Quills Picks Winners – Saturday 4/4 – Santa Anita Oaks & Santa Anita Derby
We are also focusing in on Santa Anita as they have the Santa Anita Oaks and Santa Anita Derby today. Both races have seven horses entered with a trip to the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby on the line.
The Santa Anita Oaks will be race six on the card, mixed in with the earlier races that we are focusing on today. Then we will skip ahead to race ten for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby.
Santa Anita Race 6 – Santa Anita Oaks (Grade 2)
Favored in the Santa Anita Oaks is the 5 Meaning (3/5 morning line). She won the Las Virgenes going one mile over a field of only four. She defeated Explora in that race, but Explora did win the Honeybee at Oaklawn next time out. That may be worth something of note, but it is hard to handicap small fields like the Las Virgenes was.
The 1 Forced Entry (5/1 ML) won the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel here last month. She has won two in a row and does look like a dangerous Bob Baffert runner here. She was able to settle in that mile and a sixteenth race and could do that again today.
The other Baffert entry is the 3 French Blue (5/1 ML) She went for the lead and weakened to third in the Santa Ysabel last month. I’m guessing she goes for the lead here as well, trying to set things up for her stablemate here this afternoon.
The 7 Brooklyn Bride (6/1 ML) broke her maiden going a mile last month. She will go two turns for the second time here and figures to be dueling with French Blue today.
Joe’s Santa Anita Oaks Pick
Looking at this race, there really isn’t that much in this race. Also, I don’t think Meaning is that great of a filly. I think that Forced Entry looks to be the danger here in the race and will get a great set up to get the job done here today.
I’m calling this race 1-5-3-7 and my play is $20 to win on the 1.
Santa Anita Race 10 – Santa Anita Derby (Grade 1)
A field of seven horses are entered in the final 100-point race of the Road to the Kentucky Derby in the Santa Anita Derby. Like the other races today, these three-year-olds will travel a mile and an eighth in this race.
Favored is the 2 Potente (2/1 ML). He stalked the pace and ended up winning the Grade 2 San Felipe last time out. He is two for two lifetime and will look to catch the field late again today.
The 1 Cherokee Nation (5/2 ML) defeated older horses easily when breaking his maiden at the end of February. He has dipped his hooves into graded stakes company and did not fair that well. This colt could be a candidate for a bounce, but this could also be a horse that found something last time out.
The 7 Intrepido (7/2 ML) should be the horse to catch here in this race. He did win the Grade 1 American Pharoah last October here at Santa Anita, but the pedigree doesn’t tell me he can get the 10 furlongs of the Kentucky Derby. But he did fight hard in his last race back in February.
The 4 Robusta (8/1 ML) was caught late by the favorite in the San Felipe stakes last month. He has a bad race good race pattern that formed with the four races so far in his young career. But if he can get a similar trip as he did last month, he may surprise today.
Joe’s Santa Anita Derby Pick
There looks to be enough speed that it will allow the late running horses an opportunity to get up late and win this race. This looks like a race that Potente can settle behind the leaders and get up late. I do not think Cherokee Nation needs the lead, but he did do that last time out. I think the favorite wins this race and heads to the Kentucky Derby.
I’m calling this race 2-1-4-7 and my play is $20 to win on the 2. Best of luck and I’ll see you in the winner’s circle!
