Longshot of the Day

SUNDAY, APRIL 28

Track: Santa Anita

Race 9: $54K MSW going 6 furlongs on turf for 3-5-year-old fillies and mares

Post Time: 8:08 PM ET

Horse: #10 Charm Your World (6/1 morning line) use as a win bet at 5/1 or higher

Trainer Michael McCarthy has two very legitimate horses entered in the Sunday finale at Santa Anta as favorite #8 Disposition (3/1) faded late in debut but earned a strong 72 Beyer Speed Figure, but it was on the dirt. Now the daughter of Palace Malice is going to the grass, but her dam (Dazzler) has yet to produce a turf winner in six career starts. McCarthy’s other main contender, #1 Hearth of the Night (5/1), is second back from nearly a one-year layoff and is certainly worthy of consideration but will be pinned up against the rail and still might need one more race to get back to full conditioning. With that said, there are a pair of 6/1 first timers who intrigue me. Charm Your World for trainer Ronald McAnally is the full sister to Rock Your World who was the Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner in 2021, but who won his first two career races on the turf. She is also the full-sister to She’s Our Charm who was a three-time turf winner for McAnally and that horse finished third in debut at five furlongs before breaking her maiden second time out. Clearly this combination of Candy Ride and Charm the Maker has turned out well in terms of leading to precocious offspring who like the grass. Charm Your World has been working nicely since late February. I love that she draws post #10 in an 11-horse field. I prefer first-time starters not draw near the rail, but I do worry about the extremely outside post since inexperienced horses can often run toward open space and break out to their right in sprints. The fact she has someone to her outside should ensure she stays to task while having the benefit of gauging the early pace. The other debut runner who is interesting is #6 Wimberly (6/1) who is the first foals out of Dream Tree who was three-time graded stakes winner including the Starlet (G1). She is sired by Curlin, so she might end up wanting to go longer, but Dream Tree has plenty of sprint influence to think that she has the quickness to excel first time out. She’s been alternating work over dirt and synthetic for trainer John Sadler and gets Juan Hernandez on the mount. If any jockey in California can get a horse to show early speed, it is Hernandez. Both horses offer some things to like in debut.

MONDAY, APRIL 29

Track: Parx Racecourse

Race 5: $10K maiden claimer going 6 ½ furlongs on dirt for 3YO fillies

Post Time: 2:28 PM ET

Horse: #4 Driven to Success (8/1 morning line) use as a win bet at 6/1 or higher

There are few angles I rely on more than equipment changes in maiden claiming races. Commonly referred to as “the kitchen sink” approach, trainers will regularly make all sorts of changes while dropping a horse down in class just to get that first victory. On Monday we have a race at Parx where none of the horse have shown much to this point as morning line favorite #8 Steal the Deal (5/2) for trainer Butch Reid is coming off three straight maiden claiming $25,000 races that she lost by a combined 25 ½ lengths. Perhaps the class drop will be a help and Reid is certainly a top trainer at Parx. However, I am willing to take a shot with Driven to Success who is getting the blinkers added while also getting a seven-pound weight allowance using apprentice Matilda Burham who had been riding at Turfway Park and Horseshoe Indianapolis. Getting the horse to flash more early speed would be a big advantage in the race and the blinkers move is one that has been successful for trainer Edward Coletti Jr. in the past as he is winning 12% of starts against maiden claiming company over the last five years when adding blinkers for the first time. Note the race back on February 14 where she was sprinting six furlongs and closed like a rocket behind a modest pace and just missed out for the win while out finishing #1 Rock Tune (5/1). If this daughter of Uptowncharlybrown can not be so far behind the pace early, then she has a strong enough kick to make a move at the top of the stretch. In a race where nobody is overwhelming, she presents a good opportunity for value with the equipment change and weight allowance while taking a very slight drop in class.