Saturday’s Best Bet: Evidencias can sustain her run in Ladies
Saturday’s eighth race at Aqueduct is the $150,000 Ladies Stakes for fillies and mares traveling 1 1/8 miles on the main track. The scheduled post time is 3:47 p.m. EST.
Click here for Aqueduct entries and results.
No. 2 Evidencias (3-1) switched to dirt and was clearly second best in a local, flat-mile affair Dec. 1, and winner Hot Fudge clicked right back in the Garland of Roses on Dec. 9. This mare won twice at this distance on turf in Brazil last year, and she is starting to acclimate to her new surroundings.
No. 5 Comparative (7-2) is making nice progress for Brad Cox. She won back-to-back dirt routes before finishing up the track in the Black-Eyed Susan (G2) in the spring. She returned from a layoff and smartly captured a local optional-claiming event at one mile Nov. 25. She fired a training-track bullet last Saturday for this engagement.
No. 6 Saddle Up Jessie (2-1) has been in fine form since Brittany Russell claimed her for $20,000 last winter. The sharp Maryland shipper won the Carousel at 1 1/8 miles Dec. 23.
No. 3 Rayya Valentine (10-1) earned a decent late-pace rating in a sharp maiden win at one mile Dec. 15. The Quality Road filly is on the upswing and might be this good.
Get Jarrod’s Santa Anita analysis.
Wagers
No. 2 to win
Exacta box 2-5
Trifecta 2-5/2-3-5-6/2-3-5-6
Recent Best Bet Winners
Dec. 13 – Flipping Fish/Henry’s World/He’s In Charge trifecta ($202.60)
Dec. 16 – War Campaign ($14.60), exacta ($54.80)
Dec. 18 – Young Squire ($8.40), exacta ($23.40), trifecta ($81.20)
Dec. 24 – F Five ($5.40)
Dec. 26 – Watsonville ($11.00), exacta ($22.00)
Last Friday – Medoro ($6.80)
Monday – Otello ($5.40), trifecta ($100.00)
Thursday – Dr. Ray D. ($7.00), exacta ($15.40), trifecta ($28.60)
Friday – Virat ($7.40), trifecta ($72.20)