santa anita | Horse Racing Free Tips

Comebacking Mucho Gusto Draws Services Of John Velazquez In Saturday’s San Antonio

A winner of more than $3.1 million this year, Bob Baffert's Mucho Gusto, idle since Feb. 29, heads a field of eight 3-year-olds and up going a mile and one sixteenth in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita. One of five graded stakes on an 11-race program, the San Antonio, long a traditional prep to the G1 Santa Anita Handicap, will be contested for the 83rd time on Saturday.

A winner of the G` Pegasus World Cup Invitational two starts back at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 25, Mucho Gusto was a respectable fourth behind stablemate Maximum Security in the G1 $20 million Saudi Cup on Feb. 29 and will be ridden for the first time on Saturday by eastern-based John Velazquez.

Jay Em Ess Stable's homebred Extra Hope comes off an emphatic gate to wire score in the G3 Native Diver Stakes at Del Mar and seeks his third consecutive win for Richard Mandella and jockey Juan Hernandez.

Mark Glatt's versatile Sharp Samurai, an earner of more than $1.1 million, comes off a solid third place finish in the G1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and rates a huge chance at age six.

MUCHO GUSTO

Owner: HRH Prince Faisal Bin Khaled

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Fourth, beaten 2 ¾ lengths in the Saudi Cup, Mucho Gusto is 12-6-2-2 overall. A 4-year-old colt by Mucho Macho Man, he should show plenty of his customary early zip in his first start in nearly nine months as Baffert seeks his record seventh San Antonio win.

EXTRA HOPE

Owner: Jay Em Ess Stable

Trainer: Richard Mandella

Unbeaten in two starts with hot-riding Juan Hernandez, Extra Hope, a 4-year-old colt by Shanghai Bobby, certainly rates as a “now” commodity. A gate to wire winner of the Native Diver, he'll no doubt be forwardly placed as he cuts back in distance a sixteenth of a mile. The San Antonio will be Extra Hope's fourth start of 2020 as he tries to improve upon an overall mark of 14-4-2-3.

SHARP SAMURAI

Owner : Red Baron's Barn LLC, Rancho Temescal LLC and Mark Glatt

Trainer: Mark Glatt

A winner of seven of 18 turf starts while second five times and third twice, Sharp Samurai will be making his second consecutive start on dirt, a surface that he's now 5-1-1-1 over. A solid second two starts back in the G2 City of Hope over the Santa Anita turf Oct. 3, he was beaten 3 ½ lengths in the G1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile Nov. 7 and with his class and tactical speed, rates a big chance in the San Antonio.

THE GRADE II SAN ANTONIO WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 7 of 11 Approximate post time 2 p.m. PT

Take the One O One—Jose Valdivia, Jr.—121
Kiss Today Goodbye—Mike Smith—119
Extra Hope—Juan Hernandez—123
Sharp Samurai—Flavien Prat—121
Combatant—Ricardo Santana, Jr.—123
Midcourt—Victor Espinoza—123
Idol—Gabriel Saez–119
Mucho Gusto—John Velazquez—124

Although there is no public admittance, fans can watch and wager via 1st.com/Bet and they can watch all of Santa Anita's races free of charge at santaanita.com/live. Special early first post time on Saturday is at 11 a.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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Breeders’ Cup Winner Sharing Headlines Field Of 10 In American Oaks

Trainer Graham Motion's Sharing is the filly to beat in Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 American Oaks at Santa Anita. Originally run at Hollywood Park in 2002 and transferred to Santa Anita in 2014, the Oaks, the final G1 event of the year for 3-year-old fillies, has attracted a field of 10 and will be run for the 19th time on Saturday, opening day of Santa Anita's Winter/Spring meeting.

A winner over the course in the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at one mile on Nov. 1, 2019, Sharing, a Maryland-bred daughter of Speightstown, who is owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gainesway Stable, will be trying a mile and one quarter for the first time as she seeks her sixth win from nine career starts.

Eclipse will also be well represented by the Paddy Gallagher-trained Red Lark, who comes off a close fourth place finish in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Keeneland Oct. 10 and who won the G1 Del Mar Oaks on Aug. 22.

Eastern-based Chad Brown looms dangerous with English-bred Capital Structure, who although she'll be making her stakes debut in the Oaks, exits a solid allowance win going 1 1/16 miles on turf at Belmont Park Oct. 25 and rates a big look with Joel Rosario aboard in what will be her fourth career start.

THE G1 AMERICAN OAKS WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 9 of 11 Approximate post time 3 p.m. PT

Red Lark—Drayden Van Dyke—124
Miss Addie Pray—Mike Smith—124
Capital Structure—Joel Rosario—124
Going to Vegas—Mario Gutierrez—124
Luck Money—Ricardo Santana, Jr.—124
Guitty—Juan Hernandez—124
California Kook—Ricardo Gonzalez—124
Duopoly—Flavien Prat—124
Sharing—John Velazquez—124
Neige Blanche—Umberto Rispoli–124

The G1 American Oaks is one of five graded stakes on an 11-race card Saturday. Although there is no public admittance, fans can watch and wager via 1st.com/Bet and they can watch all of Santa Anita's races free of charge at santaanita.com/live. Special early first post time on Saturday is at 11 a.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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Finite Ships West To Take On Merneith In La Brea

In what appears to be a wide-open affair at seven furlongs, Steve Asmussen-trained Finite and Bob Baffert trainee Merneith head a field of 11 sophomore fillies in the Grade 1, $300,000 La Brea Stakes, one of five graded events on Santa Anita's Winter/Spring opening day this Saturday, Dec. 26.

A winner of the G3 Chilukki Stakes going a one turn mile at Churchill Downs Nov. 21, Finite is a three-time graded stakes winner who seeks her seventh win in what will be her 12th career start.

A winner of her last two starts, Merneith, a daughter of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, seeks her third consecutive win and her first graded stakes win.

FINITE

Owner: Winchell Thoroughbreds, LLC, Thomas Reiman, William Dickson & Deborah Easter

Trainer: Steve Asmussen

Fresh off a rousing 2 ½ length win going a one turn mile in the G3 Chilukki Stakes at Churchill Downs Nov. 21, this daughter of Munnings will ship west in search of her first G1 victory. Although she rallied powerfully from off the pace to win the Chilukki, Finite has plenty of natural speed, evidenced by her gate to wire maiden win going 6 ½ furlongs on grass at age two. With three graded stakes victories and an overall mark of 11-6-3-0, she is the leading money earner in the field with $757,869 and looms the post time favorite.

MERNEITH

Owner: HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud

Trainer: Bob Baffert

A game neck winner of an ungraded six furlong stakes at Keeneland on Nov. 7, this daughter of American Pharoah was an emphatic 3 ¼ length allowance winner at the same distance here on Oct. 11 and thus seeks her third consecutive win. A well beaten third by Horse of the Year candidate Swiss Skydiver in her only graded stakes try, the G2 Santa Anita Oaks five starts back on June 6, Merneith appears poised for a top effort as Baffert seeks his record eighth La Brea triumph.

MOTIVATED SELLER

Owner: Klaravich Stables, Inc.

Trainer: Chad Brown

Second, beaten a neck by Merneith going six furlongs at Keeneland Nov. 7, this daughter of top sire Into Mischief is very much on the improve for Brown. A six length first-out maiden winner going six furlongs at Gulfstream Park Jan. 12, she was then idle until Oct. 11 at Belmont Park, where she pressed the early pace and registered a 2 ¾ length allowance win at the same distance. In what will be her fourth career start, Motivated Seller will be trying graded stakes competition for the first time.

THE GRADE I LA BREA WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 11 Approximate post time 2:30 p.m. PT

Princess Mo—Geovanni Franco—120
Merneith—John Velazquez—120
Himiko—Flavien Prat—120
Secret Keeper—Abel Cedillo–120
Finite—Ricardo Santana, Jr.—122
Biddy Duke—Juan Hernandez—122
Provocation—Joel Rosario—120
Motivated Seller—Umberto Rispoli—120
Fair Maiden—Ricardo Gonzalez—120
Golden Principal—Mike Smith—120
Stellar Sound—Victor Espinoza–120

The G1 La Brea, to be contested for the 48th time, is one of five graded stakes on an 11-race card Saturday.

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Baffert Has Futurity Winner Spielberg Aimed At Jan. 30 Robert B. Lewis Stakes

Bob Baffert has Spielberg ticketed for Santa Anita's Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes on Jan. 30 following his audacious nose victory in Saturday's Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity, which Baffert won for the seventh straight time.

Baffert has captured the Los Al Futurity every year since it was moved from Hollywood Park to the Cypress track in 2014, and this was the 13th time he has won it overall.

Another victory would match Charlie Whittingham's amazing mark of 14 wins in the same stakes, which The Bald Eagle achieved in the grassy San Juan Capistrano marathon at Santa Anita.

Rallying on the outside in Los Al's long stretch, Spielberg got up in the last bob under Flavien Prat to shade the longest shot in the field of six, 33-1 maiden The Great One, in a photo so close Baffert wasn't sure he won until his number six was posted.

“I was watching it live from a bad angle,” Baffert said, “so I looked at the TV but the horses had already hit the wire. I asked out loud, 'Did I get beat?' and some little guy nearby kept saying, 'The six, the six.'

“I didn't know. I was asking everybody.”

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