Santa Anita: Rodeo Drive Exotic Wagers

Santa Anita Park. (Photo by Benoit Photography)

October 7th, 2022

A well-matched field of seven fillies and mares will travel 1 1/4 miles on the Santa Anita lawn in the $300,000 Rodeo Drive S. (G1) on Saturday. Defending champ #3 Going to Vegas (5-2) is winless this season from four tries, but the daughter of Goldencents has run a few winning races in defeat, and I will give her the nod to repeat in the affair. The five-year-old owns a handful of victories on the local green and brings good form to the field in anticipation of her third run since moving to the barn of Phil D’Amato.

The Kentucky-bred bay led at every call in the contest in 2021 and landed in a field without a lot of pace in the mix once again, so she will receive a favorable trip while always prominent on Saturday. The course specialist sports a nifty 14-5-6-0 mark at Santa Anita, and she has posted a pair of solid morning drills in advance of this affair, as well. Umberto Rispoli inherits the mount atop the dangerous mare.

#7 Family Way (5-2) has won or placed in six consecutive graded stakes races for conditioner Brendan Walsh, and she is a top-three must-use. The Uncle Mo five-year-old has been facing some top competition over the past two campaigns, and if the gray takes to this surface, then she will be a menacing figure in the stretch beneath Mike Smith. The mare is looking to both add a Grade 1 tally to her resume, and go over the $1 million career earnings mark, and her best effort might accomplish both of those goals. She will be stalking the pace while always in striking range on Saturday.

Simon Callaghan’s #6 Bellamore (15-1) has improved her Brisnet Speed figure in each career try on the lawn and has exotics appeal at a square number. By Empire Maker, the four-year-old has shown marked improvement since transferring to the green and adding blinkers, and I believe that the 10-furlong trip will be right in her wheelhouse, as well. Kyle Frey will guide the Kentucky-bred.