Player Quick Pick: Santa Anita for 1/4/2014
Yesterday’s pick, Dynamic Sky, had nowhere to go at the top of the stretch in the Grade 2 San Gabriel. It’s doubtful that jockey Corey Nakatani would have gotten Dynamic Sky up for the victory over Finnegan’s Wake, but Corey might have been able to get him into the money. It’s back to Santa Anita for the Grade 2 Monrovia on Sunday.
Santa Anita 8 | 7:00 pm ET
G2 Monrovia for 4&Up F&M going 6.5 f (T)
5 – Gender Agenda – 5/1 – After two races at the mile distance over the turf at Del Mar, trainer Carla Gaines sends Gender Agenda to the four-year-old filly’s likely favorite distance, a sprint over the grass. In her first try going down the hill, Gender Agenda exploded in the lane to lose by only a neck to the very good Alexis Tangier in the Unzip Me Stakes. The Holy Roman Emperor sired filly’s last was in the Grade 1 Matriarch, a race that nobody expected her to win since she went off at close to 21 to 1. She ran brilliantly, though, and finished fourth by 4 lengths to La Tia. Both Queen of the Sand and Discreet Marq, two fillies that are slightly better than she is at this time, also finished in front of her. There is a ton of speed in this, which means that things should set up for jockey Tyler Baze to run to the wire first from 4 to 5 lengths off. Anything close to 5 to 1 makes Gender Agenda an overlay.
4-Heat Trap – 4/1 – Another Carla Gaines trainee, Heat Trap, is more of a deep closer than Gender Agenda. All of the speed implies that Heat Trap is likely to be close to 7 to 8 lengths behind at the quarter pole. Horseplayers that play her to win in the Grade 2 Monrovia, though, shouldn’t fret if that’s the case. Heat Trap has an awesome record over the downhill turf course at the Great Race Place. She’s got 2 wins, 2 second place, and 1 third place finish from 5 starts down the hill. Jockey Victor Espinoza has ridden Heat Trap in 8 out of her 11 lifetime races, meaning that he’ll know the exact right time to push the button. If Espinoza doesn’t have to take her too wide or gets shut down at the rail, she could easily win this on Sunday.
11-Judy In Disguise – 8/1 – The 5 out of 16 lifetime winner has taken home a race over the Santa Anita downhill course, which gives her experience. She’s extremely capable in this spot. Take a look at the Grade 3 Senator Ken Maddy Stakes where she lost by only 1.5 lengths when finishing third to Ponchatrain in November, 2013. Judy In Disguise had the perfect prep for this, a victory at 6 to 1 going over the Del Mar polytrack at 7 furlongs, and figures to get the requisite speed duel that should set up her late kick. Jockey Joe Talamo probably could have ridden Gender Agenda back; he’s ridden her in 3 out of her last 4 races, but decided to go with Judy In Disguise. That could mean something since both horses requires their jockey to push the button at the right time in order to win this.
Santa Anita 8 | 7:00 pm ET
G2 Monrovia for 4&Up F&M going 6.5 f (T)
5 – Gender Agenda – 5/1 – After two races at the mile distance over the turf at Del Mar, trainer Carla Gaines sends Gender Agenda to the four-year-old filly’s likely favorite distance, a sprint over the grass. In her first try going down the hill, Gender Agenda exploded in the lane to lose by only a neck to the very good Alexis Tangier in the Unzip Me Stakes. The Holy Roman Emperor sired filly’s last was in the Grade 1 Matriarch, a race that nobody expected her to win since she went off at close to 21 to 1. She ran brilliantly, though, and finished fourth by 4 lengths to La Tia. Both Queen of the Sand and Discreet Marq, two fillies that are slightly better than she is at this time, also finished in front of her. There is a ton of speed in this, which means that things should set up for jockey Tyler Baze to run to the wire first from 4 to 5 lengths off. Anything close to 5 to 1 makes Gender Agenda an overlay.
4-Heat Trap – 4/1 – Another Carla Gaines trainee, Heat Trap, is more of a deep closer than Gender Agenda. All of the speed implies that Heat Trap is likely to be close to 7 to 8 lengths behind at the quarter pole. Horseplayers that play her to win in the Grade 2 Monrovia, though, shouldn’t fret if that’s the case. Heat Trap has an awesome record over the downhill turf course at the Great Race Place. She’s got 2 wins, 2 second place, and 1 third place finish from 5 starts down the hill. Jockey Victor Espinoza has ridden Heat Trap in 8 out of her 11 lifetime races, meaning that he’ll know the exact right time to push the button. If Espinoza doesn’t have to take her too wide or gets shut down at the rail, she could easily win this on Sunday.
11-Judy In Disguise – 8/1 – The 5 out of 16 lifetime winner has taken home a race over the Santa Anita downhill course, which gives her experience. She’s extremely capable in this spot. Take a look at the Grade 3 Senator Ken Maddy Stakes where she lost by only 1.5 lengths when finishing third to Ponchatrain in November, 2013. Judy In Disguise had the perfect prep for this, a victory at 6 to 1 going over the Del Mar polytrack at 7 furlongs, and figures to get the requisite speed duel that should set up her late kick. Jockey Joe Talamo probably could have ridden Gender Agenda back; he’s ridden her in 3 out of her last 4 races, but decided to go with Judy In Disguise. That could mean something since both horses requires their jockey to push the button at the right time in order to win this.
ADVERTISEMENT
