Friday’s Best Bet: Stressed might wire the field at Santa Anita
Friday's third race at Santa Anita is a $32,000 claiming event for fillies and mares dashing six furlongs on the turf course. The scheduled post time is 4:30 p.m. EST.
Click here for Santa Anita entries and results.
No. 3 Stressed (2-1) hit the board in her last two turf sprints at the $50,000 claiming level. Juan Hernandez sticks with the early-pressing mare, and she has struck three times at this course and distance. She might be the controlling speed.
No. 2 Paleo’s Princess (4-1) stalked, led and settled for the place in a state-bred, optional-claiming turf sprint Jan. 5, and Steve Knapp claimed her out of that heat. She likes this course and distance, and her new rider Frankie Dettori should have her in a contending spot from the outset.
No. 4 Teen Drama (5-2) stalked and scored by a nose as the heavy favorite in an abbreviated turf sprint Jan. 19, and Knapp claimed her for $25,000. Her winning rider Flavien Prat stays put.
No. 5 New Collection (3-1) has not won a race since September 2022 in Italy in a turf sprint on heavy ground. She was unplaced in an optional-claiming affair in her stateside bow in a turf sprint and dropped into a $50,000 claimer and rallied to land the place Jan. 19. Umberto Rispoli strings along and he wins races with Michael McCarthy, and she will try to get involved from off the pace.
Get Jarrod’s Santa Anita analysis.
Wagers
No. 3 to win
Trifecta key 3/2-4-5
Trifecta 2-3-4/2-3-4/5
Recent Best Bet winners
Feb. 4 – Point Dume ($5.60), exacta ($11.40)
Feb. 8 – Sonofaship ($10.60), exacta ($33.60), trifecta ($75.20)
Last Friday – Determined Driver ($6.20), exacta ($17.40)
Saturday – Missed the Cut ($4.40)
Tuesday – Ova Charged ($7.60), exacta ($20.20)
Thursday – First Peace/Beef Winslow Exacta ($14.80)