Cezanne is Garrity's pick in the Grade 2 San Carlos.
santanita.com
Garrity's Saturday Stakes Picks for Santa Anita, Gulfstream Park, Aqueduct – big day of quality horse racing
Some days, we have to scrounge to find a half-dozen playable races, but today is not one of them: there are stakes all over the place, with Fountain of Youth day at Gulfstream Park, Santa Anita Handicap day at Santa Anita, and a good card, highlighted by the Gotham Stakes, at Aqueduct. This is the kind of day that made us a racing fan, lo those many years ago, and we are consequently thrilled to have selected a half dozen of them for a Saturday six-pack of stakes action. We expect fast dirt and firm turf in all races, so let’s go.
Santa Anita Park, Race 4, 4:48 pm ET
Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes, 7 furlongs, Dirt, 4 & Up
Nine older sprinters go in the San Carlos. The pick is 4-Cezanne, who disappointed in his last, finishing third as the odds-on favorite in the Palos Verdes on Jan. 29. We are willing to give him a pass for that effort, as he found himself behind a couple of horses early on a track that was biased toward speed. We think he will get a much better setup today, as the presence of a couple of horses with tremendous early foot should play right into Cezanne’s stalking running style. We think Cezanne will paint a masterpiece in the San Carlos, and will bet him to win at 5/2. The bet: Santa Anita, Race 4, $40 to win on 4-Cezanne.
Gulfstream Park, Race 11, 5:10 pm ET
Grade 2 Mac Diarmada Stakes, 1 ⅜ miles, Turf, 4 & Up
Older turf runners, eleven of them, line up for the Mac Diarmada. We like 8-Temple, who has speed and rider, Irad Ortiz, who will use it: we see Temple going right to the front early, and staying there all the way around Gulfstream Park’s speed-favoring turf course. We see a wire-to-wire victory for Temple, and will bet him to win at 9/2. The bet: Gulfstream Park, Race 11, $35 to win on 8-Temple.
Aqueduct, Race 10, 5:27 pm ET
Grade 3 Gotham Stakes, 1 mile, Dirt, 3-Year-Olds
The field of the Gotham came up very strong: it’s a deep and talented group of 10 3-year-olds. We are expecting a fast early pace, which makes 2-Glider a major threat. He began his career on the synthetic track at Gulfstream Park, but tried conventional dirt for the first time in his last start, when he finished second in an allowance race at Tampa Bay Downs on Jan. 30. On the surface, that result seems underwhelming, but a closer look shows that Glider ran deceptively well that day: he made a pretty strong move in the middle of the race, and did so despite the fact that the early pace was very slow. This kind of effort, a big move into a soft pace, is a sign of a very good horse, and another big plus is that we expect the race shape of the Gotham to favor Glider’s closing running style in a way that his last race did not: we see a speed duel up front, and Glider getting up late. That makes his 8-1 morning line number irresistible; we will bet him to win. The bet: Aqueduct, Race 10, $40 to win on 2-Glider.
Gulfstream Park, Race 12, 5:42 pm ET
Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes, 1 1/16 miles, Dirt, 3-Year-Olds
A full field of twelve lines up for the Fountain of Youth. We like the looks of 4-In Due Time, who moved forward in a big way in his last start, when he demolished a good field of allowance runners on Feb. 4. It was the fastest he’d ever run, and we like the fact that he ran that career top in his first try at a longer distance (the race was at a mile; his first two starts were in sprints). His result that day suggests that he is a rapidly improving 3-year-old, and so do his recent morning workouts, which were sensational. We think In Due Time becomes a major Kentucky Derby contender by taking the Fountain of Youth, and will bet him to win at 6-1. The bet: Gulfstream Park, Race 12, $40 to win on 4-In Due Time.
Santa Anita Park, Race 10, 7:29 pm ET
Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile, 1 mile, Turf, 4 & Up
Santa Anita has been plagued by short fields during its current meet, so it’s good to see that the Kilroe Mile, which is one of the biggest races of the year at the Great Race Place, drew a high-quality field of twelve. This is a good group, and a good race.
We like 5-Space Traveller. He’s a 6-year-old English bred who has been competitive facing some incredibly salty competition of late, with four of his last five starts coming in Grade 1 races. We especially like his last race, when he closed strongly to finish a close third in the Pegasus World Cup Turf in January. We see a similar setup for him today: a quick early pace that sets up his strong late rally. We also think it is worth noting that Irish jockey Jamie Spencer will ride him: Space Traveller is his only mount on the Santa Anita card, and we cannot imagine that Spencer made the trip unless he very much likes his chances. We will bet Space Traveller to win at 5-1. The bet: Santa Anita, Face 10, $50 to win on 5-Space Traveller.
Santa Anita Park, Race 11, 8:00 pm ET
Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap, 1 ¼ miles, Dirt, 4 & Up
Eight go in the Big ‘Cap. We’re all in on 8-Stiletto Boy, who comes into this off a pair of good efforts in Grade 1 stakes at Gulfstream and Santa Anita. He finished third in both of them, but when one looks at the horses he finished behind in those two races – Life is Good, Knicks Go, and Flightline – one realizes that they are much better results than a typical third-place finish. Stiletto Boy is a 4-year-old who should be at his absolute physical peak right now; he is the pick to win the Santa Anita Handicap, and we will bet him to win at 5/2. The bet: Santa Anita Park, Race 11, $50 to win on 8-Stiletto Boy.
That’s all for today. Until tomorrow, enjoy the racing, be safe, and, as always, good luck at the windows.
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