Racing! Santa Anita cancels card; Jon White’s top 10 Kentucky Derby horses

Hello, my name is John Cherwa and welcome back to our horse racing newsletter as Santa Anita has its first weather-related cancellation of the meeting.

First off, Santa Anita canceled its Thursday card because of expected non-stop rain. It’s a safety issue, a quality or racing issue and an attendance issue. And, it was a Thursday. Last year, racing was canceled because of weather three times: Jan. 12, Jan. 20 and Feb. 16. The rainy season has usually abated by now, but not this year.

Racing will resume on Friday and some of the canceled races are expected to be added to Sunday’s card as well as others in the coming days.

It was a fairly decent card for a Thursday, including a 6-furlong allowance race between Ax Man and Zulfikhar, both trained by Bob Baffert. There was only one turf race scheduled.

Santa Anita has benefited this meet from weather cancellations, mostly cold and snow, back on the East Coast that has increased mutuel handle because of fewer nationwide betting opportunities.

Jon White’s Kentucky Derby Top 10

Jon White’s popuar Kentucky Derby Top 10 is back and it should be like a popcorn machine in moving around over the next four weeks. Maybe. Jon knows his stuff, so sit back and enjoy.

Take it away, Jon.

“One of the longest streaks in all of sports was snapped a week ago when UMBC (University of Maryland, Baltimore County) upset Virginia by a score of 74-54 in college basketball. Prior to that, No. 16 seeds had lost 135 straight games against No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament. It was the first time that a No. 16 seed had sent a No. 1 seed home in the tourney's history.

“Will this be the year in which one of the longest streaks in horse racing also comes to an end? Apollo, who did not race as a 2-year-old, won the Kentucky Derby in 1882. Since Apollo, 135 straight Kentucky Derby winners have raced as a 2-year-old.

“To give you an idea of just how long it has been since a Kentucky Derby winner did not make any starts as a 2-year-old, when Apollo won the important race at Churchill Downs in 1882, this nation had 38 states, not 50.

“But this year there are two colts — Justify and Magnum Moon — who appear to have a legit chance to win the May 5 Kentucky Derby even though neither raced as a 2-year-old. Justify is undefeated and untested in two career starts for trainer Bob Baffert. Magnum Moon is three for three after winning the Rebel Stakes in convincing fashion by 3 1/2 lengths last Saturday at Oaklawn Park for trainer Todd Pletcher.

“I have Justify ranked No. 3. Magnum Moon is No. 6. These two talented equine athletes are on a collision course to meet in Oaklawn's Arkansas Derby at 1 1/8 miles on April 14.

“Between Justify and Magnum Moon, it appears the long streak since a Kentucky Derby winner did not race as a 2 year old certainly is in serious jeopardy this year.

“I had Solomini ranked No. 6 last week. He finished second in the Rebel while making his 2018 debut. He drops a notch this week to No. 7. Solomini, who like Justify resides in the powerful Baffert barn at Santa Anita, will be heading to New York for the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 7.

“Meanwhile, the big news in California is the rematch many people were hoping to see between McKinzie and Bolt d'Oro should happen in the $1-million Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles on April 7. McKinzie is yet another prominent 3-year-old conditioned by Baffert. Mick Ruis trains Bolt D'Oro.

“McKinzie and Bolt D'Oro furiously battled it out through in the final quarter-mile of the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita on March 10. McKinzie finished first by a head, but was disqualified and placed second for fouling Bolt D'Oro in deep stretch. Bolt D'Oro, who finished second, was elevated to first by the stewards following an inquiry that lasted for more than 10 minutes.

“I currently have McKinzie ranked No. 1 and Bolt D'Oro at No. 2 on my Kentucky Derby Top 10 list. Nobody on the list is scheduled to start this week. The two races on the Road to the Kentucky Derby this week are Saturday's Louisiana Derby in New Orleans and Sunday's Sunland Derby in New Mexico, both at 1 1/8 miles.

“My Boy Jack, based at Santa Anita with trainer Keith Desormeaux, is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the Louisiana Derby, which has 10 horses entered. My Boy Jack won the Southwest Stakes by 4 1/2 lengths on a muddy track at Oaklawn Park on Feb. 19. He needs to prove he can be as effective on a track that isn't wet.

“The Sunland Derby, which has a dozen entered, looks wide open. All Out Blitz is the tepid 4-1 morning-line favorite. Simon Callaghan trains All Out Blitz, who like My Boy Jack is based at Santa Anita. All Out Blitz has hit the board in a pair of stakes races at Santa Anita this year, finishing second to McKinzie in the Sham (My Boy Jack was third) and third behind Kanthaka and Nero in the San Vicente.”

Here are this week's rankings:

1. McKinzie (1)

2. Bolt d'Oro (2)

3. Justify (3)

4. Good Magic (4)

5. Audible (5)

6. Magnum Moon (NR)

7. Solomini (6)

8. Promises Fulfilled (7)

9. Quip (8)

10. Enticed (9)

Note: Last week’s ranking in parethesis

Santa Anita preview

Hopefully, the weather will have left a workable track overnight so Friday’s eight-race card isn’t an exercise in mud wrestling. First post is noon. There are two races scheduled for the turf, but, again, we’ll see. It’s the first and fifth, both a mile, leaving the hillside course at least another day to dry out for Saturday’s San Luis Rey Stakes at 1 ½ miles. (It’s starts on the turf course.)

There is only one sprint on Friday’s card, the sixth, a claiming race, all the rest are at least 1 mile. The feature is the seventh, an allowance/optional claimer over 1 1/16 miles with a field of seven. Here’s the field size, in order: 10 (2 also eligible), 5, 7, 7, 10 (4AE), 8, 7, 10.

Bob Ike’s SA play of the day

THIRD RACE No. 2 Wild Lando (3-1)

Taking a stand against the morning line favorite, Wild Lando (3-1) seems like a semi-standout in this spot. Stretching out after finishing second in three of five sprints, the Phil D'Amato trainee is bred to route, has tactical speed and faces a soft field. Hook him up in exactas with Dial Me In (4-1) and Extraordianrius (5-1).

Thursday Result: Thursday's card was cancesnapled due to inclement weather.

Bob Ike is a Partner/VP of Horsebills.com (here’s a video) and the proprietor of BobIkePicks.com (full-card picks, 3 Best Plays and betting strategy).

Los Alamitos weekend preview

This weekly segment is now in the hands of Orlando Gutierrez, marketing and media maven at Los Al. So, the floor is yours, Orlando.

“Bill Hoburg’s homebred BH Lisas Boy became the first back-to-back winner of the Grade 1, $157,250 Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship, formerly named just the Los Alamitos Winter Championship, when he outdueled 2016 Champion of Champions winner Zoomin For Spuds by a neck on Feb. 11. The two meet again in the $27,500 Moonist Handicap at 400 yards on Sunday.

“BH Lisas Boy, ridden by Cesar De Alba, is the top older horse at Los Alamitos. The 6-year-old Idaho-bred gelding has won seven-of his last nine outings and 17-of-29 career starts. He’s also been hard to stop at 400 yards. He’s won six races at that distance since Feb. 2017. On Super Bowl weekend, while the racing surface at Los Alamitos was closed for renovation, BH Lisas Boy was shipped to Santa Anita for a 220-yard workout to prepare for the Brad McKinzie Winter Championship. In doing so, BH Lisas Boy became the first quarter horse to work at Santa Anita since former 870-yard world record holder Griswold did so in preparation for his famous 1991 match race against thoroughbred Valiant Pete. A photo of BH Lisas Boy working at Santa Anita received a lot of attention on social media by racing fans.

“Jim Walker’s Zoomin For Spuds was sharp at the start of the Brad McKinzie and just missed winning the 400-yard race. He’s looking more and more like the win machine that he was in 2016 when winning six stakes races. Four other major stakes winner will be in the Moonist: 2016 PCQHRA Breeders Futurity winner Racy High Roller, 2016 Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity winner One Proud Eagle, 2017 Southern California Derby winner Mr Apollitical Dash, and 2017 Jens List Memorial Stakes winner LD Is Back.

“The racing weekend gets started on Friday with a seven-race program, meaning the track’s pick four will start in the first and fourth races. Eight thoroughbreds will run in this 4 ½-furlong fourth race headed by Johnny Taboada’s Autismonefortyfive. The colt has hit the board in four of eight career starts. First post on Friday is 7 p.m. There are eight races on Saturday night with Seal Beach Handicap winner Ilikethewayshewalks heading the allowance feature in the evening’s eighth race. First post on Saturday is 6 p.m.”

Ed Burgart’s LA play of the day

SEVENTH RACE: No. 2 Kue Tip (2-1)

He earned a strong 94 Trackmaster speed figure when disqualified from a nose loss in last after breaking super before lugging inward to impede a foe inside the final 1/16. He was flattered when the winner Don’t Foose With Me returned to defeat allowance company recently. He has easily faced the best fields.

Final thought

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And now the star of the show, Friday’s entries. (Remember, rain canceled Thursday.)