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Big Races at SA Could Determine Many of the EOY Awards

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12/26/22

Santa has come and gone, so it’s Boxing Day and a wish list of Grades Stakes racing at The Great Race Place.  Here are the six big races set for Monday!
 

  10  SA    Mathis Brothers Mile (GII)
$200.000   3YO     1m  Turf      122lbs +penalties

1
   Singing Strings    TwinTowersRacing    Gonzalez Ru   122   10/1  
2
   Cascade King    Nakamura Stables    Hernandez R M   124      6/1  
3
   Penal Hockey Party    Maxmillion Farm    Cedillo A   122     5/2  
4
   Mickey    South Shore Stables    Gutierrez Mario   126   3/1  
5
   Lantern Yard    Avenue Z    Silvera Ru   122   7/2  

South Shore Stables seems to have Mickey in fine form, so they are making the most of it, bringing him back on short rest and with 126lbs for the Mathis Brothers Mile (GII).  I’m going to take Penal Hockey Party on the come back from BC Day where he was seventh, but only three lengths back.  I think he can bounce back to get it done here.  Let’s put Lantern Yard under that one in the exacta, as he’s been close in a number of recent races, but hasn’t seen the winner’s circle in quite some time.     

 COZMAN Picks  3 / 5           Willie’s Green Card    4 / 5

  11  SA    San Antonio Stakes (GII)
$200.000   3YO&UP     1 1/16m  Dirt      3YO 122lbs  Older 124lbs +penalties

1
   Spiral    Pan Farms    Van Dyke D   124   10/1  
2
   Gigabyte    Smokey Stover    Cedillo A   122   7/2  
3
   Ey Mon    Arindel    Gonzalez Ru   122   8/1  
4
   Lion Lake    Night Rider Stables    Smith M E   124   9/2  
5
   Dime Defense    Asgar    Silvera Ru   124   7/2  
6
   Hand Cannon    Fractious    Baird E T   122   5/1  
7
   Real One    Nakamura Stables    Vazquez R A   124   6/1  
8
   Ags Cherokee    RNP Stables    Maldonado E   124   9/2  
9
   Positive Id    Gdp Inc    Ferrer J C   122   4/1  
10
   A Born Dancer    Maxmillion Farm    Moran D   124   10/1  
11
   Ocean Of Wisdom    Nakamura Stables    Hernandez R M   122   8/1  
12
   Saturday Khartoum    Rousee    Gutierrez Mario   124   10/1

A nice group of handicap types will be headed to the gate for the San Antonio Stakes (GII) and I’m going to take a flyer on Hand Cannon in this one.  He doesn’t have the resume’ of many of these, in fact he was claimed for $32.000 four races back, but he’s been tough and I look for him to be a horse on the improve today.  Gigabyte hasn’t won in quite a while and may be sitting on a big effort.  He was fourth on BC Day and has been close in a number of graded races.  This race could go any number of ways and nothing will surprise me here. 

 COZMAN Picks  6 / 2          Willie’s Green Card     2 / 7 / 9

  12  SA    San Gabriel Stakes (GII)
$200.000   3YO&UP     1 1/8m  Turf      3YO 122lbs  Older 124lbs +penalties

1
   Letters By The Bay    Wood Duck Stables    Cedillo A   122   10/1
2
   Never Met Me    RNP Stables    Ferrer J C   124   10/1
3
   By The Night O Bay    Oval Express Farms    Silvera Ru   124   8/1
4
   Elite Fire    High Voltage    Rispoli U   122   7/2
5
   Jakarta    Nakamura Stables    Hernandez R M   124   7/2
6
   B N Broadway    Choppy Inc.    Maldonado E   124   7/1
7
   Mr Scratch    Nakamura Stables    Vazquez R A   124   9/2
8
   Last Way To The Beac    Maxmillion Farm    Gonzalez Ru   124   9/2
9
   Raj The Magician    Night Rider Stables    Espinoza V   124   7/1

The San Gabriel Stakes (GII) looks like a wide open affair and I really don’t know where to hang my had in this one.  I’ll give Jakarta the slight edge, even though the grey is still looking for his first win of the season.  If he can repeat his last out Seabiscuit (GII) effort, maybe.  I’ll give Elite Fire the nod for the second spot, showing nine on-the-board efforts this season.  He was second in his last two starts, so… why not?  Remember that Raj The Magician kicks me every single time I don’t pick him.  

 COZMAN Picks  5 / 4          Willie’s Green Card     4 / 5 / 9

  13  SA    Malibu Stakes (GI)
$300.000   3YO      7f Dirt     122lbs

1
   Training Wheels    Gdp Inc    Boulanger G   122   7/2  
2
   Uranus    Smokey Stover    Maldonado E   122   10/1  
3
   Battle City    Night Rider Stables    Leparoux J R   122   8/1  
4
   Electile Dysfunction    TwinTowersRacing    Bridgmohan S X   122   7/1  
5
   Aladdins Genie    Mb Stables    Gonzalez Ru   122   4/1  
6
   King Pigeon    Delta Farms    Silvera Ru   122   6/1  
7
   Individuation    Mb Stables    Hernandez R M   122   7/2  
8
   Iron Mine    Fractious    Van Dyke D   122   8/1  
9
   Rogue Commando    Mb Stables    Cedillo A   122   6/1  
10
   Crypto    Maxmillion Farm    Vazquez R A   122   5/1  
11
   Crush Rush    LionKing Stables    Morales P   122   6/1

The Malibu (GI) is always a great race, but man oh man does it have some intrigue this year!!  The big barn, Mb Stables, drops Individuation down in distance to make this one a VERY interesting race.  In case you’ve been living under a rock, he’s won six of ten starts including The BC Classic (GI).  A bit of a bounce when seventh in the Clark (GI) at CD, last out, but you have to think he will bounce back today.  So who do we put on the bottom of this one?  Can Training Wheels move to the main track and keep his form going?  Does Rogue Commando shake off the bad BC Day race and get back in form, and a similar for Crypto?  It’s going to be a good one!       

 COZMAN Picks  7          Willie’s Green Card     7 / 4

  14  SA    La Brea Stakes (GI)
$300.000   3YOF      7f Dirt     122lbs

1
   Main Flirt    Mb Stables    Hernandez R M   122   9/2  
2
   State Star    Smokey Stover    Van Dyke D   122   8/1  
3
   Lorient    TwinTowersRacing    Bridgmohan S X   122   12/1  
4
   Curlina    Arindel    Ferrer J C   122   6/1  
5
   Eggy    Gdp Inc    Vazquez R A   122   8/1  
6
   Paris Broadway    Arindel    Moran D   122   10/1  
7
   Queen Mother    Wood Duck Stables    Cedillo A   122   5/1  
8
   Theres No Doubt    Angelos Stable    Silvera Ru   122   8/1  
9
   Jinxed Artist    Smokey Stover    Baird E T   122   6/1  
10
   Oceanus    Wood Duck Stables    Garcia Mar   122   8/5  
11
   Chatta Code    Ace Racing Stable    Maldonado E   122   8/1

We can’t this day go without a big field of females and the La Brea Stakes (GI) certainly doesn’t disappoint.  Can you get past Oceanus in this one?  I certainly cannot… five wins from six starts including that big win on BC Day.  She’s the real deal and I think she will be the HEAVY favorite here today.  I like Queen Mother a little bit and Main Flirt has faced a plethora of major talent.  I’ll put all of my eggs in one basket and will just watch the big filly, hoping that she rolls to another big win. 

 COZMAN Picks  10         Willie’s Green Card     10 / 4 / 7

  15  SA    American Oaks (GI)
$300.000   3YOF      1 1/4m Turf     122lbs

1
   Stayinschoolrene    Rock Creek    Hernandez R M   122   10/1
2
   Tessas Star    Glorify Stables    Ferrer J C   122   8/1
3
   Toxins    London Racing    Prat F   122   9/2
4
   Perfect Class    Sccj Stables    Gutierrez Mario   122   9/5
5
   Lousiana Woo    Invicta Group Llc    Alvarado J   122   6/1
6
   The Intouchables    Smokey Stover    Cedillo A   122   5/1
7
   Lady Hilltopper    Black N Gold Stable    Vazquez R A   122   6/1
8
   Ace Queen    Ace Racing Stable    Rispoli U   122   8/1
9
   Wander    Mb Stables    Silvera Ru   122   9/2

3YO fillies will be going the classic mile and a quarter distance in the American Oaks (GI), and again, I’m locked in on a single as Perfect Class looks to keep her hot hand going off of her big win in the BC FM Turf (GI) at KEE.  She’s won six of eight, including five in a row coming into today.  Sccj Stables has the gray hitting on all cylinders and I certainly wouldn’t bet against her.  Toxins looks like a threat, along with Wander, so it should be another great race! 
 

 COZMAN Picks  4         Willie’s Green Card     4 / 7 / 9

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