Friday's Best Bet: Pleasant pushes the pace at Santa Anita
Friday’s ninth race at Santa Anita is an optional-claiming event for 3-year-old fillies dashing 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track. The scheduled post time is 8:04 p.m. EDT.
Click here for Santa Anita entries and results.
No. 7 Pleasant (3-1) pressed outside and beat Ruby Nell by a length and a half in her local 6 1/2 furlong bow on March 18. Juan Hernandez wins races with Bob Baffert and she had a strong five panel gate bullet for this on June 10.
No. 5 Clearly Unhinged (2-1) was excellent in her course and distance bow on Feb. 3. She scooted to the front from the inside post and won easily that day. She stretched out in the Santa Anita Oaks second time out, and she chased from second, moved up, and weakened to fourth (beaten 11 lengths). She fired a bullet for this on June 9 and should attend the pace under Umberto Rispoli.
No. 3 Delitefull Hart (4-1) was strong in her local bow. She stalked from the inside post, moved out, and kicked away to score by 3 1/2 lengths. She will probably stalk the pace under Mike Smith.
No. 2 Home Cooking (3-1) ran well in all three dirt sprints at Del Mar last summer. She aired in her maiden win second time out and missed by a head in the Del Mar Debutante. She chased strong fractions and weakened when last seen in the Chandelier last fall. Bob Baffert is a strong layoff trainer and she sports two local gate bullets for this.
Get Jarrod’s Santa Anita analysis.
Wagers
No. 7 to win
Exacta Box 5-7
Trifecta 5-7/2-3-5-7/2-3-5-7
Recent Best Bet winners
June 3 - Kalik ($7.90), trifecta ($41.80)
June 6 - Uncle Ernie ($4.60), exacta ($12.60), trifecta ($46.60)
Monday - Cabra Chica ($6.80), exacta ($13.60)