Santa Anita Park Horse Racing Picks for Sunday 1/24/21
It's a great time to dive into horse racing, and FanDuel Racing gives you the chance to do just that.
Starting at 3:30 p.m. EST, we have nine races at Santa Anita Park. Using numberFire’s projections as a guide, here are some of the best bets.
As always, check the program for scratches and changes, and check the weather and track conditions.
(I will reference Equibase's Speed Figure in selected races, which tells you how fast a horse has been running in each of its races -- adjusted for track, distances, and conditions.)
Synthesis, Race 2
FanDuel Racing Odds: 3/1
Race 2 is a Claiming race for older horses, and it's going 1 mile. The top pick according to the projections for both numberFire and Guaranteed Tip Sheet is Two Thirty Five (8/5). It's been quite a drop for Two Thirty Five since finishing second here a year ago with a 106 speed figure in the Grade II San Pasqual. He then won an allowance race but has missed the board in 4-of-5 outings since. There's no betting value, and he will be bet down. But you can include him underneath in exacta and trifecta wagers.
Synthesis (3/1) should be the early speed and could get loose on the lead with a softer early pace projection. He finished third here two weeks ago running along the lead at the same distance and posted a 101 speed figure.
Avisse, Race 3
FanDuel Racing Odds: 4/5
Race 3 is the start of the Rainbow Pick 6 for Maiden Claiming three-year-old fillies. Six runners will go 1 mile on the turf, and the fastest and worthy heavy favorite is Avisse (4/5) -- the top pick of numberFire in front of Flag Salute (4/1). The meet's top jockey, Juan Hernandez, rides for leading trainer Doug O’Neill. Avisse has had consistent speed figures near 80 in four straight races since October. Her last race here, sprinting as the favorite three weeks ago, was a third-place finish. Her runner-up finish two back when running on the lead was also enough speed to beat any in this field. She's a single to start your early Pick 3 and Rainbow 6.
Flag Salute gets a weight reduction with apprentice jockey Jessica Pyfer. Flag the filly will likely be running on the lead after just missing at this distance here in late December as a huge longshot. She makes a parallel class move against a softer group of runners outside of Avisse.
Real News and Strike Me Down, Race 6
FanDuel Racing Odds: 4/1 and 5/1
Race 6 is the $70K Clocker’s Corner Stakes for older horses sprinting 6 furlongs on the turf. The top pick according to numberFire's data is Real News (4/1) with favorite Mr. Vargas (9/5) the top challenger for the win. Pyfer rides Mr. Vargas with a weight advantage, but the race looks more competitive between eight runners.
Real News ran against top turf sprinters in Kentucky last year, and the son of multiple Grade I winner The Factor makes his first start at Santa Anita in 14 career races. He’s won four times and finished fourth less than three weeks ago in a tight finish at less than 2/1 odds. Real News is trained by EPO specialist Peter Miller, who also has Ghoul (5/1) entered and breaking right next to his stablemate in Post 5.
Mr. Vargas is pure speed and should be the one to catch. If he runs to his 114 speed figure from last month in winning at Los Alamitos, then he’ll win here, too.
Another EPO trainer, Phil D’Amato, has the two outside horses with top turf riders Umberto Rispoli and Juan Hernandez on Strike Me Down (5/1), and Gregorian Chant (4/1), respectively. Strike Me Down is the most intriguing as a son of Tapit who has finished in the money in four straight Allowance races and hit 101 speed figures in a pair. He’s been a turf-synthetic specialist out East and in Canada and makes his Santa Anita debut.
