ARCADIA, Calif. – The small-field feature race Friday at Santa Anita includes one of the day’s shortest prices, which prompted trainer Dean Pederson to say, “I hope it’s smart money.”
So will bettors who view Our Moonlight as the most probable winner in a pick six that begins with a $52,045 carryover. Runner-up in her sprint comeback, Our Moonlight stretches out in race 8, an entry-level allowance mile for fillies and mares. Surprisingly, Our Moonlight is the 8-5 second choice in the program.
Pederson knows who Our Moonlight is up against.
“How about this filly?” Pederson said pointing to the past performances of program favorite Runamileinmyshoes. “You look at her dirt races, and what’s wrong with her?”
Nothing at all. Runamileinmyshoes, 2 for 2 on dirt, is listed at 6-5.
Five are entered in the allowance feature. The Our Moonlight-Runamileinmyshoes dilemma is just one of many decisions facing bettors who will chase the fourth pick six carryover from the first 18 days of the Santa Anita meet. New money Friday is likely to exceed $300,000.
There are no free squares, though Our Moonlight comes close. The remaining pick six races are challenging – claiming dirt mile, second-level allowance turf sprint for fillies and mares, starter-allowance sprint for 3-year-olds, starter-allowance turf sprint, and a bland claiming turf route for nonwinners of two.
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It’s not an easy sequence, and 1-for-5 Our Moonlight, by Tapit, must improve from her runner-up sprint comeback while stretching to a mile. She finished third in her previous dirt route.
“She’s a filly with some unanswered questions,” Pederson acknowledged.
Can she run long?
“You look at her physically, you would say not a problem at all,” Pederson said. “She’s a big, long filly. She’s got the pedigree to route.”
Our Moonlight’s jockey, Tiago Pereira, suggested blinkers, which she will add Friday.
“When she’s gotten in between horses, Tiago says she wants to kind of hesitate a little bit,” Pederson said. “It could be a one-race experiment, it could be the ticket to the golden egg, who knows?”
In workouts, Pereira said Our Moonlight is more comfortable in blinkers.
From the inside post Friday, racing one mile, Our Moonlight is likely to produce speed. If she improves just slightly off her comeback, she figures to win with a forwardly placed trip. Otherwise, route-proven Runamileinmyshoes fits. She won both dirt routes against California-breds and returns to dirt in her first start off the claim by Peter Miller. Emisael Jaramillo is her rider.
For pick six bettors, the significance of race 8 hinges on staying alive after the first four legs of the sequence that begins in race 4. The remaining pick six races are outlined below.
Race 4 is a $16,000 claiming mile in which pace-presser Resemblance seeks his third straight while facing front-running program favorite Leyas Candy. Big Juanito, Maniatic, and Speed Grazy will rally. Contrary Chieftain also adds pace. Dirt miles have favored speed this meet. From 22 races, nine winners set the pace; 10 pressed from second or third. The profile benefits Resemblance and Leyas Candy.
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Race 5 is a second-level allowance turf sprint for fillies and mares on the hill. Program favorite Certitude makes her first start in three months.
“We’ve entered her multiple times at a mile, and it didn’t” fill, trainer John Sadler said. “She’s a good, honest runner, doesn’t run a bad race.”
Certitude has finished in the money in her last three turf routes at the level. A recent five-furlong race was too short, but 6 1/2 furlongs on the hill should be perfect. Her rivals include last-out runner-up Young Love, front-runner Tahini, and Imaboutago, a troubled third last out.
Race 6 is a starter-allowance sprint for 3-year-olds, nonwinners of two. Liam Smith’s 89 Beyer Speed Figure winning a $50,000 maiden-claiming race stands out. But that race was only two weeks ago. He was claimed by Jeff Mullins.
“If he doesn’t bounce, he’ll be tough,” Mullins said.
The trainer has not done much with Liam Smith since the claim.
“Just kind of kept him fresh and happy, obviously he just ran,” Mullins said.
Jaramillo rides Liam Smith, who is drawn outside pace rival Sendit Mo. If they duel, route-to-sprint dropper My Boy Stan could rally for the win.
Race 7, a main-oval turf sprint, is a starter allowance for nonwinners of three. Smart Code finished in the money in his last four starts at this level, short and long. Program favorite Vancougar lost as the favorite last out after getting bogged down rallying inside. It’s always tough to rally up the fence. Tessuto, Proudly Hailed, Spearfish, and American Glory also entered.
Race 9, at 1 1/8 miles on turf, is a nonwinners-of-two $25,000 claiming race. It’s the lowest level that program favorite Prince Dolce has tried. Precision drops in class for his first start since last spring. Six Magpies finished in the money in two of his last four starts at the level, while the outclassed longshot Bad to the Bones is likely to set the pace.
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