Exotics Plays for the 2024 Eddie D Stakes

An excellent field of 11 turf dashers will run about 6 1/2 furlongs down the Hillside Turf Course at Santa Anita in Saturday’s lucrative, $750,000 Eddie D S. (G2). The grassy heat features logical contenders, but I will focus on a trio of runners to settle things at the wire. 

Eddie D Exotics

• $5 exacta box 2,6,11 ($30)
• 50-cent trifecta 2,6,11 with 2,6,11 with all ($27)
• 50-cent superfecta 6 with 2,11 with 2,11 with all ($8)

#6 Air Force Red is fast, classy, and has also come out on top in four of his seven lifetime tries at the distance in advance of Saturday. Trained by Leonard Powell, the bay has not sprinted since March, but the six-year-old has plenty of early gas as well as a fine mark at the distance in a very winnable spot. The son of Air Force Blue led at every call in a solid allowance race at Del Mar in his latest showing, and I really like him cutting back to a dash against this group, which lacks an abundance of early speed. Juan Hernandez will ask the Kentucky-bred for speed from the gate and could secure a fine position throughout the contest. 

#11 Big Invasion missed by a neck in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) on the surface, and while the Christophe Clement pupil has never gone "down the hill" in his lifetime, the son of Declaration of War is full of class and will be a major player late with something close to his best showing. The Kentucky-bred five-year-old comes off a nice stakes win at Saratoga last time out and did run huge in his prior Santa Anita attempt, so a top performance is not out of the question despite drawing widest in the field. Flavien Prat taking the reins is a positive, of course. 

The consistently good #2 First Peace has been first or second in each of his five outings at this unique distance leading up to Saturday and is a top-three must-use with Mike Smith in the silks. Mark Glatt pupil cuts back in trip following a pair of route tries at Del Mar as of late, and he shows a pair of useful morning drills in preparation for Saturday. Four-year-old son of Funtastic will stalk the pace from the opening bell.