SANTA ANITA FEB 10

RACE 1: Downhill A1. Angel Eyed has the only real speed.

Summer News won at 3-1. Score -2.

RACE 2: Starter allowance with a weak field. Beyond the Mark breaks through on strength of maiden win.

Mark paid even money. Score +4.

RACE 3: Sultry, following the lead of Gomez-Dutrow.

Led into the stretch, faded. Score -2.

RACE 4: Wickersham. Art Sherman knows what he'd doing with this horse, and she seems to like Cohen's rides.

Well, that prediction sucked. Score -2.

RACE 5: Wilko is the most intriguing horse in here, having been to the Big Show. He's won $2.4 million, and seems to love to come in 3rd. Will a switch toe trainer Craig Dollase help? The top jocks don't think so, and Wilko has lost by 20 lengths in each of his last two races. It wouldn't be beyond imagining that Dollase could wake this horse up.
But I'm betting McDuff, a strong finisher in all four of his American races.

McDuff paid $7.80

RACE 7: Rahy's Appeal is the name horse here, but 2 of his 3 big wins have been in the slop. He's a battler for sure, but I like Seafree, 2 for 4 at Santa Anita including a G2 win. I expect a price, since his last good race was way back in spring. Trainer John Sadler has his pet jockey in the irons.

Seafree a dunce at 9/2. Score -2.

RACE 8: Speed dominates out of the gate of this 5.5 furlong claimer. In these cheaper races I like to bet consistency, and so nominate Wild Nekia as worthy of play. Brian Koriner, his trainer, won 88 races last year at a 27% clip. He's a 2-1 shot in any dirt sprint claimer.

Finished 3rd at 6/5. Score -2.

RACE 9: THE LAS VIRGENES. Gomez picked Rags to Riches for a reason. I don't bet jockeys per se, but when top jocks pick a horse, I like to give a long look. From MSW to Grade 1 is a giant jump, but it's been done before. Rags fought past two rivals to win by 6 in her maiden victory. Her Beyer was only 7 points off the leader in today's race. More importantly, the internal fractions were four lengths better than any of her competitors today.

Rags pays $7.40.

For the card: We win 3 out of 7, gain $5.20.