Garrity's Dad's Hat Happy Hour Handicapping: 5 Friday races at Fair Grounds, Oaklawn, Santa Anita
If it’s Friday, it must be time for another installment of Dad’s Hat Happy Hour Handicapping, in which we play a group of races in a short window of time, all with post times conducive to an afternoon cocktail made with one of the delicious, hand-crafted elixirs from our friends at Dad’s Hat. We have five plays at three tracks today, over a span of about 90 minutes, and we expect fast dirt and firm turf in all of them. You’ve made it to the end of the week, so celebrate the start of the weekend by pouring yourself a glass, making yourself comfortable, and getting ready to win some money. Let’s go.
Fair Grounds, Race 6, 4:30 pm
Allowance, 5 ½ furlongs, Dirt, Louisiana-bred Fillies & Mares 3 & Up
Eight go in the 6th at the Fair Grounds. The pick is 4-Canada’s Customs, who broke her maiden quite nicely two starts back, then faltered in her last race, as so many horses do, in her first try against winners. She should rebound here, partly for having more experience, but mostly because the shape of the race figures to favor her pace-pressing running style. Look for her to sit just behind the leaders early, move to the front at the top of the stretch, and hold off the closers late. We will bet her to win at 3-1. The bet: Fair Grounds, Race 6, $35 to win on 4-Canada’s Customs.
Oaklawn Park, Race 7, 5:04 pm ET
Maiden Special Weight, 1 1/16 miles, Dirt, 3 & Up
The maiden races at Oaklawn Park are the best in the country this time of year, and this one is a good example, as eight promising young horses line up to run eight and a half furlongs. The one who looks the best to us is 7-Go West, who comes off a 4th-place finish in a very strong maiden race at the Fair Grounds. He seems primed to enter the ranks of winners, and should get a good stalking trip behind what figures to be a legitimate early pace. Go West looks better than the rest; we will bet him to win at 7/2. The bet: Oaklawn Park, Race 7, $40 to win on 7-Go West.
Santa Anita Park, Race 3, 5:06 pm ET
Maiden Special Weight, 1 mile, Turf, California-breds 3 & Up
This maiden race for state-breds drew a field of eight. Since the ones who have run before look lousy, we are going with a new face, in the form of 6-Hotrod Ride, who makes the first start of his career here. He’s got a deceptively good pedigree, at least by the standards of horses bred in California, and he’s trained by Sean McCarthy, who is good with both turf runners and first first-time starters. That may be enough for him to beat this weak group; at 15-1, that makes him a good play. We will bet him to win. The bet: Santa Anita, Race 3, $40 to win on 6-Hotrod Pete.
Oaklawn Park, Race 8, 5:39 pm ET
Allowance/Optional Claiming, 6 furlongs, Dirt, 4 & Up
A field of eight salty older allowance sprinters lines up for today’s featured race at Oaklawn Park. We all over the one on the outside, 8-Jalen Journey, who is coming off a long layoff, having last raced in a Grade 3 stakes at Pimlico in September, but whose recent morning workouts, which were very fast, suggest he will be ready to run today. He is strictly the one to beat, especially having drawn the coveted outside post, which is an advantage. We will bet Jalen Journey to win at 5/2. The bet: Oaklawn Park, Race 8, $40 to win on 8-Jalen Journey.
Fair Grounds, Race 9, 6:00 pm
Allowance/Optional Claiming, 1 1/16 miles, Turf, 3-Year-Olds
A full field of ten 3-year-olds lines up for this first-level allowance in the Big Easy. We like 9-Guntown, who has never run on turf before, but who has both the pedigree and the running style to suggest that he will take to the sod like a duck takes to water. Trainer Steve Asmussen thought enough of this colt that he ran him in stakes races as a juvenile last year, where he was in over his head, but against this modest field, we think Guntown will show that ability that caused him to sell for $750,000 as a yearling. He will probably be lower than his 5-1 morning line number when the gates open; we will bet him to win anyway. Look for him to be mid-pack early, and rolling late. The bet: Fair Grounds, Race 9, $40 to win on 9-Guntown.
That’s all for today. Until tomorrow, enjoy the racing, be safe, and, as always, good luck at the windows.