Juvenile Stakes Plays for Santa Anita on June 17

A pair of sprint stakes events for two-year-olds will highlight a big 12-race card at the Great Race Place on Saturday.

Race 3 – Fasig-Tipton Debutante S.

A handful of juvenile fillies will travel five panels on the main surface in the initial black-type race of the afternoon. #3 Grand Slam Smile is something of a wildcard in the affair while shipping in from Golden Gate for her first try on the dirt, but I like her nonetheless. This Smiling Tiger chestnut was bet down to 7-10 favoritism in her unveiling and left little doubt as to why, as she led in gate-to-wire fashion in her four-length waltz. Frank Alvarado comes along to pilot the Steve Specht trainee, which is a positive sign.

It’s hard to determine what dominant debut heroine #4 Crazy Hot toppled in her first run, but the bay was surely visually impressive when drawing off by 10 lengths on the oval on May 20. Trained by Jeff Bonde, the $75,000 yearling purchase has posted a pair of maintenance moves in the interim, and the daughter of Goldencents would be no surprise with anything resembling her initial offering.

Debutante Wager

$30 exacta: 3 with 4 ($30)

Race 7 – Fasig-Tipton Futurity S.

A total of six boys will contest the five-furlong heat, and I will go with Baffert’s debuting #6 Mirahmadi in the dash. The $1.05 million son of Into Mischief has created a lot of buzz on the backside this year and shows some rapid morning drills leading up to his first assignment. This Kentucky-bred colt gets a fine outside draw in the compact field and will be tough to handle if he runs to his works and the hype that surrounds him as well. Leading pilot Juan Hernandez will guide the prospect.

In searching for value, I’ll play fellow first-timer #1 Harry Houdini underneath the top pick. Conditioned by Dan Blacker, the $210,000 yearling buy looks to have missed just a single morning work since April and figures to be fit for the endeavor. He is by 17% debut sire Good Magic, and his lone sibling to have run graduated as a two-year-old as well. Joe Bravo will be in the stirrups.

Futurity Wagers

$30 exacta: 6 with 1 ($30)

$5 exacta: 1 with 6 ($5)