Sunday Racing Picks: Grade 3 Astra Stakes
We head out to the West Coast to Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California for the $100,000 Grade 3 Astra Stakes for 4-year-olds and up fillies & mares over 1 ½ miles on the downhill turf course.
The field of 7 will go to gate for race 6 on the 8-race card with an approximate post time of 6:07 p.m. ET.
#2, Tiny Tina, Flavien Prat, 9-5
Tiny Tina is winless in four starts since she won an optional claimer at 1 1/8 miles on turf here May 27 for her third straight win. Since then, she has raced in three graded stakes races in her last four starts, including a runner-up finish by a nose as stablemate Mirth beat him to the finish line in the Grade 3 Robert Frankel Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf here on Dec. 28. Flavien Prat was aboard Tiny Tina for her last win in May and returns to the mount today for trainer Philip D’Amato. This is a huge positive. The pick.
#5, Siberian Iris (IRE), Rafael Bejarano, 5-2
He has two wins in his last seven starts including a stretch rally triumph in the CTT and TOC Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 16 two starts back. He was fifth, trailing by 10 lengths at the top of the stretch before winning by a mere nose. In his last start right after the win, he finished fourth in the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stake at Santa Anita on Sept. 28. He has never run this distance before and that is a concern. Rafael Bejarano is aboard for trainer Richard Mandella. Siberian Iris (IRE) has the experience and can feed off some of his past performances, but will he take to the distance. We shall see. Runner-up.
#1, Lostintranzlation, Joel Rosario, 4-1
His last four races have been at Del Mar, including his last, a seventh-place finish in the Grade 3 Red Carpet Handicap on Nov. 30. Previously he had raced at Santa Anita for six straight, compiling a 2-1-1 record during that stretch. Joel Rosario is in the saddle for trainer Richard Baltas. He should take to the track rather nicely and could be due for his first win since July 21. Contender.
#3, Blue Diva, Abel Cedillo, 4-1
Enters today’s race with five straight starts at Golden Gate Fields with two straight victories, including the Miss America Stakes in his last start on Dec. 15. This will be his first career race at Santa Anita. Abel Cedillo has the mount for trainer Ari Herbertson. In the mix.
PICKS: 2-5-1-3