The John Henry Turf Traditional is the race of the week this week. It is a grade 2 occasion on the Santa Anita down the hill turf course going 1 and ¼ mile for a handbag of $200,000. Santa Anita has a really massive opening weekend, and there are 7 whole stakes on the cardboard for Saturday’s racing.
The John Henry
has been one of many higher turf stakes races at Santa Anita prior to now, and
has drawn a few of the greatest turf horses in North America. Within the 2019 John Henry Cleopatra’s Strike pulled
off a 9-1 upset, and beat a couple of of the horses in right here together with United and
Oscar Dominguez. In that race United was despatched off as the favourite, however couldn’t
do higher than 3rd. United will as soon as once more be favored on this race
as we have a look at the horse-by-horse evaluation.
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#1 Proud
Pedro – Ridden by Juan Hernandez and skilled by Leonard Powell. Simply missed
final outing in a blanket end within the Del Mar Handicap. The winner, Pink
King, that day held off United, Originaire, and Proud Pedro by lower than 1
size on the road. Two of his three victories have come at Santa Anita, and
a type of was on the down the hill turf course going this distance. Whereas I
will look elsewhere for the winners’ circle this enhancing colt can definitely
be proper there in the long run.
#2 Originaire
– Ridden by Abel Cedillo and skilled by Jeff Mullins. As said above he
additionally simply missed final outing within the Del Mar Handicap. He has been very shut
not too long ago in graded stakes, as he simply missed nailing United on the wire at
Santa Anita in Might going 1 ¼ mile. He might be coming from method again, and his
situation has all the time been that he leaves himself simply an excessive amount of to do in the long run in
order to get the victory. Simply 3 wins in 19 begins, however has 10 finishes of twond
and threerd.
#3 United –
Ridden by Flavien Prat and skilled by Richard Mandella. United is extremely
constant as proven by his 6 wins, 4 seconds, and 1 third place end in 15
begins. He has received 3 of the final 4 races, and missed by a head attempting to get 4
in a row within the Del Mar Handicap. He’ll go off as the favourite on this race,
and rightfully so, nevertheless there’s sufficient on this subject to take a shot to beat
him. Previous to United successful 3 in a row, he hadn’t received for a 12 months. This horse
ought to completely be revered, however given the seemingly brief worth I’ll attempt to
beat this one.
#4 One other
Thriller – Ridden by Drayden Van Dyke and skilled by Michael Mccarthy. He’s
1-5 in 2020, and is in fairly deep waters right here on this race. It is a good
turf horse, however definitely must be racing at a degree nearer to his liking.
His final victory was in January at Fairgrounds towards a lot weaker competitors.
Since then he hasn’t actually competed in any of the 4 losses following that. All
these races had been towards higher competitors.
#5 Salvator
Mundi – Ridden by Umberto Rispoli and skilled by Phil D’Amato. D’amato
claimed this in late 2019, and had 2 races with him that weren’t superb.
Because the lay-off and coming again with D’Amato after having time to work this
gelding this horse has regarded fully totally different. He was victorious in his
first 2020 begin off of a 8 month layoff. He returned off that race to complete
second by a half a size, after which received the following begin. In every of these three
begins his figures improved each time. Jockey Umberto Rispoli chooses to remain
aboard, and whereas this can be a soar at school I imagine this horse is catching a
softer subject then it seems on paper.
#6 Kazan –
Ridden by Tiago Pereira and skilled by Javier Sierra. There’s a lot to dislike
about this horse to make certain. This spot, whereas not the hardest, is an excessive amount of
for this horse to have the ability to deal with. He’ll seemingly be the longest shot on the
board, and it’s effectively deserved. Final outing towards a lot weaker he was solely
in a position to end 8th in a subject of 11. He additionally has by no means tried this
distance previous to this begin, and simply has an excessive amount of working towards him in
right here.
#7 Subsequent
Shares – Ridden by Luis Saez and skilled by Richard Baltas. Whereas Subsequent
Shares will seemingly be one of many betting favorites this horse has method too many
query marks for me to place any belief into. 2020 has not been variety to this
one, as he’s 0-5 with simply 1 second and 1 third place end. Whereas these had been
towards powerful competitors it does seem that this 7 12 months previous has taken a step
again in kind this 12 months. He has simply 2 wins in his previous 13 begins, and they’re
stretching him out to the 1 and ¼ mile. He hasn’t been in a position to hit the board
but in a race at this distance. I’m not positive that modifications on this race both.
#8 Oscar Dominguez – Ridden by Jose Valdivia and skilled by Richard Baltas. That is the opposite Richard Baltas trainee on this race, and like Subsequent Shares, he’s additionally 7 years previous and it seems that time is catching as much as this one as effectively. Up to now in 2020 he has 4 begins with 0 wins and a pair of third place finishes. He has simply 2 wins within the final 12 begins, and has actually lacked the late kick we had been accustomed to seeing in years previous. He might be sitting final, or close to final and hoping to make one good run, however as of late these runs have fallen effectively brief of what’s going to be wanted right here.
The picks:
1: #5 Salvator Mundi
2: #3 United
3: #1 Proud Pedro
4: #2 Originaire
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