Jan. 29 Stakes Selections for Santa Anita

A pair of black-type races will highlight the Sunday action at Santa Anita, The Great Race Place.

Race 2 – San Vicente S. (G2)

Conditioner Bob Baffert has four of the five entered for the seven-furlong dirt dash. #3 Fort Warren (3-1) is not the one to beat from the Baffert quartet, but I expect the impressive debut winner to give a fine account of himself in his second engagement. By Curlin, the $550,000 colt was a determined wire-to-wire winner on the surface in October and has trained well in the interim.

Fort Warren is the first foal to have run out of a talented mare, and the bay appears to be a very good long-term prospect in my opinion. John Velazquez picks up the mount atop the Kentucky-bred and will have him forcing the issue from the break.

#1 Havnameltdown (6-5) is a dual Grade 3 winner with a trio of wins from four career tries for Baffert. The fleet son of Uncaptured will make his first appearance at Santa Anita and will seemingly thrive on the surface following a pair of recent morning bullets over it. Florida-bred retains the services of Juan Hernandez and will be sent from the start from the rail.

San Vicente Wagers

• $30 exacta 3 with 1 ($30)
• $5 trifecta key 1,3 with 1,3 with 2,5 ($20)

Race 8 – Clocker’s Corner S.

A total of seven will travel the about 6 1/2 furlongs down the hillside turf course in the second stakes event of the afternoon. I see the dash as a virtual two-horse race between the favorites, and I will side with Richard Mandella’s #7 Lane Way (5-2) for the win. The six-year-old has been first or second in six of his seven lifetime tries on the local lawn, and he also been in very good form with six top-two results in succession. Into Mischief gelding has displayed improved early foot in his last pair of engagements, and I expect him to get first run on his main foe in the stretch on Sunday. Mike Smith rides.

#4 Motorious (2-1) was a superb allowance winner on the course last time out and will be the one to hold off with Flavien Prat in the stirrups. The import who races for fine turf conditioner Phil D’Amato has performed well while hitting the board in each of his tries since coming to the U.S., and he could move forward while making his third run off the shelf, too.

Clocker's Corner Wagers

• $30 win #7 Lane Way ($30)
• $10 exacta box 4-7 ($20)