Distaff

[jimbo66]

Frank,

Will agree to disagree on this one and I am sure we will both bet accordingly.

I think if Stellar Wind and Beholder were running in the races that Songbird was in this year, they would look like freaks too.  

Sacrilegious for me to take the 3rd fastest horse at 4-5 or lower.  No matter what happens.

The question for me is whether to press Stellar Wind or Beholder.  I have heard the excuses for Beholder last 2 races, she doesn\'t like to be on the lead, wants a target, etc.etc.  So, instead of a softish lead like her last two, she is better off stalking an undefeated SongBird, putting her away and THEN having to hold off Stellar Wind.  STellar Wind sort of looks like the \"now\" horse.

Jim

[Flighted Iron]

Disagree about the \"running them off their feet\" part. With her last figure and how she drew i believe she\'ll be rather tough. She duplicates her last figure plus the pull in weight makes her tough. I think the question to be answered( for me at least) what will she do when she\'s joined by not 1 but 2 mares who won\'t go away in the lane? Far from a 1 horse race imo and probably no real value in the race. Prediction? Scintillation!

 Best of handicapping,
 
  Flighted

[SteveB]

The top 3 have a combined record at Santa Anita of 25 22-3-0. Stellar Wind and Beholder have each beaten each other once at Santa Anita. Beholder\'s other loss at Santa Anita was to Renee\'s Titan in 2013 at 6 1/2 furlongs.

Just an amazing stat whether relevant to today\'s outcome or not.

[mjellish]

The more I look at this race the more I can see an absolute pace meltdown.  Songbird is going to have to send from the rail.  Beholder and Curalina shouldn\'t be far off, I\'m A Chatterbox could also show speed in this spot.  Really seems to set up for Stellar Wind and Forever Unbridled to come running late.  

Forever would need a top here, but it\'s not impossible to see her running one under what should be an ideal set up if she handles the East/West ship, and I think she will be forgotten in the wagering.  May have more value underneath than on top.  

I\'m not a big fan of that big fig Stellar Wind ran a month ago.  That\'s a very big number for filly and it would be tough to imagine it not having some type of effect on her, otherwise I would LOVE her in this spot.  But she seems to be training very well.  If she is able to repeat that last number and gets the trip I am thinking she is going to get sitting behind the pace and letting Beholder, Curalina & or Chatter do the work on Songbird, she is going to be very tough to beat.

I may be acting stubborn here, but I\'m not going to play Songbird at all in this spot.  She very well may be \"All That\" and make me pay.  But this field is a whole different kettle of fish than what she has been running against.  I think the race/pace dynamics will work against her, and she may bounce off her last effort.  I\'m tossing her from the top spot in the verticals and I won\'t use her in the horizontals.  If she beats me, she beats me.

[Silver Charm]

The entire scenario you just described wreaks of a classic Dallas Stewart setup and theft at a price.

[touchgold]

marathon horse that just shipped in won....one race, but, worth noting

[Wrongly]

What\'s worth noting is how fast this track is!

[TGJB]

I pulled that guy\'s two previous SA runners. Both in the Marathon, both ran well. I didn\'t bet against this one.

Other shippers in that race did not run well. Horses that ran 2-3 lost ground to the winner all 3 turns.

[big18741]

Forever Unbridled at 16-1 worth a small stab to finally break thru that string of zero\'s.

Her Beldame win looked like a paid workout.