BAFFERT LOOKS FOR MORE IN SANTA MONICA
While the Sunshine Millions takes the stage on Saturday, fillies and mares will go seven panels in Sunday’s $250,000 Santa Monica H. (G1). The top two finishers of the recent Kalookan Queen H., Mother Ruth and Gilded Gem, look to give trainer Bob Baffert yet another stakes win at this meeting. The former has very good early speed and parlayed that weapon to victory last out, while the steady Gilded Gem had a perfect prep while chasing the aforementioned and would not surprise with a top showing.
La Brea S. (G1) victress Switch is in a career form cycle and is proving to be among the top fillies and mares in training for John Sadler. The Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) runner-up has been first or second in six of her last seven graded stakes and could go off favored in this affair. Humana Distaff (G1) upsetter Mona de Momma could make her first start since that breakthrough win for conditioner John Sadler. Grade 3 speedter Pica Slew, multiple graded queen Sweet August Moon and two-time Grade 3 star Tanda, unraced since a third-place finish in the Acorn S. (G1) in June, add to the depth of this Grade 1 race.