For the sixth year in a row, America’s Best Racing is challenging some of the brightest minds in horse betting to come up with their top three picks for key races every weekend leading up to the2022 Triple Crown and then continuing through the 2022 Breeders’ Cup World Championships. The handicappers face off in what we like to call the “Big Race Showdown.”
Month: February 2022
1/ST Offering ‘Mega Promotion’ Featuring 15 Graded Stakes At Gulfstream, Santa Anita On March 5
The $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) will headline the March 5 program at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., providing 3-year-old prospects a steppingstone to the April 2 $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) and the 2022 Triple Crown. The 76th running of the tradition-rich stakes will also be featured in a mega promotion between 1/ST sister tracks Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., which will play host to a combined 15 graded stakes worth $4.15 million that day.
Gulfstream will offer nine graded stakes worth $1.7 million in purses, while Santa Anita's card will be graced by six graded-stakes worth $2.45 million. A Coast to Coast All Turf Stakes Pick 5 and a Coast to Coast All Dirt Stakes Pick 5, each with legs run at Gulfstream and Santa Anita, will be among the highlights of the 1/ST promotion. A free contest will offer a $5 million jackpot for an entry or entries with all 15 graded/stakes winners.
In addition to the Fountain Youth, the $200,000 Davona Dale (G2), a mile race for 3-year-old fillies; $200,000 WinStar Gulfstream Park Mile (G2), a mile stakes for 4-year-olds and up; $200,000 Mac Diarmida (G2), a 1 3/8-mile turf stakes for older horses; $150,000 Canadian Turf (G3), a mile race for 4-year-olds and up; $150,000 Honey Fox (G3), a mile turf stakes for older fillies and mares; $150,000 The Very One (G3), a 1 3/8-mile turf test for older fillies and mares; $125,000 Herecomesthebride (G3), a mile turf event for 3-year-old fillies; and the $125,000 Palm Beach (G3), a mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds; will be featured on Gulfstream's March 5 card.
Nominations for all nine of Gulfstream's graded stakes will close on Sunday.
Santa Anita's March 5 program will offer the $650,000 Santa Anita Handicap (G1), a 1 ¼-mile handicap for older horses, $500,000 Beholder (G1), a mile stakes for older fillies and mares; $500,000 Frank E. Kilroe (G1), a mile turf race for older horses; $400,000 San Felipe (G2), a 1 1/16-mile event for 3-year-olds; $200,000 San Carlos (G2), a seven-furlong sprint for older horses; and $200,000 Buena Vista (G2), a mile race for older fillies and mares.
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Gulfstream Park: Friday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Has $1 Million Gross Pool Guarantee
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 gross jackpot pool will be guaranteed for $1 million Friday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., where the popular multi-race wager has gone unsolved for 12 racing days in a row following a mandatory payout on Jan. 29, Pegasus World Cup Day.
The Rainbow 6 jackpot is paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.
The Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 4-9, kicked off by a maiden special weight race for Florida-bred 3-year-old fillies. Little Pearl, a daughter of Constitution, will debut for a trainer with a 29-percent strike rate with first-time starters. With Liberty, Spirit Wind and Chitienne are returning from promising debuts.
In Race 7, Peter D, a stakes winner on Tapeta during the Fall Meet, returns to turf in a 1 1/16-mile starter optional claiming allowance. Steel City Dude and Demogorgon also move to turf following solid showings on Tapeta. Wicked Fast is slated to make his first start off the claim for trainer Jorge Abreu, looking to duplicate winning effort in a $50,000 maiden claimer at Belmont in November.
The sequence concludes with a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance on turf, headed by Timmy M, a winner at this level in an off-the-turf event, and Farm Boy, a winner over the Gulfstream turf who is coming off a pair of placings in starter allowances at Tampa Bay.
Who's Hot: Edwin Gonzalez swept the last three races on Thursday's card aboard Souper All Star ($10.20) in Race 7, Bramble Berry ($7) in Race 8 and Alado ($9.80) in Race 9.
Tyler Gaffalione doubled aboard New York Style ($17.80) in Race 2 and Grainger County ($6) in Race 6.
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Barraza, Beer Can Man Face Off In Downhill San Simeon At Santa Anita
Holly and David Wilson's Barraza will be seeking his fourth consecutive win as he heads a solid field of eight older horses going about 6 ½ furlongs down Santa Anita's hillside turf course in Arcadia, Calif., in Sunday's Grade 3, $100,000 San Simeon Stakes. Carded as race eight, the San Simeon will serve as the penultimate event in Sunday's 20 cent Rainbow Pick 6 Jackpot.
With a mandatory payout in place, track officials project Sunday's total Rainbow 6 pool could exceed $5 million.
In what promises to be a very competitive race, Beer Can Man, who comes off a nose defeat in a Grade 2 stakes going 6 ½ furlongs out of Santa Anita's turf chute, retains the services of leading man Flavien Prat and should be extremely tough in what will be his first start down the hill.
Idle since third in a six-furlong turf sprint in Kentucky Sept. 11, Richard Mandella's 9-year-old gelding Bombard is three for five over the course and has proven effective fresh.
Third, beaten 1 ½ lengths by Beer Can Man in his U.S. debut, Hronis Racing's French-bred Bran will hope to improve as he makes his second start for John Sadler.
Second best to the Vladimir Cerin-trained Barraza in the restricted Clockers' Corner Stakes going six furlongs on Jan. 22, Ruben Alvarado's French-bred Commander is unbeaten in his only hillside try and figures to be rallying from off the pace.
In an unexpected change in tactics, Barraza went to the lead in the Clockers' Corner and galloped by 2 ¼ lengths as the even-money favorite under Kent Desormeaux, who had ridden the 4-year-old colt by Into Mischief in his last seven starts.
With Desormeaux out of action, John Velazquez takes the call for Barraza, who is unbeaten in two hillside starts, on Oct. 31 and again two starts back on Jan. 2. On both of those occasions, he rallied impressively from off the pace, which certainly provides Velazquez with options on Sunday.
Out of the multiple stakes winning Halo Dolly, by Popular, Barraza was claimed out of a maiden $100,000 claimer nine starts back on April 11 and is unquestionably at the top of his game now. As he bids for his second consecutive stakes win and fourth victory in a row, Barraza has an overall mark of 12-4-1-2 and has earnings of $197,700.
Second, beaten a nose by Eastern invader Chewing Gum in the Grade 2 Joe Hernandez Stakes Jan. 1, Beer Can Man has been the very definition of consistency for owners Little Red Feather Racing and Madaket Stables. A winner of two out of his four starts for his original connections at age two in Indiana, Beer Can Man, a 4-year-old colt by the Into Mischief stallion Can the Man, won his very first start in Southern California, the Grade 3 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes at Del Mar on Nov. 29, 2020.
First or second five times and once third in his next six starts, Beer Can Man, who will be making his first start for Phil D'Amato, brings an overall mark of 11-5-3-1 to the San Simeon. Originally trained by Mark Glatt, Beer Can Man, who is out of the Dynaformer mare Cheesecake, has earnings of $323,556.
Idle since third in a Grade 3 turf sprint going six furlongs Sept. 11 at Kentucky Downs, the Raydeiz Stable homebred Bombard, who is by War Front, showed plenty of spunk at age eight last year, winning the Grade 3 Daytona Handicap going 6 ½ furlongs out of Santa Anita's turf chute two starts back on May 29 and finishing a close second in his first start of 2021 going six furlongs in a turf allowance here April 25.
With regular rider Prat opting for Barraza, Bombard, who is 19-6-6-3 overall with earnings of $552,771, will be ridden for the first time by Juan Hernandez as he seeks his second graded win and his third overall stakes victory.
A winner of four of his 13 starts in his native France, 4-year-old gelding Bran drifted out turning for home and through the lane while finishing third, beaten 1 ½ lengths in the Grade 2 Joe Hernandez Stakes Jan. 1 and is certainly eligible to improve with Joe Bravo riding him back on Sunday. Raced exclusively on grass throughout his career, he brings an overall mark of 14-4-2-3.
Second, beaten 2 ¼ lengths by Barraza in the Clockers' Corner Stakes Jan. 22, Commander, a 5-year-old gelding who is owned by Sinnott Family Trust and was haltered 16 starts back for $50,000, will be seeking his first graded stakes victory on Sunday with Umberto Rispoli up. Ridden in the Clockers' Corner by Prat, Rispoli has finished second twice in three tries with Commander, dating back to head defeat to Beer Can Man three races back on Nov. 7 at Del Mar.
Trained by Ruben Alvarado, Commander rallied impressively to win his only hillside start, a second condition allowance four races back on Oct. 2, by two lengths. With an overall mark of 22-5-7-2, he has earnings of $251,475.
GRADE III SAN SIMEON WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS
IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 8 of 9 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT
- Chaos Theory—Edwin Maldonado—120
- Commander—Umberto Rispoli—120
- Barraza—John Velazquez—122
- Beer Can Man—Flavien Prat—124
- Guildsman—Drayden Van Dyke—120
- Bran—Joe Bravo—120
- Bombard—Juan Hernandez—122
- Indian Peak—Abel Cedillo—122
First post time for a nine-race card on Sunday is at 12:30 p.m. Admission gates will open at 10:30 a.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.
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