By Joe Quillen
Grade 3 Royal Heroine Stakes (Santa Anita Race 9, 1 mile on the turf)
Happy Saturday everyone and welcome back for another edition of the QPW, and today, we are going to do some different things as well as some of the regular stuff that I do. If you remember from last week’s episode of “Also Eligible”, AJ and myself gave out picks for the four races we looked at on the show. We didn’t have any winners, but we thought we’d share some of the picks that we had here.
We first took a look at the Royal Heroine, which is a Grade 3 race going one mile on the turf at The Great Race Place. The 8 Stay and Scam (5/2 morning line favorite) goes for the lead here. I think she is a sprint horse but the DRF handicapper thinks second time going a mile will benefit her.
I am going with the 7 here Uncorked (3/1 ML). I’m not worried that she is first race off of the layoff. She won first time off of a much longer layoff last May at Delaware Park. Don’t worry about the trainer change. The owners wanted to bring her out west, and the trainer change is because of the move west, not because of the trainer.
Also, don’t get fooled with Uncorked and her age. She’s technically a five-year-old by North American horse racing standards, but she is really a four-year-old. She is an Australian-bred horse, and the South American breeding season is different from ours.
Random thoughts from other horses I didn’t mention in the Royal Heroine:
- #1 Miss Lizzy (6/1 ML): She Just missed going down the hill last time out in the Monrovia
- #2 Lakota Spirit (6/1 ML): Wants longer
- #3 Bellabel (5/1 ML): I wonder if she’s going for the lead or stalking behind the leaders
- #5 Justique (10/1 ML): Ignore the last race. You can toss the Buena Vista last time out. The race run in the Megahertz two back is more like it.
- #6 Irresistible Force (20/1 ML) probably goes to the lead with the morning line favorite Stay and Scam.
AJ liked the 1 Miss Lizzy, the 4 Glenall (20/1 ML) and the 9 Fuente Ovejura. (6/1 ML). I questioned the coast-to-coast travel as the 9’s latest work was on April 19 at Palm Meadows in Florida. AJ said it’s nothing to worry about. He says the owners know what they are doing if they are shipping her west for this race.
Joe’s play for the QPW: $20 to win on the 7 Uncorked.
AJ likes 1, 4 & 9 boxed.
Grade 3 San Francisco Mile (Golden Gate Race 7, 1 mile on the turf)
I begin with the fact that we have an “also eligible” for this race, which is fitting of our show’s name. But I told AJ that don’t waste your time wagering on the 13 Prince Abu Dhabi. I saw on DRF that the connections intend to run him in the 4th race at Santa Anita today.
The morning line favorite is the 4 Balnikhov (3/1 morning line). This gelding won the San Francisco Mile last year on the second race off of a layoff. This year, he will have to do it first race off of a shorter layoff.
The 7 Astronomer (4/1 ML) has faced tougher having run in the Breeders’ Cup Mile last fall.
My additional notes: I think the 6 Air Force Red (6/1 ML) and the 10 Clovisconnection (12/1) go for the lead and will set things up for the 4 Balnikov.
I said that sometimes you have to eat chalk which seems to be what I am doing with the QPW.
AJ was looking to make some money. He likes Cathkin Park (8/1 ML) who won last time out, the 8 Coalinga Road (20/1 ML) who is second race off of the layoff and probably needed that last race, and the aforementioned 10 Clovisconnection. He added the 11 Sumter as well for his trifecta.
I mentioned that it is okay that we disagree on “Also Eligible”. I noted that what I like most about horse racing is that it is one giant puzzle to figure out. One person’s puzzle is different than mine.
For the QPW, I’m going $20 win on the favorite #4 Balnikov. I also said on the show that I am going 4-7 with my selections in the 7that Golden Gate Fields.
AJ picks in the San Francisco Mile are the 5 Cathkin Park, 8 Coalinga Road & 10 Clovisconnection in an exacta box. He also said to add the 11 Sumter for a trifecta box.