Ellis Starr’s Blog

California Cup Oaks - Race 6 at Santa Anita - Post Time 5:30 PM Eastern (2:30 Pacific) Closing Remarks won impressively and with maturity in her career debut in August, in a turf sprint then stretched out to stakes company the first week in October and ran very well when fourth of nine and just a nose from the third horse, who came back to win her next start. That was an “OPEN” (not restricted to statebreds) stakes, as compared to this race for Cal-Breds only. For her third career start she stepped up [...]

Race 8 at Gulfstream Park - Post Time 3:46 PM Eastern Grand Saman went to post at 7 to 2 in a race at this identical five furlong turf trip at Gulfstream last month and won easily under Zayas yet he’s 12/1 to start here. This veteran is 9 for 28 on grass, with EIGHT of those wins here on the Gulfstream Turf and at this distance. He was RECLAIMED by trainer Klesaris and owner Hibiscus Stables three back at Monmouth, those connections having lost him via the claim in February and having big [...]

Limehouse Stakes – Race 7 at Gulfstream Park - Post Time 3:11 PM Eastern I really like stakes races for two year olds in the fall and by the same token, for three year olds in the winter and this is one of them. In this race we get an eight horse field full of horses which have shown only a need-the-lead style. Young horses rarely change their styles, or perhaps I should say many trainers don’t know how to get horses to change their styles, so in this case there could be up [...]

American Oaks – Race 9 at Santa Anita - Post Time 6:17 PM Eastern (3:17 Pacific) Going to Vegas offers great value in a wide open race, opening at 8/1. The 3/1 morning line favorite is Sharing, who isn’t totally suspect and who must be used on most tickets involving this race such as exactas, trifectas, doubles and pick 3s. However, Gong to Vegas doesn’t have the same question marks Sharing has as that one hasn’t run farther than a mile and one-sixteenth while Going to Vegas just nearly won the Grade 3 Red [...]