Baltas hopes Tiz a Kiss outruns her odds in Megahertz
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Photo:
Benoit Photo/Del Mar
Richard Baltas hopes Tiz a Kiss continues to outrun her odds when she goes in Monday’s Martin Luther King Jr. holiday feature, the Grade III, $100,000 Megahertz Stakes for older fillies and mares scheduled for one mile on turf.
A victory would result in her first stakes win. She was second by a nose in the restricted Solana Beach last August at Del Mar.
A seven-year-old California-bred daughter of Cee’s Tizzy, Tiz a Kiss has been favored only once under the direction of Baltas, that in her first start for him on Sept. 5, 2015. In 11 starts since, she has never been the favorite, going off at 10-1 when second in the Grade II Goldikova Stakes last Nov. 6 and at 21-1 when a respectable seventh in the Grade I Matriarch at Del Mar Dec. 4.
“She was sitting on the rail in the Matriarch,” said Baltas, who has four wins through the first nine days at Santa Anita’s Winter Meet. “She got through and they weren’t going that fast (a mile on a firm course in 1:35). They were kind of walking, actually, I thought.
“Twenty-three and change, 48 and 1:12 for Grade I horses. It was a little step up. They were the best fillies in the country she ran against.”
Kent Desormeaux, who has ridden Tiz a Kiss nine times, winning twice, is back aboard.
Monday is Dollar Day at Santa Anita. Beer, sodas and hot dogs will be a buck apiece. First post time is 12:30 p.m. Admission gates open at 10:30 a.m.
THURSDAY RACING CANCELLED DUE TO HEAVY RAINS
Santa Anita Park officials announced that Thursday’s eight-race program has been cancelled due to continued heavy rainfall in the Arcadia area which has resulted in local flooding and road closures. Santa Anita has already received seven inches of rainfall from significant winter storms over the past week and up to two additional inches are predicted to fall along the San GabrielMountain foothills throughout the remainder of the day.
According the National Weather Service, the most recent storm is scheduled to move out of the area later this evening resulting in predicted sunny skies over the three-day Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend.
Santa Anita was open for simulcast wagering on Thursday, with free parking and admission available.
Santa Anita has notified horsemen that substitute races will be offered in the coming days for all horses that were entered on Thursday’s program.
First post time at Santa Anita on Friday is at 1 p.m., while first post time on Saturday, Sunday, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day will be at 12:30 p.m. Fans are encouraged to visit santanita.com for the latest track condition updates as well as entry and morning line information.
FINISH LINES: Congrats to Hollywood heavyweights Gary Barber, Kevin Tsujihara and Les Moonves, CEO’s of MGM, Warner Brothers Entertainment, and CBS, respectively, on winning Sunday’s third race with Forest Blue, a chestnut gelding trained by Peter Miller. Forest Blue, who won by nearly three lengths as the $5.40 favorite, was claimed for $16,000 out of the six furlong race by trainer Jeff Mullins. “He’s a solid horse and I wish the new owner and trainer well,” said Miller, tied for the training lead through nine days with six wins and leading in stakes victories with four . . . With seven inches of rain pelting Santa Anita in just over a week, Thursday’s live races were cancelled. Live racing resumes Friday at 1 p.m. Admission gates open at 11 a.m.
Source: Santa Anita Park
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