HORSE RACING

​Santa Anita Park Horse Racing Picks for Saturday 6/19/21

Starting at 4:00 p.m. EST, we have 11 races at Santa Anita Park. Using numberFire’s projections as a guide, here are some of the best bets.

As always, check the program for scratches and changes and monitor the weather and track conditions.

(I will reference Equibase's Speed Figure in selected races, which tells you how fast a horse has been running in each of its races -- adjusted for track, distances, and conditions.)

Big Talker and None Above The Law, Race 9

FanDuel Racing Odds: 4/1 and 9/5

Race 9 is the $100K Snow Chief Stakes for state-bred runners going 1 1/8 miles on the turf. numberFire projects Found My Ball (7/2) to outduel the favorite, None Above The Law (9/5). Yesterday’s card was a 3-for-3 day with favorites leading the way, and None Above The Law has top jockey Flavien Prat riding for EPO trainer Peter Miller. He’s a multiple stakes winner and enters off back-to-back wins at Golden Gate on synthetic and turf. He’s a versatile runner, having also won on the dirt this year at Santa Anita, and the So. Cal gelding will take money.

Found My Ball is racing consistently this year but is 0-for-2 in stakes races and missed a top-three finish in both. Big Talker (4/1) makes his stakes debut and has finished in the money in four straight races. Horse Racing Radar notes he ran some of the fastest quarter-mile fractions last race, and top turf rider Umberto Rispoli is aboard. Ferrariano (4/1) is improving and won his last race to break his maiden going a route of ground.

Fi Fi Pharoah and Pawnee, Race 10

FanDuel Racing Odds: 9/5 and 5/1

Race 10 is the $150K Melair Stakes for 3-year-old state-bred fillies going 1 1/16 miles. The numberFire projections anticipate a duel between Fi Fi Pharoah (9/5) and Eddie's New Dream (3/1).

Fi Fi Pharoah was sired by Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. She won a maiden route last race and faces a fairly soft group in her stakes debut with Umberto Rispoli riding. Horse Racing Radar expects she will like the additional distance and can take down some speed up front in I’m So Anna (4/1) with top jockey Flavien Prat riding.

Pawnee (5/1) is a capable runner to challenge, and she’s won 2-of-4 starts this year. Guaranteed Tip Sheet believes her last race and improved speed may be enough to win today.

Ward ‘n Jerry and Red King, Race 11

FanDuel Racing Odds: 5/2 and 5/2

Race 11 is the $100K San Juan Capistrano Stakes for olders horses going a marathon 1 3/4 miles on the downhill turf. EPO trainer Phil D’Amato has two of the seven-year-old favorites, and numberFire's algorithm projects them to finish first and second. Acclimate (9/5) won this race in 2019, and Red King (5/2) -- with leading turf jockey Umberto Rispoli -- won it in 2020.

Also, eight-year-old Ward ‘n Jerry (5/2) is a contender with top jockey Flavien Prat riding, and he finished third in this race last year as the favorite. Four-year-old Astronaut (8/1) makes his stakes debut but has the ability and is in solid form.

Acclimate finished third in front of Red King last month, but Red King should benefit from the added half-mile distance, according to Guaranteed Tip Sheet. Acclimate will likely be leading on the front end until they turn for home, and Ward ‘n Jerry kicks in looking for his seventh win at Santa Anita.