Jeff Siegel’s “What You Need to Know”
Sunday, June 1 2024
Santa Anita Park

Specifically designed for the rolling exotic player, Jeff Siegel’s “What You Need to Know” isolates those horses that should be included in daily doubles, pick-3s, pick-4s, pick-5s, and the pick-6.

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Grade Descriptions: Grade A=Highest degree of confidence; Grade B=Solid Play. Grade C=Least preferred or pass; Grade X=probable winner but likely at odds too short to play.

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Santa Anita Race 1: Post: 1:00 PT Grade: B
Main Ticket: 5-Beer Buzz
Backups: 7-Ya’ll Come.

Forecast: Beer Buzz shows two good races from two starts on his resume and looks ready to graduate in his third. Clearly capable on turf or dirt, the son of Stay Thirsty missed as the favorite in his last start but a similar effort today should be good enough to handle this moderate state-bred field at what projects to be a fairly short price.

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Santa Anita Race 2: Post: 1:32 PT Grade: C+
Main Ticket: 6-Not a Sinner (GB) ; 3-Miss Mandalay (GB)
Backups: none.

Forecast: Not a Sinner (GB) always has preferred to run second or third (10 times) rather than win (once) but from her cozy outside draw the English-bred filly should draft into an ideal stalking position and have every chance from there. Her best race can win it. Miss Mandalay (GB) switches to J. Hernandez and looks likely to inherit a good pace prompting trip. Against this group she should remain a strong factor to the wire.

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Santa Anita Race 3: Post: 2:05 PT Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 4-Kid Dynasty; 3-Thirty Two Chuck.
Backups: none.

Forecast: Kid Dynasty improved his Beyer speed figure by 18 points from his first to his second start and with another forward move today the T. Yakteen-trained sophomore should be ready to earn his diploma. The projected pace flow projects to be soft. Thirty Two Chunk didn’t appear cranked up in his debut and wound up a non-threatening sixth, but we suspect he’ll be much tighter today for a barn that has excellent stats with second time starters.

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Santa Anita Race 4: Post: 2:36 PT Grade: B
Main Ticket: 4-Carribean King ; 5-Western Avenue.
Backups: none.

Forecast: Caribbean King is a prototype late-running turf sprinter and gets ideal conditions for a major effort in this extended dash for restricted (nw-3) $30,000 older claimers. The recent J. Mullins claim (two races back) earned a career top number when a close fourth in a similar affair last month and even better can be anticipated today. Western Avenue has a prior win over the local lawn and returns to grass for his new connections. The son of American Pharoah should be prominent throughout.

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Santa Anita Race 5: Post: 3:06 PT Grade: C+
Main Ticket: 8-Whats the Buzz ; 3-Bazooka Charlie.
Backups: none.

Forecast: Whats the Buzz finished a solid runner-up in a similar low level maiden $12,500 sprint here last month and nothing more should be needed to earn his diploma. However, the barn is hard to have confidence in, so tread lightly. Bazooka Charlie plummets in class, removes blinkers, and switches to dirt for the first time. He’s gotten some action on the tote in both starts so perhaps he’s better than the form indicates.

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Santa Anita Race 6: Post: 3:38 PT Grade: B
Main Ticket: 6-Brigante.
Backups: 7-Mo Holland Drive; 5-Hey Nay Nay (Ire).

Forecast: Brigante has done some decent work in the morning on dirt according to the videos we’ve watched, so in a completely unclassified group of juveniles sprinting on turf we’ll give him the nod on top. As a son of More Than Ready, he’s bred to move on the lawn, and if he’s indeed better on this surface than the main track the D. O’Neill-trained colt should be tough to outrun.

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Santa Anita Race 7: Post: 4:08 PT Grade: X
Main Ticket: 2-Sweet Azteca
Backups: none.

Forecast: Sweet Azteca returns for new trainer R. Baltas and has trained like she’s retained all of her old speed. In a four runner field, she is sure to be odds-on and therefore offer no wagering value other than as a free bingo square in the various rolling exotics.

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Santa Anita Race 8: Post: 4:38 PT Grade: B+
Main Ticket: 3-It’s a Cinch.
Backups: none.

Forecast: It’s a Cinch was quite impressive breaking his maiden over this course and distance last fall and if he returns as well as he left the son of Om will be difficult to contain. The recent workouts should have him fit and ready and on pure numbers he’s simply much faster than the competition.

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Santa Anita Race 9: Post: 5:08 PT Grade: B+
Main Ticket: 4-Chasin Munny.
Backups: 5-Halo Rando; 2-Haywood.

Forecast: Chasin Munny gets off the rail today after finishing fourth in a similar affair and is better than that race makes him look. He’s back with “win rider” A, Fresu and with a bit of help up front might tag the speed close home.

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Santa Anita Race 10: Post: 5:38 PT Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 5-Bit’s Tiger Magic; 3-Big Celebration.
Backups: none.

Forecast: Bit’s Tiger Magic graduated by seven lengths a year ago April but then disappeared. She returns with a series of steady but not flashy workouts at San Luis Rey Downs, and who knows how she’ll handle the Hillside course, but if fit and ready the P. Miller-trained filly can win. Big Celebration seeks her third straight win with numbers that are okay, nothing great. She may not have to improve much to handle this tougher assignment and its possible she prefers dirt, but in her present form the S. Knapp-trained mare must be considered a player. Best advice is to spread as deeply as your budget allows.

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Jeff Siegel’s Blog: “What You Need to Know” for Santa Anita – Sunday, June 1, 2025