SoCal Saturday 3/15/25 | G3 Santa Ana

I guess another Friday, which means we are California dreaming

for a Saturday. SoCal Saturday's here with our

friends at AM. Wager on the horse racing happy

hour. You know who he is, He's Mary

Spears joins me every week on this show.

We catch you on Friday so you can get ready for Saturday.

Hopefully you're having a good one out there.

Some rain happened in Southern California.

So of course they are off the turf on Friday as we read

through these PPS for tomorrow. So hopefully back on the turf by

the time we were talking with you on Saturday.

Barry, you said before we jumped on fun card.

Could not agree more. We have been really thrilled

frankly, since we started the series with field sizes, with

sort of the the mix of races, this infusion of the Northern

California runners. It's been fun man.

Yeah, yeah. It's an eclectic mix of of some

great races and a real challenge for handicappers and that I love

and how you get some prices mixed in there and it's it's a

great day. That really is we'll be going

through the full card. We do this every Friday ahead of

the races On Saturday. It's with our friends at Amwager

available and happy hour. You can always catch my column

over at The Sporting Tribune. The start of all of this was our

friends over at The Sporting Tribune carrying my articles and

different things around that. I have my first Kentucky Derby

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My top 5 + 3 others that I'm watching right now.

So go check that out, the sportytribune.com.

Barry. Let's get straight into it

though, man, I'm excited to get into all of this.

But we'll go to a race one out at Santa Anita.

It is a maiden special weight for calibrates going 6 furlongs

on the flat turf course there for $65,000 in here, Barry.

A really difficult race as far as figuring out who's going to

fire off of a layoff or who's in form right now.

Horses dropping out of other, you know, sort of levels into a

state red level. Where did you land in this one?

Yeah, these races, especially on the turf, you, you get this real

kind of mishmash of, of a lot of different things going on with

the first time starters and then first time turf starters with

horses that have already run. So, so it, it gets to be a tough

read sometimes and you can look in the pedigree and do all that

kind of stuff. But the way these right races

are run, there's really not much strategy to them.

You really can't do too much with with these young horses.

So you kind of just have to let them go.

And I think a horse like Go Go Prancer, who would be my top

pick in here, kind of fits that bill.

It has some precociousness in the pedigree.

This horse hadn't been out for a while since last May, but I

think the baseline on that first race that this horse has, you

can only move up a little bit from there.

The turf makes a lot of sense getting Lasix for the first

time. Fraser is riding well and the

strainer Phil d'amato is is pretty much lights out on the

turf out there. Usually we're going to go with

that horse on top. Yeah, he brings horses back off

these kinds of layoffs really well as well and and you know,

good off the claim as well. 22% when he gets a horse into his

barn for the first time and this horse not coming off a claim, I

should be specific about that, but is entering the barn for the

first time. I I agree with you.

I think that horse is really interesting.

Had that one just outside of my top handicapping.

I'm gonna try one of those first timers that you mentioned

earlier in Harbor code. The six horse here for Carla

Gaines, nice trainer. About 20% with first timers gets

Juan Hernandez for the mount here.

I just, I, I feel like this horse been working really,

really well on the dirt. We'll get to try the turf

obviously here. Desert code the sire in this

one. Just a $2000 job.

Can you imagine, Barry take it off like a $30,000 check?

You burn a horse for two GS, that's the best.

And so I'll land on the I'll land on the six here.

I'm not in love with any of the horses that have already

started, which is essentially how I landed there in second.

I do have the 8 horse in Horizon Wildcat ran really well I

thought last time at this level over a good turf.

I think we're going to have something similar to good turf

by the time we get to tomorrow. And so, you know, second place

both times out, almost one on debut, going to six furlongs at

Santa Anita. So if we get a similar play to

that, like 6-8 will be good enough for this one.

Yeah, actually Harbor Code would be my second choice in this

race. I like those steady streaming

works. Doesn't look like the horse

really missed any and probably is fit and ready.

So I I would expect this horse to run pretty good first time

out and then I'll round it out with the seven hot head, kind of

a speed and fade type that that might hang around.

There you go. All right, we'll move on to Race

2 there at Santa Anita. Again, we're presented by Am

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Race 2 is a claimer 32,000 down to 28 for some weight allowances

and that one 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf $40,000 and the Kitty

here. This is a four three-year old

buried nice field here. I thought, even though it is

short, I know, I I see the angle you're going to try here.

You're going against our guy Jorge Parabon, and I don't like

it. How about that?

Yeah, You know, it's it's funny that we we didn't land or I

didn't land on a Parabon horse because he he really gets these

horses cranked up like he did with Distant Fleet in that in

that first race. But I I think this horse runs

into a field that that's pretty quick and has some experience.

So I'm going away from that one. I'm going to take a a shot down

field here and go with whiskey in the teacup.

The two. I think this horse might end up

being a lone closer situation. There's a lot of speed in this

race and this horse should line up to get a really good trip.

I think this horse, higher numbers will probably float up

because of the trip that this horse is going to get.

So I think this horse is capable.

It just needs to set up and I think this is the right race for

it. 12 to one, couldn't resist, had to go forward with it.

Whiskey and a teacup maiden winner at the $50,000 level at

Del Mar and so I will try to get back to that form in this one.

I landed on the three here. Barry and distant fleet.

I love a second timer in maiden races.

I'll go ahead and take a shot here.

This horse likewise won at the $50,000 level at Santa Anita

last time out. Thought the race set up

perfectly for this one, but I think this horse showed even on

debut under a billion to Georgia.

Who keeps the the mount here that he's ready to go?

I know it's a Jorge Parabon. If you want to play against

these favorites, there's a great stat for you.

O for 19. The last times that he's tried

to go back-to-back with winners in his barn.

But I think the other numbers sort of overcome this.

Barry. I think that horse will improve.

I've like the works over the dirt.

I'm moving the the the Tepita works on to the side.

I think this horse looked really good in those works.

I think his other one, Panuko has a serious shot here as well

under Carmona one at the 25 claiming level last time.

I don't think of 32 as being significantly higher and so I'll

go with the parabods here. Man, you and I are different.

I'll run with the the three of the six here.

Yeah, I'm going with the four winds of freedom, who's also

probably will close a little bit and not be right on the pace or

right off of it. So we're going to use that

because it's a small field. I think you can get two horses

to pass a couple and and be in the exact and we're going to use

the five run for kid or third another one that that might be a

little speed and fade type going turf to dirt.

There you go all right move on to race three.

We are presented again by am wager, am wager.com, am

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right now. Race 3 is an optional claimer

for state bread. 6 furlongs on the dirt here, 67,000 in the

Kitty, non 2 essentially for four and up here.

Barry, I am interested here because you did land on the

favorite, as did I, the one our Bucky Charm who I thought it

looked a little lost last out, but I was trying to find a horse

that was an obvious candidate to beat this one and just didn't

come up with. Them same.

The horse didn't really all run that great, probably needed the

race, so I'll forgive that effort at this lower price.

Should bounce back and one thing you'll note is the last two

buyers on the January 18th race and the May 25th race, those two

races are higher than everybody else's last two races.

And when you get that kind of situation, I learned this a long

time ago through Dave Litvin, Rest in peace.

Those horses win at a insanely high rate.

I I think it's like 60 plus percent.

So I wasn't trying to buck that trend.

This horse looks good, but I will use the four and the five

underneath just to round it out. It's a small field so you know,

you got to kind of get it where where you can and I think Devil

By Me might get the run of the race despite having Al Bucky

Charm in it. Yeah, I think the five here win

ribbon is really interesting because if you toss that last

race on the turf, this horse is seven wins on the dirt, you

know, 21 times hitting the board and 31 tries on dirt.

I love these kinds of horses. 9 year old geldings that you know

are still going to give you that kind of great effort in these

sorts of races. Not in for the tag here because

the horse did start back in a claimer for 16 at LaSalle back

in December, wasn't claimed, kept in the Peter Millibard

here. And if you want to go on the

every other type, I think the five is interesting here.

So even in my logger sequences, I won't single here Barry, I'll

go one and five. I know you're 1 and 4 here.

Yes, absolutely. 5 for 3rd I you know the thing about the five

that that turned me off on him is the like the amount of third

place finishes yes, I think he's gonna be around it.

I mean the horse, you could see he's always around it and he's

just one way or another. He could be in the winner's

circle or third so. Yeah, there you go.

All right, so that is the opening pick three there at

Santa Anita. We will move into race four

starts, the middle pick 4456 and seven here at Santa Anita going

a mile on the turf course. Some of my favorite races in

Southern California are on the turf course here.

Another state bread race 67,000 in the Kitty Hills for non 2

lifers as well, $20,000 optional claimer.

Interesting morning line favorite in here.

Barry, I'm going to let you go first here with the number one

Princesa Del Tigre comes in a 2 to one off of dirt starts right.

This horse hasn't run on turf since September of 2023.

I was a little surprised to see this horse on top in the

handicapping. I think you're, I, I, I know my

guy Barry, I imagine you're thinking the same thing as me

and you're going to try a long shot here.

Absolutely, yeah. The the two first two choices,

they just really are a head scratcher in this race.

I I can understand partly why they they are favored on the

morning line and it's mostly because of the class.

But you'll see, especially with Princesa del Tigre, her turf

races aren't all that great or competitive in this spot.

She she would really have to improve and run something close

to her synthetic figures to be competitive and I'm not sure she

can do that. Ultimate high hasn't won in a

while, hasn't won in two years and comes close a lot, but likes

to to fade late and has seven second place finishes that

that's problematic for a guy like me.

So we're we're definitely fading those two.

I ain't landed on the seven Sassy prancelot.

I think there's a scenario where Billy Anton Georgie puts this

horse on the lead and never looks back.

Interesting. OK, I don't really see too much

speed and in in that regard, the 9 horse might be the only other

speed and and I believe that the seven is way faster earlier and

and that might make the difference.

I used the two horses coming out of the January 31st race that

Ultimate High finished second, Quantum Energy finished third

and I used the horses that got the trips, Sassy Prance a lot.

It was way wide the whole way around and I think this race is

a lot easier to handle than that one.

I don't think this horse is going to get parked out wide

plus be closer to the lead. And then Quantum Energy really

got stopped on the turn and that really cost cost her the race

and a clear run she probably would have won.

I don't know if she can get back to that same kind of effort in

this race because the pace scenario is a little bit

different, but I still think that she's going to benefit off

of that last race. I've got the six on top here.

Quantum Energy. I totally agree about the trip

last out. I trust Armando used her to get

this horse in a better spot in this 1 / 10 is last 10

unfortunately with Antonio Garcia coming into this one, but

I think that's much more trip dependent than anything else.

Horse has been working well enough.

They tried her down the down the hill.

It didn't work. If you take that race out, her

last two are win over a mile at locile and we see turf horses

win there all the time. So that doesn't hurt that for me

at all. And then comes back in an

optional claimer. You mentioned it that that race

on the last day of January at at Santa Anita ran a good second or

excuse me, ran a good third in that one just by a length as

well. So yeah, I think the six in here

is very interesting. Laid it on the two after that.

Decided to go with ultimate high here, the nine to five horse

with Flavi and Pratt out of town and and with, you know, some of

these guys out around on this Saturday.

It does open up some of these races.

Four other jockeys in here, so interested to see who it is that

jumps up on turf in for the tag here because the horse does not

qualify for a waiver. Is the 8 year old in ultimate

high with Roberto Rispoli Interested to see her run as

well Landed on the one in the third spot here.

Barry based on the synthetic form, frankly, a Golden Gate are

honestly and so I would probably only play the six and the two

here, but the one if if if she won, I wouldn't be stunned.

How about that? I would.

OK, how about that? In this spot, I, I really don't

like her and, and I probably just put her in the winner's

circle, but I, I, I just don't the, the, the even the higher

class Northern California horses are struggling down in Southern

California and, and draw on the rail here.

It's just a tough, tough task. I, I, I don't know if if she can

do it. There you go first four in the

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Race 5 closes out the early pick 5 starts the pick 6, the old

$2.00 traditional pick six there at Santa Anita, $20,000 claimer.

You can buy it down to 18 with weight and for non 3 lifers

going 6 furlongs over the dirt course there.

We are sprinting here. Barry and I am a little bit off

the board here with the seven horse who's seven to two in big

celebration. Luis Mendez trains here.

This horse was very good in a starter allowance at the $50,000

level both times out last two out gets to drop into this kind

of company and I and I think that the class drop will be

very, very helpful here off of this combination.

They are hitting at 21%. R Mendez and Escobedo this meet

together at Santa Anita and so on.

That's good enough for me for favoritism for the seven.

I know you agree with me on top there and we both like the one

at least to get a piece of this here in Isabel Ludlow.

She ran last couple in dirt sprints at the claiming level,

the 20,000 claiming level, and she's been at least right there

as part of the race 2 back. She's probably should have run,

probably should have won. I should say, excuse me.

I think she got a little distracted in the stretch and

passed by sharp ride. So yeah, IA little boring here,

but I'll go 7 one. I think the three is a long shot

is interesting. Stellar Kappen here coming out

of most recently being claimed from Steve Knapp into the Gary

Sturtbart. First off, the claim, he's only

won for his last night, but he does hit at 17% in these kinds

of races. Bautista will get them out here

interested in that, but I think it's just a long shot because

this horse has hit the board five times in eight lifetime

runs. Yeah, I'm, I'm obviously

agreeing with you on big celebration and these horses,

the big three in here and and I'm not using the two as the big

three. I'd say the seven, five and one

there, there's not much separating these horses.

I mean, in a pick 5 situation, I am surely going to use all three

of these horses, but I chose the seven as my top pick just

because of the trip. This horse is going to get be

able to to kind of time the speed on the inside.

It's not a huge feel. Should be able to get position

and and and get the run of the race.

This, this kid Escobedo rides this horse very, very well.

You know that race at Losal on December 14th?

Anything close to that wins this easily.

I think that's probably right. That was race 5.

Apologies for the the banner at the bottom there.

Race 6 starts the late pick 5. This is an optional claimer

$80,000 Optional claimer for non twos. 6 Furlong turf Sprint

here. This is for open non.

Just a Cal Bread Company $69,000.

Nice in the Kitty here. Boss slowly comes in at 3:00 to

1:00 and Tagueron on the outside is five to two.

Barry and I. I got to say, for whatever

reason, I I don't like the eight on top, but I think this is an

opportunity. It's rare that you get this in

horse racing, Barry. I don't know if you're like me

where you think the the favorite's fine.

So you put them in the second spot and you put three horses in

first place and three horses in in in 3rd place and you fill out

your trifecta by who you think's going to run second.

I think the eight might run second here.

That's kind of where I'm at on this race.

I landed on top with the five. I know you like a long shot

here. Yeah, I went to game time.

The seven this horse is is kind of getting back to it after a

couple years, you know, ran in July twenty 21st, 2023 and then

laid off until January 4th this year.

Showed some speed off the bench and an improvement second time

off the bench on the cutback and I think that might be the

difference. Getting back to the flat.

The flat 6 furlongs might make all the difference for this

horse. I think this horse fast enough

to be where they need to be. I I don't suspect this horse is

going to be on the lead. I think the same trip they got

last time is what they will want this time and that might you

know the placement should make all the difference because this

horse has talent. I went 543 here.

We're in trouble coming out of the Oceanside at a mile gets

back to spreading here. 4 Juan Hernandez at 7:00 to 2:00.

Horse has not run since July of last summer.

So Barry and I both leaning on longer odds horses.

I am interested in boss Sully here.

I think I might know you so is going to do a good job.

This horse is coming out of that stormy liberal stakes race at

the beginning of December. Just a little bit of time off.

Feel like those workouts have been very, very good for Brian

Corster and so it your corner. Excuse me, interested to see how

this horse looks after those works and off of the layoff here

and the wild card in here. No question, go ahead.

I, I was going to say it's of note.

If you look at game time's past performances, you can see this

horse ran really well against speedboat beach, just missed and

Johannes, who who were probably one of the OR two of the better

horses out there at the time, then comes back off the bench

and gets in front of El potente. That's why I think this horse

has a great shot, especially at that price.

You know, I, I think we'll get somewhere around there.

Probably not 8 to one, but six. I'll be happy.

Yeah, no, I think you're probably going to get 6 to one.

Is Vlahos the obvious wild card adhere the three horse only run

on dirt. We saw this horse in the Zia

Park Derby last year, actually at the end of the year ran in

the Pat de Mile and ran well in the Pat de Mile as one of the

favorites behind sees the Grave Lahos.

Any chance this turns into a turn spreader?

Oh yeah, absolutely. I mean, if if you think that

Gojo one can't hang with that horse might be lone speed and

just faster than everybody else, that's definitely a possibility.

I'm betting against it or I'm going to bet against it, but

it's certainly possible. That wouldn't surprise me,

especially the way this horse debuted.

All right, so we move on to Race 7.

We will start the late Pick 4 here at Santa Anita.

This is Socal Saturdays with our friends at Amwager Lure.

Beau Barry Spears hanging out with you.

Thanks for making us part of your horse racing weekend $5000

claver for non 2 lifers folks, this is what horse racing is all

about. 6 fur logs on the dirt $15,000 person.

This is for those Northern California horses who have

either stayed in Northern California or started a new life

there in Southern California. Barry, my God, this was one of

those where I just, I, I stared at the page and really, really,

really tried to come up with anything.

I landed for whatever reason on Hermel Linda's Hermelinda's

Fancy the 8 Asyle Espinoza rides.

This one. This horse was awful last time

in a $16,000 claimer. Great news.

We're dropping into the nickel category one at the maiden 8

level at Santa Anita over six furlongs.

I think if the horse could repeat that race from February

7th, Barry, I think she wins, or excuse me, he wins in this spot.

So if we can get back to that 2346591 twelve kind of split, I

think the horse can win. So I'll put the 8 on top.

Where did you land here? I landed on number 10 Six Hot

Grands who ran really good last time in a in a similar race and

just got beat by Get Em. Dusty, who kind of ran off

Lurking Fear was also in that race and kind of was close to

getting second but didn't. I think this is a different sort

of race where the 10 horse can stalk really, really easily here

and get a really, really good trip because Roy Hobbs has to go

from that inside position. And I think lurking Fear has

some quickness, probably won't hang around for that long.

And then you have the three who has some speed and also the 6th.

So there's enough pace in here for for the 10 to really get a

great trip. And I think that's going to make

all the difference, especially in these races.

There's, you know, there's really not too, too much

separating these horses, but you kind of have to to get some sort

of separator somewhere and also keep the value, you know, in the

back of your head. Yeah, You know, I agree on the

10 here in six hot grants because I, I do think that

outside post is helpful. I I you know a little weight

allowance here with down to 119 right And and I wonder you know

if we can get that horse we saw 4 back at Pleasanton over 5

furlongs right. Can we get back to that kind of

you know this nickel level seems to be the right one for the 10

in six hot grands. I I, I boy this is a not stunned

by too much in this spine because you're right because Roy

Hobbs is going to have to go which actually might work out

right. That might actually be a good

pig that. Might be best for him.

Right. Yeah, yeah.

So hard to know there. But the late pick three, of

course, but we'll start with race 8 and a reminder with the

late pick three that it is a $3 minimum bet for the last three

races and something that we encourage you to check out

because I take out very low at 15%.

That higher denomination base pay very, very good.

I've seen it consistently paying 100 to one and better on most of

the wagers, which is exactly what this show is looking for.

The Santa Ana is the the main race on the card.

You can find my preview of this race and a horse by horse

analysis of it at the Sporting tribune.com.

Every single week I always take our picks from this show and I

put them at the bottom in a pick 4 format.

Hit the pick four last week as part of our analysis.

Thank you to both me and Barry. It worked out pretty well there.

It wouldn't change anybody's life, but you know what?

Hitting the pick 4, still hitting the pick 4.

So we'll be. We'll be.

Right, they give you ammo for this week.

Hey, look, you get 100 bucks on a $24.00 bet.

I I don't know what else to tell you people.

The Santa Ana is a mile and a quarter.

I love this one for Phillies and mares 4 and up on the turf

course there. Start on that downhill course,

crossover the dirt before we get going in this one, $100,000 at

stake here. We see the return of Catherine

Marissa on the outside, Barry, and this sets up well for her

because 8 doesn't matter when it's a mile and a quarter.

She's going to have plenty of time to make her move and do all

of those things. Do you trust her off of the

layoff here? Absolutely, absolutely.

She's the best horse at this distance class wise, distance

wise, everything else she's going to be tough to beat in a

spot. But I will use the one Lady

Claypool underneath. I like those last two races.

This horse is is the hot horse on the now and what's finishing

strong in those eight mile and 8th races.

Ran a mile and a quarter way back last April and I think this

is a better horse since that point and hopefully we can get

the the the good run up the rail and finish second and nail this

exact a cold. Yeah, Lady Clearpool third in my

handicapping. So you and I landed on the same

long shot underneath here. Thiago Pereira and Richard

Baltis combining on that one, the two of them already 3 for

eight at in their most 8 most recent eight runs.

Excuse me, AT said I need a very fine percentage there.

I think Missus Astor, I think you're underrating her just a

little bit here, did win the Frankel at a mile and an eighth.

Ran really well in the Dowager at a mile and 1/2 at Keeneland.

That was a considerably more difficult field than this one.

She's coming off the layoff as well.

This is something that Jonathan Thomas does at 15% pretty well,

but he hits in great stakes at 22%.

This is what Jonathan Thomas has become really, really good at.

So I would use the 8 and the three here, but I do think the

one is a must use underneath like Barry said.

And I, I don't take, I, I know at least from our conversations,

Barry, that you have a similar feeling about this, which is a

horse that can get distance even at like an optional claiming

level when we're moving into a grade 3, especially on the

grass. Definitely worth using those

horses still because you never know, especially in a turf race.

Yeah, I mean, when was it? I was, I was down at Gulfstream

first week of December and they had this marathon race.

It was the jerkins and it was pure chaos.

I think a 60. 1. Won it and and you know, that

horse didn't really all have all that form, but did like the

distance. So whenever you see those moves

in these marathon races, we don't run a whole lot of them.

It's it's good to pay attention to who likes to run that far.

Anyone else in here, you know, like starry heavens, for

example? This is, you know, this is, you

know, because this is the, you know, the main race of the day

here, Barry. Let's spend a little time seeing

the field. First start North America, which

is something Phil the Model wins at 1/4 of the time with and, and

you know, first time in his barn at 22% etcetera, etcetera.

They start to match up. This horse has been working on

the Tepita course there at Santa Anita since moving over here,

but it was over 5 last year. Are you, do you think much of

that? Do you, do you look at what

happened last year as far as where this horse ran?

Do you look simply at the North American numbers for a guy like

Phil the Model? How do you hate to cap a horse

like that? You really don't.

What I kind of do is I look at the highest level that they were

running overseas and try to compare that to what we have

over here. So this horse is running in

Group 3 races getting thumped. I don't know if that translate

to a grade 3 here, probably not. That's why I kind of sided

against, but this horse ran a few good races in the in those

in those losses, and it's hard to tell if that portion of of

that horse's body of work fits here.

It's it's a tough read. I wouldn't take a too short of a

price, but if you get 5 to one on starry heavens and you and

you like that sort of thing, I I would definitely push.

Any chance that you would like the Sakura Blossom in here?

This is a horse that they tried at the grade one level in the

Delmar Oaks. Ran in that dueling grounds.

Oaks at Kentucky Downs most recently was right behind Lady

Claypool in her race. You know, if you like Lady

Claypool, is there a reason that's a coral blossom?

Could be part of an exacto trifecta.

I don't think so, because I, I think she's going to have to be

or she's going to be a little bit farther back than the one.

OK, just like last time. And, and I think that is a

detriment because a horse like that would need a trip to stick

like glue to Omaha girl in the lead and and try to get first

run and and take off. And I don't think that horse has

that ability. Well, there you go, late pick 3.

Excuse me, late double. Excuse me.

Starts with race A9. The race 9 is a maiden. 56

furlongs here, $37,000 in the Kitty here.

Every horse in here. In for the tag, Barry.

I'll go ahead and go first here because I like a long shot.

I like the one in here in James J Braddock.

That's, by the way, far too serious of a name for a horse.

Let's be better than naming a horse James J Braddock.

I got no time time for that around here as I have a horse

with a cigar in his mouth on my microphone.

No time for that kind of thing. But James J Braddock does drop

for the second time into the Maiden 50 level I thought Looked

really good at 5 1/2 last time. Gets just even a little bit

better this time. As a three-year old in just the

March of his career under Antonio Fraisu here, I think

that he can get it done. Where did you land here, Barry?

I saw a big bullseye on #3 charms away and and I hate to

say that about a horse is going to be a short price, but

everything indicates that this horse is going to run huge.

I mean this horse ran December 14th, laid off till March 1st,

ran a better race than they did off the layoff which is key.

Slight drop to 50,000, an almost bullet in tow 47 and two Handley

from the gate on February 23rd and then gets the young rider

who who's riding well Lasik second time.

Everything points to this horse winning this race to me.

OK, All right. I have the three in my second

spot. I went to the 10 outside for a,

a, a try on a on a debut where Vladimir Sarin doesn't do this

very often. So I wanted to take a shot maybe

at a spot where a, a guy's trying to make his, make his

gelding fit. This is a son of Catholic boy

going, you know, going here at six furlongs.

I don't love the works to this point, Barry, but I think a,

excuse me, a, a jockey like Juan Hernandez can't get a horse like

this into shape during the race and pick off something lower on

the, you know, maybe a second or third kind of finish, but you

have this horse second in your handicapping.

Yeah, the pedigree isn't all that bad.

And I think that I like the long stream steady works, especially

the four and five furlong ones. And the very last work, I think

this source is is fit and ready. It's just a matter of getting a

trip. I still don't think that his

horse can beat charms away, but at a price finishing up second

that's that's a really good exact for me.

There you go. All right, the closer on the day

and before we get to that closer, a reminder, $5 double,

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Barry, I got a chance to bet on 2nd timers in the last race.

It is a maiden special for 65 go at six furlongs over that turf

course. We are using that turf Sprint

quite a bit on this card and I got no problems with that.

Heck yeah, that's right man. So I laid out the six here.

Barry in a second timer here. The Carmona Aguire combination

here, 87 buyer on debut. I thought looked really great.

Gets caught right in the stretch but was willing to do the work

on debut. Has been working OK over the

Tepita, but if I get any kind of repeat, I think in this field

that's good enough to win. Where'd you land?

Yeah, the same place for the same reason and getting Lasix is

adds to the appeal. This horse kind of looks like a

stand out on paper. I will use that horse on top and

exactas with the 11 and 12. Those two horses, the 11 has

some some quickness in the pedigree.

There's some picrosis that's there and you know, nobody else

really stands out. I I mean the 10 does a little

bit but should show some speed but on paper doesn't look as

quick as the six so I'm going to try to throw down field and get

a nice exacto with either the 11 or 1212.

Really doesn't have much pedigree wise but the works are

good. Yeah, right.

OK. So I I was just going to ask if

it was it was based on pedigree versus based on something else

and it obviously on on workouts another second time right here

for Kent de Zormo and Josh Sheriff says the 10 and Tressa.

I think those two are, are are top for me for sure.

I thought the 9 was interesting as well as a first timer

Prestige Fungzen. I'll tell you what, if Juan

Hernandez is going to have a big, big day, he's going to have

to win the first timers. It's actually an interesting,

you know, part of his Saturday is that he's going to have to be

great with those kinds of horses.

But he's riding for Peter Urton, who, you know, wins about one

out of his every 10 or 11 of his maiden runners.

But this horse has been working really, really well and I think

is worthy of a look based on Juan getting the mount there.

So again, look for that late sequence bet.

There's always Dreaming Horse. It stands for $2500.

They paid 120,000. That's gotta count for

something, right? Somebody likes it.

They they think something that we don't know.

That's exactly right. Yeah, there you.

Go well, there's a nice work. You know the nice work on March

3rd yes, you know there there looks to be some talent there.

I just don't like the price and you know, first time out with

that trainer. Oh yeah, if your if your

argument is I'd rather have the 12 at 20 to one.

I'm not going to. Fight you right that that's

that's really the only difference between the two of

them. No, I'm not going to fight you

on that at all. So again, am wager am wager.com

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California as we go through again, the sporting tribune.com

my Derby, my Derby top five plus Berry is what I'm calling it

because I'm going to try to have a, a top five and then a couple

other horses that are either in like in a Virginia Derby are

about to run in Louisiana Derby, something like that that I'm

watching for as well. I'm not going to ask you who

your Derby favorite is right now because I'm I'm a friend, not a

not a person just trying to fill time.

You know he's going to answer anyway.

There it is. Yeah, Yeah, yeah, I'm going to

answer. I I like Barnes a lot actually.

I know you do. Bang up Rays and then River

Thames those. That's as far as I got so I got

a top 2. Those are the only two horses I

like so far. If I give you would.

Be a close third. Yeah, he'll be interesting in

Louisiana. The If I gave you the Santa

Anita Derby and the Gulf and the Florida Derby against the field,

would you take that for the Kentucky Derby winner?

Yes, Yes. OK, there you go.

At this point, I think I I think I would too because I get

journalism, sovereignty, Barns, River Thames.

Yeah. And I think those are the.

I mean. Yeah, that's, I mean that that

would be the tie right there for me.

That's tough. Pretty good, y'all.

It's pretty good. Pretty good.

Yeah. So there you go.

Well, he's Barry Spears at Urban Handicapper.

He's a sniper. Of course we call Barry around

here. I'm Louie Robot at Radio Louie

on all the stuff, so you can go find us there.

Thanks again to our friends at Amwager and of course, the

Sporting Tribune and the Horse Racing Happy hour.

Of course. We'll be at the Wood Memorial in

a couple of weeks. A week from Saturday, I'll be up

at Turfway Park if people want to come by and say hi as we

preview the Jeff Ruby Stakes as well.

I would love to see you out there, Barry.

Thanks so much, my friend. Appreciate you.

And we will see you next week. We're getting incredibly close

to the Santa Anita Derby. We'll try to do a blowout show

for that. Barry and I will do the SoCal

Saturday Santa Anita Derby show Friday night in New York City.

That's that's the nature of this sport, baby.

I love it so much. So that's going to be a lot, a

lot of fun with all of this. But for Barry Spears, I'm Louis

Rebeau. This has been another edition of

the horse racing happy Hour So Cal Saturday series with our

friends at amwagerandamwager.com.

Good luck with all those wagers this weekend.

We'll see you next week.