Sunday's Racing Picks: Sweet Life Stakes
Sweet Life Stakes - PICKS:Â 2-6-3-5
A double-bonus analysis today as we also head to Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California for the $100,000 Grade 3 Sweet Life Stakes for 3-year-old fillies over 5 ½ furlongs on the turf. The field of 7 will go to gate for race 7 on the 8-race card with an approximate post time of 6:30 p.m. ET.
#2, Blue Sky Baby, Flavien Prat, 5-1 - This will be her fourth career starts at Santa Anita (1-0-1) as she comes off a fourth-place finish in an allowance optional claiming race here on Jan. 31. A start prior, she finished third in the Blue Norther Stakes on Dec. 29 and won her debut in a maiden special weight on Oct. 19. Flavien Prat returns to the mount since he rode the debut win and that’s a huge positive for trainer Philip D’Amato. I like the chances at a good price. The pick.
#6, Laura’s Light, Abel Cedillo, 6-5 - She has won two of her last three starts including a win in the Blue Norther Stakes here in her last on Dec. 29. A start prior, she finished a runner-up at 25-1 by 2 ¾ lengths to Alms in the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante Stakes at Del Mar on Nov. 30. The Grade 2 performance should help her here, but I like the upset. She is a good one though. Runner-up.
#3, Orquidias Biz, Mike Smith, 6-1 - She has raced in two straight stakes races, including a fourth-place finish in her last in the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes here on Jan. 5. A start prior, she finished runner-up to Leucothea by 3 ½ lengths in the Desi Arnaz Stakes at Del Mar on Nov. 10 as the fifth choice in a field of six at 16-1. Will always be dangerous with Mike Smith aboard, who returns back in the saddle since the second-place finish in the Desi Arnaz for trainer Jeff Mullins. Contender.
#5, Lighthouse, Drayden Van Dyke, 5-1 - This will be her third start at Santa Anita and fourth overall (1-0-1), including a seventh-place finish in the Blue Norther Stakes in her last on Dec. 29. She has had a nice layoff and looks to return to her form two starts back when she won a maiden special weight race at Del Mar by 1 ¼ lengths as the third choice. Drayden Van Dyke is back aboard again for trainer Simon Callaghan. In the mix.
By Lou Monaco