Turbulent Descent looks for her fourth Grade I win in today's $300,000 La Brea Stakes.
Ahead of the ball descending upon another New Year’s celebration, Turbulent Descent makes her first start in California since March looking to capture the final Grade I race of 2011 in the featured $300,000 La Brea Stakes for three-year-old fillies sprinting seven furlongs on the main track.
Sent off as the favorite in each of her nine career starts with 8-to-5 marking the highest price she’s gone off at, the daughter of Congrats has won a third of her races including a trio of Grade I events and is the 6-to-5 morning line favorite today over eight rivals who have yet to win a Grade I.
In a field loaded with early speed, Turbulent Descent will get an ideal set-up for her run from the middle to the back of the pack, as should co-third choice at 6-to-1 Great Hot, who ran huge over this track in a third-place finish against older fillies in the Lady’s Secret (Grade I) on October 1.
Never to be counted out in marquee events, Bob Baffert sends 8-to-1 shot May Day Rose, a multiple Grade III winner who has shown the ability to sit just off the pace. The daughter of Rockport Harbor won her only start at today’s elongated sprint distance and has been training a hole in the wind since just getting run down in the Chilukki Stakes (Grade II) at Churchill Downs to conclude Breeders’ Cup weekend.
The under card sees two-year-olds at a mile on turf in the $75,000 Eddie Logan Stakes, where Daddy Nose Best is the 9-to-5 favorite in his local debut looking to build on an over three-length allowance win at Churchill Downs a little over a month ago.
We’re off to the races!
Pick 4 -
Leg 1 – Race 6 (1,7,9,10) – After leaving a ton of dough on the table yesterday despite our single connecting both horizontal wagers, we begin this sequence with four runners who have never won twice.
No. 1 Delta Fix has trained great for his second off the layoff and is dangerous on the front end, No. 7 Quinton’s Destiny drops to the lowest level of his career of four straight fifth place efforts, No. 9 Gothic’s Peak could get a perfect stalking trip from his outside post, and No. 10 Boychik is spotted realistically for his first start in over a year.
Leg 2 – Race 7 (1,3,4,8) – No. 8 Daddy Nose Best will be tough if he runs his race, but No. 4 Champion’s Gate looks to score on the stretch out in front-running fashion after winning his turf debut three weeks ago despite getting heat all the way.
No. 3 Smart Ellis broke his maiden smartly at a mile on turf at Del Mar and No. 1 Sheer Talent gets a route of ground for the first time after chasing some nice runners in stakes competition.
Leg 3 – Race 8 (2,3,7) – If No. 2 Turbulent Descent doesn’t bring her best, the two that have the credentials to pull the upset are No. 3 May Day Rose and No. 7 Great Hot.
Leg 4 – Race 9 (1,2,3,9,14) – A contentious second-level allowance in what could be a stakes race closes the day and we spread five deep with No. 1 Leaving New York, No. 2 Believe in Hope, No. 3 Capital Account, No. 9 Indian Winter and No. 14 Lunada Bay.
Recap – (1,7,9,10) w (1,3,4,8) w (2,3,7) w (1,2,3,9,14) – Total cost of ticket = $120
Yesterday’s Result – (-$140)
Total for current Santa Anita winter/spring meet – (-$292)
Total from 12/26/10-12/18/11 – (+$3,512.05)
Pick 5 –
Leg 1 – Race 1 (1,3,4,5,7,9) – No. 3 Amelia Rose and No. 7 Tiabelle are favorites that can’t be trusted in this bottom-level maiden claimer so we’ll spread with No. 1 Exponential, No. 4 Miss Lulu Justice, No. 5 Be Brave Be Lucky and No. 9 Warren’s Jazz Walk.
Leg 2 – Race 2 (4,5,6,7) – Hard-knocking older hosses go a mile on turf and we use No. 4 Violon Sacre, No. 5 Stoneside, No. 6 Matto Mondo and No. 7 Crossing The Line.
Leg 3 – Race 3 (2,4) – Chalk chalk in this maiden allowance for promising two-year-old fillies with No. 2 My Sweet Candy and No. 4 Princess Arabella.
Leg 4 – Race 4 (7,9) – No. 7 Plenny of Henny is the only multiple winner in the field having crossed the wire first three times, while just missing a fourth score last time by half a length.
No. 9 Bwana Be Gone has trained well for his local debut for Mike Mitchell and won at first asking.
Leg 5 – Race 5 (7,8,9) – Down the hill in this maiden allowance where No. 8 Chickie Charms is the only runner with experience over this layout when he blazed through quick early fractions before settling for second to a nice one.
No. 7 Late Night Sky could track and get the perfect trip, but if he presses the top choice early, No. 9 Unusual Heatwave could be the beneficiary from off the pace.
Recap – (1,3,4,5,7,9) w (4,5,6,7) w (2,4) w (7,9) w (7,8,9) – Total cost of ticket = $144
Yesterday’s Result – (-$150)
Total for current Santa Anita winter/spring meet – (-$354)
Total from 7/20/10-12/26/11 – (+$1,513.90)
Best Bet of the Day (ROI based off $2 WPS bet)
Race 4 – #7 Plenny of Henny (4/1 ML) – After winning in wire-to-wire fashion twice, he closed from far back last time to just miss. That versatility makes him tough and we already mentioned his penchant for winning against a bunch that is unaccomplished. Garret Gomez stick around and we’d be thrilled with anything near the morning line price.
Yesterday’s Result – Got all the money with Spirit Seeker (+$3.60)
Total for current Santa Anita winter/spring meet – (+$5.40)
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Good luck!
