Santa Anita Notebook

SANTA ANITA NOTEBOOK

OCTOBER 24, 2013

by John Mucciolo

There was no graded stakes racing at Santa Anita over the weekend.

Track Stats

From a total of 34 races held at the Arcadia, California racetrack during the

past week, favorites won at a 32 percent clip and the top two betting choices

combined for 50 percent of the wins. From 22 frays contested on the dirt oval,

three animals won in wire-to-wire fashion (14 percent), while three of the 12

grassy tussles went all the way on the lead (25 percent).

A trio of turf winners led at every call this week after just one achieved

that type of success during the first few weeks of the meeting. This lawn still

surely gives a chance to horses from running from off the pace, but all types

can do well on these courses. Of the three, two came in route runs and one in a

downhill sprint.

The main oval has been playing the same for about three weeks now, with

horses a few paths off the rail prospering. Early pace doesn't have the big edge

as it did when this meeting began. Runners with tactical speed getting a

stalking trip while in touch early are the ones we will focus on going forward.

Meet Totals

RACES:		145
DIRT:		93
TURF:		52
FAVORITES:		41 (28 percent)
2ND CHOICES:		32 (22 percent)
TURF WIRE:		4 (8 percent)
DIRT WIRE:		16 (17 percent)

HORSES TO WATCH

Thursday (10/17)

3RD -- GULSARY (Galileo) showed more tactical speed in her second U.S. start

and proved best with a measured tally beneath Gary Stevens. The Tom Proctor

trainee was not abused late and came home pretty swiftly, hinting she may have a

lot more to offer in the near future.

Friday (10/18)

3RD -- BUCKINGHAM BULL (Flashy Bull) just missed in a fine runner-up

performance under Rafael Bejarano and should be a major player right back at

this level in her subsequent showing if in with similar.

Saturday (10/19)

1ST -- SERGEANT O'ROURKE (Forestry) took command nearing the turn for home

and strode home a convincing 3 1/4-length winner at first asking for trainer

Peter Miller. The juvenile filly made pretty easy work of a field that we

thought was decent on paper, and we'll keep an eye on this miss going forward.

2ND -- The cut back in trip surely did the trick for CORINTHIAN'S SONG

(Corinthian) in this downhill dash as the four-year-old dominated this group for

conditioner Victor Garcia. The colt rated off a fast tempo and blew past his

foes beneath Joe Talamo.

4TH -- We mentioned this in the past but will repeat it here: OLYMPIC BLUE

(Olympio) is simply too good for most, if not all, starter allowance runners he

faces on this circuit. The Jerry Hollendorfer trainee waited patiently for room

and then exploded late to win going away.

Sunday (10/20)

4TH -- Miller appears to have made a good claim on CAPERS N WINE (Suances)

following a third in her career debut. The juvenile filly chased the leader to

late stretch before tiring some in what we thought was a very productive first

try.

5TH -- TASTES LIKE CANDY (Candy Ride) put in a dazzling first performance

when dominating this field for Hollendorfer. The well-meant two-year-old lass

rated off the pace some early and put her foes away with a superb move into and

through the lane, crossing the wire 6 1/2 lengths in front. The Kentucky-bred

appears to have a very bright future.

8TH -- TOM'S TRIBUTE (Lion Heart) looked like a seasoned professional in his

debut on the downhill course and with stakes foes, gliding home an easy, 2

1/2-length victor beneath Mike Smith. The James Cassidy trainee is especially

consistent and might have found his best surface and trip following this rout.

A Look Ahead

Saturday will play host to the Grade 3, $100,000 Autumn Miss Stakes, the lone

graded test this weekend at "The Great Race Place."