Santa Anita stakes spot plays for Sept. 27

C Z Rocket rallying to victory in the Pat O'Brien (G2) at Del Mar. (Photo by Benoit Photo)

September 26th, 2020

Picks and plays for the stakes-laden Sunday card at Santa Anita, which includes two “Win and You’re In” qualifiers for the Nov. 6-7 Breeders’ Cup.

Race 4: Zenyatta (G2, 5:07 p.m. ET)

#1 Fighting Mad (2-5) is undefeated in three starts running a mile or farther, including victories in the Santa Maria (G2) and Clement L. Hirsch (G1) this season.

She’ll stick to her preferred 1 1/16-mile distance for the Zenyatta and towers over the field on paper, with Brisnet Speed ratings of 106 and 105 to her credit. For good measure, Fighting Mad seems destined to secure an uncontested lead in this small field.

Let’s bet Fighting Mad on top of the improving Torrey Pines (G3) winner #3 Harvest Moon (4-1) in a straight exacta.

$20 exacta: 1 with 3

Race 8: Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2, 7:12 p.m. ET)

#1 Collusion Illusion (9-5) is undefeated in five starts sprinting and enters Sunday’s race off a late-charging victory in the Bing Crosby (G1) at Del Mar. But the son of Twirling Candy benefited from a pace meltdown in the Bing Crosby, and he seems unlikely to receive a similar setup against just four rivals (none of them true frontrunners) in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship.

#4 C Z Rocket (8-5) is a viable alternative. The veteran 6-year-old has is undefeated in four starts since he was claimed in April by Peter Miller. He most recently rallied from a pace-tracking position to win the 7-furlong Pat O’Brien (G2) at Del Mar.

In terms of Brisnet Speed ratings, C Z Rocket has run faster than Collusion Illusion, so let’s bet this improving gelding on top of Collusion Illusion and #3 Flagstaff (5-2) in the trifecta.

$10 trifecta: 4 with 1,3 with 1,3 ($20)

Race 10: Tokyo City Cup (G3, 8:14 p.m. ET)

Santa Anita H. (G1) winner #2 Combatant is favored in this 1 1/2-mile marathon, but the son of Scat Daddy has lost his last three starts by wide margins and is tough to trust at a short price.

Instead, I’ll favor the improving 3-year-old #3 Tizamagician (2-1).

A stoutly bred son of Tiznow, out of a Dixie Union mare, Tizamagician wired a 1-mile allowance at Del Mar three weeks ago, when he posted a career-best 98 Brisnet Speed rating. His pedigree suggests a stretch out in distance won’t be an issue, so if Tizamagician can shake loose on an uncontested lead, he might forget to stop.