Horse Racing Pick 3 of the Day: Starts in Santa Anita Race 8

Rains are expected to hit SoCal yet again this weekend. That’s a bummer because the Grade I Frank E. Kilroe Mile over the turf is usually one of the best races to bet for horseplayers during the entire Santa Anita meet.

In any case, it’s our duty as horseplayers to put forth a solid effort and actually try to make some mullah off of Santa Anita’s Saturday card. Even if the turf course is bogged down, the Grade I Santa Anita Oaks, which is Race 8, and the Grade I Santa Anita Handicap, which is Race 10, should offer some value to horseplayers.

The problem we’re going to have, of course, is being able to adjust on the fly when it comes to Race 9, the Frank E. Kilroe Mile, because we won’t know who is scratched and who isn’t until tomorrow morning.

1st Leg: 6:38 pm EST

Pick 3: Santa Anita Park

**All horse numbers are post-positions

Race 8
Grade I Santa Anita Oaks
$250,000 For Fillies Three Years Old
1 1/16th miles over Pro-Ride

Horses Used: 2-Crisp, 4-All Due Respect, 5-Blind Luck

Analysis: Crisp puts on blinkers after finishing 4th by 3 ¼ lengths to Blind Luck in the Grade I Las Virgenness Stakes. That could really help the Grade III winner in this because the speed to her inside, Sister Dawn, most likely will scratch out of this race. Crisp is a wire to wire threat with Joel Rosario on her back.

All Due Respect goes first time for trainer Kathy Walsh, a 25% winning move. She also ships in from the Fairgrounds. That’s a 29% winning move for Walsh. She broke her maiden by 7 ½ lengths in her last and gets Garrett Gomez to ride. Blind Luck is going to be a short price in this race.

The daughter of Pollard’s Vision has won 4 out of her last 6. 3 of those victories were Grade I races. She’s going to be a single on a lot of tickets, however, which is one of the reasons horseplayers should try and beat her.

Race 9
Grade I Frank E. Kilroe Mile
$250,000 For Four Year Olds and Up
1 mile on turf

Horses Used: 5-Ever A Friend, 6-Red Alert Day, 9-Fluke, 11-Tuscan Evening

Analysis: Ever A Friend has won over $526,000, is 3 for 3 over the Santa Anita turf course, gets Joel Rosario, and won the Frank E. Kilroe Mile in 2008. Red Alert Day is stepping up in class but the connections, jockey Rafael Bejarano and trainer Neil Drysdale, are above reproach.

Not only that, but Red Alert Day is 2 and 2 out of 4 races over the Santa Anita turf course. Fluke won the Grade I Citation in his last, beating Ever A Friend, and most likely will be the chalk in this race.

Fluke is a seriously talented horse that, unfortunately, I can’t leave off of this ticket. Tuscan Evening has won 2 in a row, is 4 and 2 out of 9 races at the distance, and has won 5 out of 7 races over Santa Anita’s turf course. Why Bejarano decided to take off of her and jump onto Red Alert Day is confusing, but it doesn’t really matter. Tuscan Evening is a must use.

Race 10
Grade I Santa Anita Handicap
$750,000 For Four Year Olds and Up
1 ¼ mile over Pro-Ride