May 31, 2025

Jeff Siegel’s “What You Need to Know”
Saturday, May 31 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: 3-Yacowlef; 1-Hurricane Cloud (GB)
Backups: none.

Forecast: Yacowlef (Ire) seeks his fourth straight win and based on his recent speed figures it doesn’t look like he will lose anytime soon. The Irish-bred gelding scored over this course and distance two runs back and is equally effective sprinting or routing,. Hurricane Cloud (GB) was a close third behind our top pick two races back and looms the one to fear most. He’s guaranteed a ground saving trip from the rail and should fire another good shot, though based on numbers he has some ground to make up.

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Santa Anita Race 2: Post: 1:32 PT Grade: C+
Main Ticket: 4-Naftis; 5-Whiskeyinateacup
Backups: 2-Uplift.

Forecast: Naftis plummets in class seeking his proper level and in this $5,000 claiming league he may have found it. He’s the favorite by default and won’t offer any real value at 6/5 on the morning line, but if it’s not him, then who? Whiskeyinateacup shows the blinkers off angle so maybe he’ll improve.

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Santa Anita Race 3: Post: 2:05 PT Grade: C
Main Ticket: 3-Ole Silver; 1-Tiergarten
Backups: none.

Forecast: It’s anybody’s guess what condition Ole Silver is in. The veteran mare, once a legitimate allowance performer, finished far back in her recent comeback and today is being tossed in the scrap heap for $8,000. Maybe her past class will carry her through, though at 9/5 on the morning line it may not be worth finding out. Tiergarten is a fit at this level but she’s a one-paced grinder and not really one to trust. Tread lightly.

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Santa Anita Race 4: Post: 2:36 PT Grade: B
Main Ticket: 4-Jimmy Blue Jeans; 2-Flyover.
Backups: none.

Forecast: Jimmy Bue Jeans takes another class drop – he’s being thrown away for $20,000 – so you have to be concerned about his current condition. But based on his recent numbers he remains more than fast enough to win at this allowance optional claiming level and when the purse is $61,000 this placement makes sense on a monetary level. Flyover won at first asking in clever fashion, but his number was average and today he tackles much more seasoned foes while stretching out after just one sprint. He could be a decent sort, but he’d better be.

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Santa Anita Race 5: Post: 3:06 PT Grade: C
Main Ticket: 7-Power Play; 3-Toppers At Seaside.
Backups: none.

Forecast: There’s nothing to trust in this maiden $20,000 main track miler, so you probably should include as many as your budget allows. We’ll try to survive and advance using just two. Power Play shows up for a tag for the first time while adding blinkers, so there are at least a couple of reasons to expect improvement. Though unplaced in each of his four starts to date, the son of Authentic has numbers that are good enough to beat this field. Toppers At Seaside may be the controlling speed and if gifted that trip could take this field a long way.

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Santa Anita Race 6: Post: 3:38 PT Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 8-Big Mama Sue; 7-Vincero Grande
Backups: 2-Ultimate Hy.

Forecast: Big Mama Sue is a four time winner over the local lawn and with any kind of help up front should be able to produce another winning late kick. Vincero Grande, on the other hand, is winless in eight starts locally but she’s been facing better company and has earned speed figures that make her a solid fit at this level. Best advice is to spread as deeply as you can afford to.

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Santa Anita Race 7: Post: 4:08 PT Grade: A
Main Ticket: 2-Nysos
Backups: none.

Forecast: Nysos ran too good to lose (and was probably best) when a dead-heat second in the Churchill Downs S.-G1 on Derby Day and has breezed in superior fashion over the local main track since returning to his home base. We’re expecting an even better performance in this softer spot by the brilliantly talented son of Nyquist. He’s 3/5 on the morning line and it wouldn’t be hyperbole to say he’d be an overlay at that price.

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Santa Anita Race 8: Post: 4:38 PT Grade: B
Main Ticket: 3-Frog; 4-Infinity Dream.
Backups: 2-Cloudy Women.

Forecast: Frog is improving with every start according to her speed figures and may be ready to graduate in this maiden $50,000 turf sprint for fillies and mares. She projects to be a strong pace factor from start to finish. Infinity Dream finished a nose ahead of our top pick when second last time out after stepping forward off a useful debut effort and is another with every right to continue her improving pattern. These two are hard to separate and both should be included on the top line.

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Santa Anita Race 9: Post: 5:08 PT Grade: B+
Main Ticket: 3-Grazen Sun
Backups: 6-Major Tom.

Forecast: Grazen Sun hits hard at this starter’s allowance level and has always had a winning spirit, except at Santa Anita, where he is zero-for-seven in his career. Everywhere else, he’s seven-for-26. Second vs. similar last time out, the veteran gelding catches a field without much speed and in fact looks very much like the quickest in the field. If he can clear early without undue pressure, he should never look back.

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Santa Anita Race 10: Post: 5:38 PT Grade: B
Main Ticket: 2-Quick Brown Fox; 4-Lovely Idaho.
Backups: none.

Forecast: Quick Brown Fox is back sprinting while returning to turf. On the flat grass course the daughter of Justify broke her maiden in fine style two races back. She has the proper stalking tyle for the Hill and should be able to produce a major effort. Lovely Idaho just won a state-bred first level allowance sprint over this downhill turf course and today tackles tougher open company. On numbers, she should be competitive right back.

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Jeff Siegel’s “What You Need to Know” for Santa Anita – Saturday, May 31, 2025