How to bet the 2026 Santa Ana Stakes

An overflow field of 11 fillies and mares has been entered for Sunday’s $100,000 Santa Ana (G3) at Santa Anita. The 1 1/4-mile trek on the grass features a good group of turf distaffers led by three-time graded stakes vixen #10 Mrs. Astor from the barn of Jonathan Thomas, but I’ll hunt for a little value in the affair. 

Santa Ana Wagers

• $20 win #5 Public Assembly ($20)
• $10 exacta box 5-10 ($20)
• 10-cent superfecta 5,10 with 5,10 with all with all ($11.20)

Grade 3 victress #5 Public Assembly is a two-time winner on the course and has been mostly consistent since arriving in this barn in March of 2025. By More Than Ready, the chestnut has run well twice this campaign, which includes a close fourth in the Megahertz (G3) on this lawn at one mile last time out, and I feel that the performance was a good prep for this endeavor. The Phil D’Amato pupil has run two of the better races in her career when going distances similar to this one, and I expect her to run a peak race while making her third attempt off the layoff. 

Public Assembly, who missed by a neck to the favorite in the Red Carpet (G3) in her four-year-old finale at 1 3/8 miles, has posted a trio of solid morning drills leading up to Sunday and should be ready to put her best foot forward against this cast. The mare will sit an advantageous trip from the second flight early on the stretch out in distance with Florent Geroux signed on. 

Mrs. Astor seemingly always runs her race and has a nose for the wire, evidenced by the numerous narrow wins that she has compiled in her career. The Lookin At Lucky homebred is four-for-six with a second in her career at Santa Anita and was also a black-type victress in her most recent showing at 10 furlongs, as well. The six-year-old bay might be at her best with a bit more ground with which to work, but she is quite good at 1 1/4 miles, too, and she comes in fresh for this one with three solid half-mile drills to her credit. The stalker will have a clear voyage throughout from this outside post beneath Antonio Fresu.