Tuesday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Santa Anita opening day

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Tuesday, Dec. 26 at Santa Anita, including plays in a pair of Grade 2 stakes.

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Santa Anita: Race 2: Maiden Special Weight (six furlongs, 2:30 p.m. ET)

Santa Anita usually hosts a maiden special weight for juveniles on opening day of their winter/spring meet, and trainer Bob Baffert has won the last two editions. We’re willing to bet Baffert can make it three in a row with #5 New King (5-2), who sold for $700,000 as a yearling.

A son of four-time (soon to be five-time) leading North American sire Into Mischief, New King has put together a flashy work tab highlighted by five furlongs from the Santa Anita starting gate in :46 4/5. Under high-percentage jockey Juan Hernandez (a 38% winner teaming up with Baffert over the last two months), New King is a compelling choice to take home top honors.

Let’s single New King to start a large double wager.

Selections

• #5 New King (5-2)
• #6 Urban Legend (3-1)
• #2 All That Glory (3-1)

Wagers

• $30 Double: 5 with 2

Santa Anita: Race 3: San Gabriel (G2, 1 1/8 miles on turf, 3:00 p.m. ET)

Former New York campaigner #2 Easter (8-5) has gone 2-for-2 since arriving in California. After rallying between rivals to win the one-mile Lure S. in the quick time of 1:33.40, Easter unleashed a powerful late surge to nab the 1 1/16-mile Seabiscuit H. (G2) in 1:39.96.

In the Lure, Easter ran his final quarter-mile in approximately :22.38. In the Seabiscuit, he rocketed the final five-sixteenths of a mile in approximately :28.49. In both cases, those are excellent fractions indicative of talent.

Easter looks ready to keep his California record perfect in the San Gabriel, so we’ll single him to conclude our double wager and place a large win bet for good measure.

Selections

• #2 Easter (8-5)
• #5 Tio Magico (3-1)
• #1 Eastern Ocean (10-1)

Wagers

• $30 to win on #2 Easter

Santa Anita: Race 6: San Antonio (G2, 1 1/16 miles, 4:30 p.m. ET)

#4 Newgrange (3-1) exits a third-place finish in the Native Diver (G3) at Del Mar. That’s notable since Newgrange parlayed a third-place finish in the 2022 Native Diver into victory in Santa Anita’s San Pasqual (G2).

Newgrange has always liked Santa Anita; his 3-for-5 record over this track also includes a victory in the 2022 Sham (G3). He isn’t facing the toughest field in the San Antonio, so returning to Santa Anita gives Newgrange a chance to spring a surprise against Argentinean Group 1 winner #5 Subsanador (9-5), who is making his U.S. debut.

Selections

• #4 Newgrange (3-1)
• #5 Subsanador (9-5)
• #3 Brickyard Ride (6-1)

Wagers

• $15 to win on #4 Newgrange
• $5 Exacta: 4 with 5
  Total: $20

Good luck!