Cambina will be flying late looking to get Garrett Gomez back in the win column in stakes action in today's $150,000 Santa Ana (Grade II).
With storm winds swirling, the race is on to get in both $150,000 Grade II turf stakes on Sunday’s card.
Males go first on the heels of yesterday’s marathon on the dirt in the San Luis Rey at 1 ½-miles. The short field of five has a trio of established graded stakes performers that will vie for favoritism with Bourbon Bay given the morning line nod at 9-to-5 over co-second choices at 2-to-1 Utopian and Slim Shadey.
It’s a different story for the females going 1 1/8-miles in the Santa Ana, as a full field of 11 is entered in what’s become one of the most competitive divisions on the circuit.
Making her second start of 2012 after racking up nearly $350,000 in earnings last year, Cambina is the tepid 7-to-2 morning line favorite with Garrett Gomez back aboard. The four-year-old daughter of Hawk Wing reeled off three straight stakes wins over this course with Gomez aboard last year, but is looking to snap a four-race skid after seeing her late run come up short in a trio of Grade I events to close 2011 and settling for fifth in the Buena Vista (Grade II) on Feb. 20 against many of the same rivals she faces today.
A pair of runners making their second local start are listed at 4-to-1, with Strawberrydaiquiri looking to build off her performance in the Buena Vista that resulted in her getting run down in the stretch and settling for fourth, and Camelia Rose making the jump into stakes competition after her furious late rally after getting blocked into the stretch came up a nose short against second-level allowance foes on Mar. 1.
Inside and outside we go with 9-to-2 shots Vamo a Galupiar, who was way too far back early as the 3-to-1 favorite in the Buena Vista and was unable to threaten eventual winner Cityto City.
The Road to the Kentucky Derby continues today at Sunland Park in New Mexico with Bob Baffert shipping Castaway and Stirred Up to chase the $800,000 purse of the Sunland Derby (Grade III). Martin Garcia and Rafael Bejarano make the trip to ride, with Garcia also getting the mount on Princess Arabella in the $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks a race prior.
John Sadler is also in action at Sunland with Regal Betty in the Oaks off a three-length win in the Arizona Oaks at Turf Paradise a month ago. Antonio Castanon ships out as well to retain the mount.
We’re off to the races!
Pick 4 -
Leg 1 – Race 6 (1,6,7,8) – Bottom-level maiden claimers sprinting on the main track book end the sequence with fillies up first and we spread with No. 1 Babeneau, No. 6 Candys Girl, No. 7 Lovely Sophia and No. 8 Game Charmer.
Leg 2 – Race 7 (1,2,4,6,7,9) – A bigger spread in the Santa Ana leaving off No. 11 City to City, but using No. 1 Vamo a Galupiar, No. 2 Cambina, No. 4 Strawberrydaiquiri, No. 6 Camelia Rose, No. 7 Wild Mia and No. 9 Bauble Queen.
Leg 3 – Race 8 (1,2,3,7) – The competitive sequence continues with starter allowance runners and the pair of No. 1 So Tough and No. 2 Baron Von Red for Sadler breaking from the inside off massive scores must be used.
Also use No. 3 Bull Ring, who can sit the perfect stalking trip, and No. 7 Private Bounty, who can mow them all down late.
Leg 4 – Race 9 (2,6,8,9,10) – Maiden claiming males close the week and we go big with No. 2 Smart Hombre, No. 6 P Thirty Eight, No. 8 Just Jumped In, No. 9 Father Pabst and No. 10 Ahualulco.
Recap – (1,6,7,8) w (1,2,4,6,7,9) w (1,2,3,7) w (2,6,8,9,10) – Total cost of ticket = $240
Yesterday’s Result – (-$108)
Total for current Santa Anita winter/spring meet – (-$1,724.50)
Total from 12/26/10-12/18/11 – (+$3,512.05)
Pick 5 –
Leg 1 – Race 1 (ALL) – No. 6 Lilly’s Perfect is the unlikeliest winner, but with the drop andRosario we add her to the mix while using them all.
Leg 2 – Race 2 (1,2,4) – No. 4 No Stadium is the top pick again moving to Rosario and getting a barn upgrade, but we’ll add the two that will be on the lead with No. 1 Morganouska and No. 2 Capture the Call.
Leg 3 – Race 3 (1,3,4,5) – A similar heat as the previous race just a bump up in class and we spread with No. 1 Tiz Liberty, No. 3 Rocket Roan, No. 4 Hammurabi and No. 5 Belo Purse.
Leg 4 – Race 4 (2,5,6) – The three logical runners in the San Luis Rey with No. 2 Utopian, No. 5 Bourbon Bay and No. 6 Slim Shadey.
Leg 5 – Race 5 (2) – Single Best Bet No. 2 My Man Sumo, who was protected last time and is in the action spot today after running on nicely to finish second. In his only try over an off track he won nicely in his second off a layoff.
Recap – (ALL) w (1,2,4) w (1,3,4,5) w (2,5,6) w (2) – Total cost of ticket = $90
Yesterday’s Result – (-$144)
Total for current Santa Anita winter/spring meet – (-$2,151.45)
Total from 7/20/10-12/18/11 (+$1,513.90)
Best Bet of the Day (ROI based off $2 WPS bet)
Race 5 – #2 My Man Sumo (5/2 ML) – Ellis claimed this guy back last year so that angle comes into play today along with his hitting at nearly 20% in the second off a layoff. Looked and loaded off a trio of sharp works across town.
Yesterday’s Result – Place peanuts with Kids Table (+$1.20)
Total for current Santa Anita winter/spring meet – (-$110.40)
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Good luck!
