How to bet the California Flag Handicap

A cast of eight Cal-breds will go 6 1/2 grassy panels down the Hillside Turf Course in Saturday’s $100,000 California Flag H. at Santa Anita. Conditioner John Sadler has a pair of good ones for the event, including #5 Cali Cat (12-1), who gets top billing in the well-matched field. 

California Flag Wagers

• $10 win and place #5 Cali Cat ($20)
• $1 superfecta 2,5 with 2,5 with 4,6,8 with 4,6,8 ($12)

By American Pharoah, the sophomore will face some older foes in the heat, but has done well on the course, especially at this unique distance. The $190,000 yearling purchase was a wire-to-wire allowance victor going down the hill in February and followed that up with a stakes second versus open company, also at the about 6 1/2-furlong trip. 

Since that performance, he recorded a runner-up result in the Snow Chief S., going nine panels at Santa Anita, and he also missed by just one length in the deep Oceanside S. at Del Mar two back. The three-year-old comes in fresh with useful morning moves and a cut back in distance, and I expect him to run a peak race at a big price with Juan Hernandez in the stirrups. 

#2 Lovesick Blues (5-2) aced the Bing Crosby S. (G1) on the Del Mar dirt in his latest venture and has a positive history on the turf, as well. The Barocio pupil has won or placed in 10 of 15 career runs on the Santa Anita green with six top-three finishes going down the hill among those. The seven-year-old son of Grazen has good tactical foot and a solid closing punch, and the gray comes in fresh for the tilt with Geo Franco back in the silks. 

Jeff Mullins’ multiple stakes star #6 Man O Rose (7-2) loves to win, evidenced by his 8-for-15 career mark, and the contender also dons a solid 6-2-2-0 line on the Santa Anita green, too. Five-year-old son of Stanford will be close throughout with Maldonado in the irons and wouldn’t be a surprise on this occasion. The ever-improving #4 Sir Rocket (10-1) and Sadler’s speedy #8 Flyover (9-2) will also be included in my vertical plays.