How to bet the 2026 Clocker’s Corner Stakes
Santa Anita (Photo by © Breeders' Cup/Todd Buchanan)
February 6th, 2026
A very well-matched and talented field of seven will vie in Sunday’s $100,000 Clocker’s Corner S. at Santa Anita. The heat will be held at six panels on the flat turf and boasts numerous viable win contenders in the contentious group.
Clocker’s Corner Wagers
In a race with substantial speed in the fold, I have to expect that the winner will rally from off the pace to some capacity. The Michael McCarthy-trained #2 Yellow Card didn’t have a great journey in the deep Joe Hernandez (G2) in his latest endeavor when ultimately sixth, but he is a much better racehorse than he showed in that one, and the Lost Treasure five-year-old could be of good value in the grassy dash. Emisael Jaramillo will take the reins and ask him for his best turning for home.
I’m not convinced that #1 Sumter is a pure sprinter, but his clear second in the Hernandez was a fine effort, and the Mandella charge should receive a healthy tempo to run at in the lane on this occasion. The War Front seven-year-old has won or placed in 11 of 14 career appearances on the Santa Anita sod, and he could save ground every step of the way from a good slot on the fence. The gelded homebred has fired a trio of bullet morning drills in advance of the tilt and picks up Flavien Prat.
#7 Virat will fly in under the radar in the tussle but has a lot of ability, and the seven-year-old son of Bayern has also registered four of his five career wins on the strip, too. The Dan Blacker trainee has very good gate presence, and he smoked a swift five-eighths on the main oval here in preparation for his first outing since November. The bay homebred possesses the Brisnet Speed ratings to be very competitive in the race, and I expect him to be well placed at the top of the lane with excellent grass pilot Hector Berrios in the silks.
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