HORSE RACING

​Santa Anita Park Horse Racing Picks for Sunday 3/21/21

It's a great time to dive into horse racing, and FanDuel Racing gives you the chance to do just that.

Starting at 4:00 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.)

Lady Macarena, Race 5

FanDuel Racing Odds: 5/2

Race 5 is an Maiden Special Weight for three-year-olds fillies going 6 1/2 furlongs on the turf. The top pick of numberFire’s data is Cielo D’oro (7/2), who is projected to hold off runner-up Lady Macarena (5/2). Favorite Equilove (6/5), with leading jockey Flavien Prat riding for EPO trainer Phil D’Amato, makes his U.S. and 2021 debut and is working sharply at Santa Anita. He’s 0-for-5 with three in-the-money finishes his last three races.

Dielo D’oro makes her 2021 debut and is 0-for-2 with a runner-up finish. Lady Macarena finished second in her debut last month with a solid 86 speed figure. She chased the speed horse and held up well, and top turf jockey Umberto Rispoli returns to ride.

Jetovator and Jamming Eddy, Race 7

FanDuel Racing Odds: 5/2 and 7/2

Race 7 is the $100K Sensational Star Stakes for state bred older horses sprinting 6 furlongs on the turf. The top pick according to numberFire’s algorithm is Brandothebartender (7/2) with Margot’s Boy (6/1) and Desmond Doss (3/1) to finish in the money. Brandothebartender breaks from the outside No. 7 post with top turf jockey Rispoli riding.

Speed wins at the distance, and the TVG snapshot of the race shows Jetovator (5/2) with multiple triple-digit speed figures, including 102 when winning his last race wire-to-wire a month ago. Jamming Eddy (7/2) should break toward the front from the rail with Prat riding. He finished fifth in January against a strong group and posted a 104 speed figure.

Desmond Doss will likely challenge for the lead, and he’s run first or second in three straight Santa Anita starts this year, including a head in front of Brandothebartender last month with Margot’s Boy much further back in fourth on the dirt. Margot’s Boy’s has speed and was a proven winner last year, but this is his first career appearance in a turf sprint in his 15th start.

Honos Man and Sly, Race 9

FanDuel Racing Odds: 5/2 and 15/1

Race 7 is a route at 1 1/8 miles for older claiming horses. numberFire's data projects favorite Honos Man (5/2) to win with Prat riding for EPO trainer Peter Miller. Honos Man won here in December but missed the money in his last two starts.

Sly (15/1) finished fourth as a big longshot in January chasing Dr. Troutman (5/1), who faded to seventh going this distance. But Sly still finished in front of Honos Man and Seeking Refuge (7/2), who is a challenger and projected runner-up by numberFire. Seeking Refuge returned to finish second last month, 2 lengths in front of Honos Man.