Betting the Robert J. Frankel Stakes at Santa Anita

Sometimes, when reviewing the entries for a graded stakes race, you’ll come to a particular horse and ask yourself, "Why has this horse been entered?"

This is the question on my mind when handicapping Sunday’s $200,000 Robert J. Frankel (G3) at Santa Anita. The 1 1/8-mile turf test has drawn a competitive field of 10 fillies and mares, many of them proven graded stakes performers. Established stars like Rodeo Drive (G1) winner #10 Mucho Unusual (5-2) and Canadian (G2) winner #1 Rideforthecause (3-1) are proven over the Robert J. Frankel distance and figure to attract lots of support.

In contrast, #4 Miss Teheran (5-1) seems overmatched at first glance. A two-time winner over the synthetic track at Deauville in France, Miss Teheran has gone 0-for-2 since arriving in the United States. In a slow-paced renewal of the 1 1/16-mile Forever Together S. at Aqueduct last month, Miss Teheran rallied only mildly to finish fifth.

So why has four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown entered Miss Teheran in the Robert J. Frankel? And why has acclaimed jockey Joel Rosario signed up to ride? Maybe, just maybe, there’s more to Miss Teheran than first meets the eye.

Keep in mind, the Forever Together was contested over a damp course possibly unsuitable for Miss Teheran. In her U.S. debut, the daughter of Teofilo produced a big rally over a firm course at Monmouth Park to finish second in a 1 1/16-mile allowance race. Despite having to thread her way through traffic, Miss Teheran gained 3 1/4 lengths in the final furlong to finish just a neck behind the graded stakes-placed Sweet Sami D, with future Red Carpet H. (G3) winner Orglandes another 1 3/4 lengths back in third place.

Since the beginning of 2018, Brown has compiled an impressive 5-for-13 (38%) record with horses competing over the Santa Anita turf course, so when Brown ships a grass horse across the country to compete at "The Great Race Place," it’s wise to pay attention. I’m willing to bet Miss Teheran can produce a much-improved effort in the Robert J. Frankel, setting the stage for an upset victory.

Let’s take a shot betting Miss Teheran to win and keying her on top of an exacta with the favorites underneath.

$12 to win on #4 Miss Teheran
$4 exacta: 4 with 1,10 ($8)
Total: $20

Good luck!