Santa Anita Stakes Preview for February 16th

A truly impressive edition of the $200,000 Santa Monica Stakes (G2) headlines Saturday’s card at Santa Anita. There are three grade 1 winners amongst the field of seven, as well as defending champion Selcourt. They go seven furlongs in the ninth race of the day.

#1 Paradise Woods (7-2) is returning off a seven-month break following a failed effort on the grass. She had been trained by Richard Mandella and under his care won the Santa Anita Oaks (G1) by 11 ¾ lengths in 2017. She was third in the grade 1 Beholder Mile last June, one of three 2018 starts. John Shirreffs takes over as trainer, Joel Rosario will ride.

#2 Selcourt (3-1) won three consecutive stakes races early last year, but was off from March to November. She was second over this course last out after a slow start, and has never been worse than third on this track.

#3 Marley’s Freedom (2-1) just lost out on being the Eclipse Champion Female Sprinter of 2018, but looks to make amends here. She won the Ballerina (G1) at Saratoga last August and is four for five since joining Bob Baffert’s barn. She has not run since December 1 but has two bullet workouts in the last three weeks.

#4 Dream Tree (4-1) is Baffert’s other entry; Mike Smith will ride. She was eighth as the favorite in the grade 1 La Brea on opening day; that was the first loss of her career. She is two for three over this course and a graded stakes winner from six furlongs to a mile.

#5 Mopotism (12-1) has finished top three in seven of eight starts here. She has run in nothing but stakes races since December 30, 2016, and dances every dance across the country. The Uncle Mo daughter is trained by Doug O’Neill. Her last win came in the La Canada (G2) here 13 months ago.

#6 Escape Clause (6-1) is a popular sort. She has won 19 of 28 starts, mostly in Western Canada, but put it all together here in this year’s version of the La Canada (G3) on January 12. She cuts back from two turns for this, but her last try at seven furlongs resulted in a nine length romp at Century Downs.

#7 Amuse rounds out the field but faces a tall order. Mandella trains this daughter of Medaglia d’Oro, who sports a record of two for four lifetime. She won here December 30 over 6 1/2 furlongs, but this will be her first try against stakes company.

The co-feature on the day is the $70,000 Wishing Well Stakes, run as race eight. A field of 12, with two also eligible runners, will sprint down the hillside turf course. #7 Belvoir Bay (5-2) won the Las Cienegas Stakes here last out, and has won five stakes on this course.