Player Quick Pick: Santa Anita for 2/28/2015
The final day of February 2015 brings horseplayers two Kentucky Derby prep races. The first is the G2 Swale where Daredevil makes his 2015 debut. The second is the John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway where The Great War is the even money morning line chalk. The best race for horseplayers to wager, though, might be the G3 Santa Ysabel at Santa Anita Park. A live long shot looks capable of taking home top honors in the race.
4-Achiever’s Legacy – 4/1 – Jockey Drayden Van Dyke is terrific, but he doesn’t have nearly the experience of Gary Stevens, who takes the call on this talented Jerry Hollendorfer trained miss that ran on in the Grade 1 Las Virgennes in her last to finish third and lose by 4 lengths to the talented Call Back. The Las Virgennes was run at 1 mile. The Santa Ysabel will be run at 1 1/16 miles. That should help Stevens get her into a better position at the top of the stretch while tracking a trio that should include morning line chalk Enchanting Lady, who goes into this after winning a 5.5 furlong sprint stake, third choice Rattataptap, and the horse that Van Dyke jumps aboard, the front-running Glory. The speed should set things up nicely for Achiever’s Legacy. Don’t be surprised if Stevens gets more foot out of her early on in this race than what Van Dyke got out of her in the Las Virgennes.
6-Light the City - 3/1 – The Las Virgennes was Light the City’s first try at a route. Also a Hollendorfer trained filly entered in the Santa Ysabel, Light the City just couldn’t catch Callback, but she ran her heart out. Any improvement could put her in the winner’s circle, but there’s also a chance that she could bounce after such a terrific effort to finish second in the Las Virgennes. This is the second time that jockey Kent Desormeaux will be riding her. Like Stevens aboard Achiever’s Legacy, Desormeaux’s experience could give Light the City a couple of lengths in this event. Expect KD to put her about 2 to 3 lengths behind Enchanting Lady and Glory on the back stretch. Then, if she can get past those two, Desormeaux might find himself trying to hold off Stevens and Achiever’s Legacy for the win.
8-Stellar Wind – 8/1 – She broke her maiden in her last race at Laurel Park by racing on the front end and then pulling away for an 8.75 length victory. The race was at a mile, which makes the margin of victory even more impressive. Laurel Park doesn’t compare to Santa Anita, that’s true, but she’s sired by Curlin and her mother, Evening Star, is a Malibu Moon mare. She’s bred to be something special. That’s not the only thing to like. Jockey Victor Espinoza hops aboard and she goes first time for trainer John Sadler who wins 35% first time blinkers off. If Espinoza can get her to settle, she could be in the mix at huge odds as they run down the stret
Santa Anita Race 8 – 7:05 pm ET
G3 Santa Ysabel for 3yo F going 1 1/16 mi.4-Achiever’s Legacy – 4/1 – Jockey Drayden Van Dyke is terrific, but he doesn’t have nearly the experience of Gary Stevens, who takes the call on this talented Jerry Hollendorfer trained miss that ran on in the Grade 1 Las Virgennes in her last to finish third and lose by 4 lengths to the talented Call Back. The Las Virgennes was run at 1 mile. The Santa Ysabel will be run at 1 1/16 miles. That should help Stevens get her into a better position at the top of the stretch while tracking a trio that should include morning line chalk Enchanting Lady, who goes into this after winning a 5.5 furlong sprint stake, third choice Rattataptap, and the horse that Van Dyke jumps aboard, the front-running Glory. The speed should set things up nicely for Achiever’s Legacy. Don’t be surprised if Stevens gets more foot out of her early on in this race than what Van Dyke got out of her in the Las Virgennes.
6-Light the City - 3/1 – The Las Virgennes was Light the City’s first try at a route. Also a Hollendorfer trained filly entered in the Santa Ysabel, Light the City just couldn’t catch Callback, but she ran her heart out. Any improvement could put her in the winner’s circle, but there’s also a chance that she could bounce after such a terrific effort to finish second in the Las Virgennes. This is the second time that jockey Kent Desormeaux will be riding her. Like Stevens aboard Achiever’s Legacy, Desormeaux’s experience could give Light the City a couple of lengths in this event. Expect KD to put her about 2 to 3 lengths behind Enchanting Lady and Glory on the back stretch. Then, if she can get past those two, Desormeaux might find himself trying to hold off Stevens and Achiever’s Legacy for the win.
8-Stellar Wind – 8/1 – She broke her maiden in her last race at Laurel Park by racing on the front end and then pulling away for an 8.75 length victory. The race was at a mile, which makes the margin of victory even more impressive. Laurel Park doesn’t compare to Santa Anita, that’s true, but she’s sired by Curlin and her mother, Evening Star, is a Malibu Moon mare. She’s bred to be something special. That’s not the only thing to like. Jockey Victor Espinoza hops aboard and she goes first time for trainer John Sadler who wins 35% first time blinkers off. If Espinoza can get her to settle, she could be in the mix at huge odds as they run down the stret
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