called to Serve, No. 3 Seal the Deal and No. 6 Eaton Hall.

Recap – (ALL) w (1,2) w (2,4,5,6) w (1,3) w (2,3,6) – Total cost of ticket = $144

Yesterday’s Result – (+$402.45)

Total for current Santa Anita winter/spring meet – (-$2,346.45)

Total from 7/20/10-12/18/11 (+$1,513.90)

Best Bet of the Day (ROI based off $2 WPS bet)

Race  - # ( ML) – Pass

Yesterday’s Result – Got all the money with R Vicarious Girl (+$.90)

Total for current Santa Anita winter/spring meet – (-$129.50)

Make sure to follow me on Twitter @mdoche for last minute changes caused by scratches and much more!

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For more Santa Anita action check out Jarrod Horak’s Pick 6 Blog.

Good luck!