Sunday's Best Bet: Planetario reaches higher in John Henry Turf
Sunday’s seventh race at Santa Anita Park is the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship for 3-year-olds and up traveling 1 1/4 miles on the turf course. The scheduled post time is 7:09 p.m. EDT.
Click here for Santa Anita entries and results.
No. 3 Planetario (7-2) ran well in back-to-back local turf stakes in May and June and then misfired in his last pair. He won two races at 1 1/4 miles on turf in Brazil in 2021.
No. 1 Masteroffoxhounds (4-1) won this race last fall and hit the board in four stakes starts since. He usually runs his race at this course and distance, and I like his early-pressing versatility.
No. 7 Gold Phoenix (7-2) is a logical contender after back-to-back stakes wins at Del Mar. He was in similar form heading into this event last year, and he was a close third as the beaten favorite. He will try to get involved late.
No. 2 Offlee Naughty (5-1) won a pair of local turf stakes routes earlier this year, including the Charles Whittingham (G2) at this distance. The late runner reconnects with his winning rider Umberto Rispoli.
No. 8 Cash Equity (8-1) came running for the show from the outside post in the Del Mar Handicap (G2) last time. He handles this course and distance and can contend for a minor award.
Get Jarrod’s Santa Anita analysis.
Wagers
No. 3 to win
Exacta 1-3/1-3-7
Trifecta 1-3-7/1-2-3-7-8/2-8
Superfecta 1-3/1-3/2-7-8/2-7-8
Recent Best Bet winners
Sept. 2 – Motorious ($7.20)
Sept. 3 – Conclude/Maltese Falcon/Almendares trifecta ($65)
Sept. 4 – Micro Share ($8.60), trifecta ($67)
Sept. 5 – Pemaquid Pete ($4.80), exacta ($7.80)
Sept. 6 – Warrior's Payoff ($8.40)
Sept. 10 – Endlessly ($7.60), trifecta ($163.80)
Sept. 11 – Gunoe ($7), trifecta ($142.60)
Sept. 19 – Dewey Doit ($8.80), trifecta ($91.40)
Sept. 20 – Giant Mischief ($4.80)
Sept. 21 – Mariachi ($9)
Last Sunday – Honor D Lady/Ancient Peace exacta ($104.60)
Monday – Rosa ($9), exacta ($32)
Wednesday - Tiger Moon ($5.70)
Friday - Kirstenbosch ($15)