Friday's Best Bet: Royalty Interest steps forward in Penn Oaks

Friday’s fifth race at Penn National is the $150,000 Penn Oaks for 3-year-old fillies traveling one mile on the turf course. The scheduled post time is 7:10 p.m. EDT.

Click here for Penn National entries and results. 

No. 9 Royalty Interest (5-2) was sharp as the 3-2 favorite in her turf route debut at Tampa Bay on March 11. She stalked and pounced from an outer post and kicked away to graduate by 3 1/4 lengths, and the show finisher was a next-out winner. Irad Ortiz Jr. and Chad Brown do business together and she earned a quality late pace rating last time. She could easily run past this group.

No. 5 Princess Bettina (9-5) got out there and controlled the pace in the China Doll Stakes under Frankie Dettori on March 18. Todd Pletcher is her new trainer and Friday’s rider Flavien Prat guided her to a rallying show finish in the Lady of Shamrock on Feb. 12.

No. 8 Selenaia (10-1) improved her speed ratings in all three turf routes. She earned her diploma second time out last September, and returned with a nice victory in her first start as a 3-year-old on May 10.

No. 1 Violet Gibson (8-1) got there in the late going in her turf debut at 7 1/2 furlongs on March 11. She competed in the Honey Ryder Stakes second time out and landed the show in a solid effort that day. She should save ground behind the speed.

No. 3 Malleymoo (8-1) rallied for the place in the Wait a While at Gulfstream late last year. She disappointed in three starts since but the short layoff might have done her some good. She can be used underneath.  

Get Jarrod’s Santa Anita analysis.

Wagers

No. 9 to win

Exacta 9-5

Superfecta 5-9/5-9/1-3-8/1-3-8

Recent Best Bet winners

May 14 – Anarchist ($7.70)
May 16 – Templet ($19.60), exacta ($36)
May 18 – Montauk Point/Luigi's Spirit exacta ($43.80)
May 23 – Do You Love Me ($5.60)
Last Thursday – Alogon ($10)
Monday – Ego Man/Easy Day Exacta ($18.40)