Betting the Santa Ysabel on a Budget

Rainha Da Bateria, pictured winning the Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland, makes her dirt debut in Saturday's Santa Ysabel Stakes at Santa Anita Park. (Photo by Eclipse Sportswire)
The road to the Kentucky Oaks continues through Santa Anita Park this weekend with the Grade 3, $100,000 Santa Ysabel Stakes, which drew a field of nine 3-year-old fillies.
The 5-to-2 morning-line favorite for the 1 1/16-mile race is Curlin’s Fox, who comes into this race off a debut win going 6 ½ furlongs on the downhill turf course. Although this will be her first race on the dirt and her first try going around two turns, she has trained nicely on the dirt to suggest she should have no problem with the surface switch.
I found plenty of knocks on most of the field, so it’s a tough one to figure out for the top spot. For this race, I will focus on keying a horse in the top three spots and using four other horses to surround her in the trifecta.
I like 10-to-1 longshot Rainha Da Bateria. This filly seems to always fire with a good, closing kick but tends to find herself settling for the minor spots because of traffic trouble. Despite her running style and the trouble she’s encountered, Rainha Da Bateria has finished in the trifecta in 4 of 6 lifetime starts. This time, she’s facing a smaller field of eight challengers after competing in fields of 10-11-13 in her last three starts. This will be her first try on the dirt but if she can repeat her closing kick, I think she will be in the mix at the finish line.
To complete my trifecta play, I will use Enchanting Lady, Light the City, Rattataptap, and the previously mentioned Curlin’s Fox.
Enchanting Lady has demonstrated plenty of talent but has not been seen since her dominant performance in the Landaluce Stakes in June 2014. She proved she likes this racetrack, and trainer Bob Baffert does well with horses coming off a layoff.
Light the City showed a good, stalking style last time out when finishing second in the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes in her first try around two turns. She might sit a great trip behind the pacesetters.
Rattataptap has shown versatility by winning on the lead and by closing from the middle of the pack. This will be her first try at this distance, but she has the pedigree to enjoy the extra real estate.
Trifecta play on a Budget:
Rainha Da Bateria (5), Curlin’s Fox (2), Enchanting Lady (3), Light the City (6), Rattataptap (7) 
$1 trifecta (part wheel): 5 with 2,3,6,7 with 2,3,6,7 ($12)
$1 trifecta (part wheel): 2,3,6,7 with 5 with 2,3,6,7 ($12)
$1 trifecta (part wheel): 2,3,6,7 with 2,3,6,7 with 5 ($12)
Total wager = $36
$100,000 Santa Ysabel Stakes
Saturday, Santa Anita Park, Race 8, 7 p.m. ET
1 1/16 miles, dirt, 3-year-old fillies 

PP

Horse

Jockey

Trainer

Morning Line

Owner

1

Danette

Fernando Perez

Keith Desormeaux

20-1

Don't Tell My Wife Stables

2

Curlin's Fox

Mike Smith

Carla Gaines

5-2

Warren B. Williamson

3

Enchanting Lady

Martin Garcia

Bob Baffert

3-1

Kaleem Shah

4

Achiever's Legacy

Gary Stevens

Jerry Hollendorfer

15-1

Campbell, G., Cellucci, M., Horowitz, D., Robertson, R. et al

5

Rainha Da Bateria

Tiago Josue Pereira

Graham Motion

10-1

Three Chimneys Farm

6

Light the City

Kent Desormeaux

Jerry Hollendorfer

7-2

Cheyenne Stables

7

Rattataptap

Rafael Bejarano

Jeff Bonde

4-1

Mark DeDomenico LLC, Durant, Jerry and House, Michael
 

8

Stellar Wind

Victor Espinoza

John Sadler

12-1

Keswick Stables & Stonestreet
 

9

Glory

Drayden Van Dyke

Jerry Hollendorfer

6-1

Fox Hill Farms