Check out Man On The Spot's race-by-race guide and best bets for Saturday's action at Santa Anita.
Derby winner Auguste Rodin’s propensity for throwing in the odd bad run is a worry though he’s beaten King Of Steel on a couple of occasions. The latter subsequently won the Champion Stakes at Newmarket a fortnight ago, a race Mostahdaf missed on account of soft ground. The Gosdens’ colt landed a couple of Group 1 races over 1m2f before that while the ONESTO ran a big race to finish third in the Arc at Longchamp last time. That contest has proven a good trial for this over the years and Fabrice Chappet’s colt was unlucky not to finish closer in last year’s Japan Cup, his only previous start on fast ground. Up To The Mark is the leading Turf horse in the U.S. at the moment having rattled-up a hat-trick of Grade 1 victories and is preferred to last year’s third War Like Goddess.
Frankie picks-up a ride in the Classic on Zandon but Chad Brown’s charge was no match for White Abarrio in the Grade 1 Whitney at Saratoga and the latter has been working well here since. Bob Baffert has won this four times with progressive three-year-olds and ARABIAN KNIGHT fits the bill. The winner of the Pacific Classic at Del Mar was having only his fourth start on that occasion and has enough speed to overcome a wide draw. He may get taken on for the lead by another Grade 1 winner in Saudi Crown, who beat Dreamlike in the Pennsylvania Derby, though the latter’s stablemate Bright Future took a big step forward when beating Proxy by a nose in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga. Dubai World Cup winner Ushba Tesoro is preferred to compatriot Derma Sotogake.
Nunthorpe winner Live In The Dream beat Aesop's Fables at York and ran a fine trial for this at Keeneland when only giving way in the closing stages in a race won by Arzak. Caravel won last year’s renewal and beat Big Invasion in a Grade 1 sprint at Belmont in June while Nobals just got the better of MOTORIOUS at Churchill Downs back in May. But the latter has scored back in California subsequently and Phil D’Amato’s closer will be looking to take advantage of a furious pace. Gear Jockey arrives fresh form a Grade 2 success but it’s difficult to gauge the merits of Jasper Krone’s victories in Japan.
ELITE POWER won this at Keeneland last year. His winning streak was broken by Gunite when upped to 7f last time but Bill Mott’s charge had beaten the latter over shorter trips on a couple of occasions before that and is taken to confirm superiority. The local sprinters are led by Dr. Schivel, who narrowly beat Speed Boat Beach in a trial race here though the latter was having his first start of the year and can’t be dismissed. The Chosen Vron is another California sprinter and has been rested since landing a Grade 1 at Del Mar in July while Hoist The Gold beat Nakatomi at Keeneland last month.
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