By Joe Quillen
Sunday 6/2 – Santa Anita Race 7 – Desert Stormer Stakes
After a win in the Jersey Derby, we head out west to Santa Anita for the Desert Stormer, which is a 6-furlong race for older fillies and mares on the main track. Post time for this race is for approximately 7:15 pm Eastern time.
Favored in this stakes race is the 6 Richi (2/1 morning line). She comes into this race after a six-month break that included being shipped from South America to Santa Anita and changing hands to the care of Bob Baffert. Baffert’s numbers are off the charts with horses running under his name for the first time, horses returning to the races after a break of six months or move and stakes races. There isn’t much that I could find about this filly in terms of video. But in her last race, she faced the boys and probably found out what her distance limitations are.
But I am always a fan of horses that face oversize fields in their previous race. That race where she faded in back in December had 16 horses in the field. She will only be facing only six other fillies and mares here, and her pedigree is telling me she could be a great sprinter despite winning at a mile and a quarter last November.
There is a bunch of speed in this race. The 2 Outside the Law (20/1 ML) will go to the front, but she has been facing much weaker fields at Turf Paradise. The 3 Tom’s Regret (5/1 ML) was on the lead on the turf last time out in her return from a ten-month layoff, but she has shown she can rate as well. She might have the tactical speed to lay back and let the others burn themselves out.
The 4 Anywho (5/2) was near the lead in the slop at Churchill two weeks ago. She’s also second race off of a long layoff here. The 7 Princess of Time (8/1 ML) moves into stakes company for the first time today and is back after a three-month break.
If all these horses are going for the lead, this sets up nicely for the 5 Delitefull Hart who won after an almost 10-month layoff. If things so like I expect, things could set up nicely.
Chismosa (#1, 4/1 ML) returns to the dirt today after running down the hill the last three times out. She has handled the dirt a little bit better than the turf in my opinion and could get a golden rail trip if these horses tire.
I wish I could find some video on the 6 Richi so that I can get a feel of the races she had in Chile, but this is screaming like a Bob Baffert winner and another horse who may be winning left and right for him. I’ll call this 6-5-1-4 and my play is $20 to win on the 6. Good luck everyone!
Check out my show “Also Eligible” on Saturday mornings at 10 am Eastern/7 am Pacific as AJ Johnson and I discuss the big races, the latest news in horse racing and much more! This Saturday, we will discuss the final leg of this year’s Triple Crown as we have our first look at the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga.