Santa Anita Horse Racing Picks for Saturday 4/9/22
There are 12 races Saturday with seven stakes at Santa Anita including the $750K Santa Anita Derby. Which horses should you bet on at FanDuel Racing?
Starting at 3:00 p.m. EST, we have 12 races at Santa Anita. Using numberFire’s projections as a guide, here are some of the best bets on FanDuel Racing.
As always, check the program for racing information and scratches and changes. Also, watch 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).
Tobys Heart and Tapwater, Race 1
FanDuel Racing Odds: 5/2 and 7/2
Bet Now at TVG | Bet Now at FanDuel
The day at ‘The Great Race Place’ starts with the $100,000 Monrovia Stakes for older fillies and mares going 6 ½ furlongs on the downhill turf course. The top pick according to numberFire’s data is Tobys Heart (5/2) followed by Tapwater (3/1) and Alice Marble (2/1).
Alice Marble ran the top last race speed figure at today’s distance, according to Guaranteed Tip Sheet. Tapwater should improve in her second start off some rest, and she just missed by a head when closing fast on this surface in January.
Adare Manor, Race 4
FanDuel Racing Odds: 3/5
Bet Now at TVG | Bet Now at FanDuel
Race 4 is the $400,000, Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles. This is a major qualifying points race for the Kentucky Oaks. A short field of five fillies and Adare Manor (3/5) should make easy work of these, according to numberFire projections. Ain’t Easy (4/1) is the projected runner-up.
Adare Manor is the lone true frontrunner in the field and only runner to hit triple digit speed figures. Ain’t Easy is 2-for-3 and should improve with a bullet work in place since finishing third on this track behind a Kentucky Oaks favorite.
Messier and Taiba, Race 6
FanDuel Racing Odds: 1/1 and 4/1
Bet Now at TVG | Bet Now at FanDuel
Race 6 is the $750,000, Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles. This is a major qualifying points race for the Kentucky Derby. Two major favorites are the top choices according to the numberFire algorithm. Messier (1/1) and Forbidden Kingdom (6/5).
Guaranteed Tip Sheet notes that Messier has increased his speed numbers in each of his starts and is so close to winning 5-of-5. Forbidden Kingdom should peak in form in his third start this year having won two graded stakes and KY Derby preps racing on the front end.
Taiba is a $1.7 million horse making just his second start off a debut win when posing a triple digit speed figure. He stretches out and could surprise.
