Saturday Horse Pick of the Day – Sunny Santa Anita

Horse Pick of the Day:  Santa Anita – Race 2

Race-day:  2/14/2009

Race-time:  1:00 pm pst.

Even though Saturday at Santa Anita usually means that there are a lot of high-priced races for BetOnline Racebook fans to make bets on, the truth is that the best value horses are almost always found in claiming races.

Santa Anita is running the Grade I Santa Maria Handicap on Feb. 14th.  Although there might be a good horse to make a bet on in that race, Saturday’s best bet comes from race 2, a lowly $50,000 claimer going six furlongs on Pro-Ride.

Let’s take a look at the race.

Santa Anita – Race 2

Claiming $50,000

For Three Year Olds

6 furlongs on Pro-Ride

Coastal Souvenir – - 7/2 fair online betting odds

Coastal Souvenir is coming out of a $40,000 State-Bred Allowance.  In effect, he’s moving up in class to this open company $50,000 race, but that’s okay.  Trainer Jeff Mullins had this gelding ready for his last because he won and I believe he improves enough in this race to win again.  He gets a nice draw for this and the switch in jocks from Martin Garcia to Tyler Baze isn’t a positive but it’s not a negative either.  Coastal Souvenir should get the job done.

Uncle Jeep – - 4/1 fair online betting odds

This son of Marquetry could go off the chalk after breaking his maiden in his last on this track and on the lead.  Jockey Garret Gomez bails out for Liturgical, but Algopito Delgadillo is a good NoCal rider and only has to put this one on the lead in this field to have a shot.  The step up to winners is always tough, but Uncle Jeep could pull off the upset.

Liturgical – - 4/1 fair online betting odds

More than likely, it will be this colt from the Doug O’Neil barn that goes off the favorite.  Garret Gomez shows up here and the loss at the $80,000 claiming level, Liturgical finished second, means that there are no class issues.  The odds will be very short and the claiming game is different on Pro-Ride than conventional dirt.  Those are the knocks.

Wagering Strategy

Coastal Souvenir is a good bet at 7/2 to win and place.  I will definitely use Uncle Jeep in the exacta.  If Liturgical goes off at odds lower than 2/1, I will stick with Coastal Souvenir and Uncle Jeep.