Sunday’s Best Bet: Aligato flies home in California Flag
Sunday’s ninth race from Santa Anita is the $100,000 California Flag Handicap for California-bred 3-year-olds and up traveling 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course. The scheduled post time is 8:07 p.m. EDT.
Click here for Santa Anita entries and results.
No. 9 Aligato (5-1) fired trifecta shots in all five starts but has not been seen since winning a local state bred stakes route on turf in January. He packs a decent late kick in turf sprints and graduated at this distance last year. Umberto Rispoli hops aboard, and he should be heard from in the late going.
No. 2 None Above the Law (4-1) has not won since the 2021 Del Mar Derby (G2), but he has been in some tough spots. He exits a close fourth in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2) on dirt, and the two-time turf winner can sprint.
No. 6 The Chosen Vron (5-2) got back on the winning track in a dirt route stakes win at Los Alamitos on Sept. 17. He finished a close third in his lone turf try and figures to stalk the pace under Hector Berrios.
No. 7 Hail Freedom (4-1) won his last four starts. He returns to turf and turns back, and the early-pressing colt must be respected in his current form. He handles this distance and fired a training track bullet for this on Oct. 9.
No. 10 Coast of Roan (8-1) exits an off the turf route win at Del Mar. He scored at this course/distance in 2021 and can spice up the exotics. He likes this turf course and should offer value in his third start after a layoff.
Get Jarrod's Santa Anita analysis
Wagers:
No. 9 to win
Trifecta 2-7-9/2-6-7-9-10/6-10
Superfecta 2-9/2-6-9/All/2-6-7-9-10
Recent Best Bet winners
Oct. 3 - Back to Ohio ($4.20)
Oct. 5 - Climber ($5.00)
Oct. 8 - Going to Vegas ($7.20)
Monday - Excess Speed Limit ($19), exacta ($40.20), super ($1,565)