Litfin At Large Looks at Santa Anita Park Opener

For horse players, the best holiday gift comes the day after Christmas, which is the traditional opening day of the winter meet at Santa Anita Park.

Highlighting the Boxing Day program are the La Brea and Malibu stakes, a pair of grade 1 seven-furlong races for 3-year-old fillies and 3-year-olds, respectively. They are the meat of a $1 million guaranteed all-stakes pick four, along with two grass stakes, the San Simeon (gr. IIIT) and the Mathis Brothers Mile (gr. IIT).

Let's go through the sequence in order:

San Simeon (race 6, 2:31 PT)

The 50th running of this down-the-hill dash drew a full field of 14, and for multi-race wagering purposes the best we can do is whittle it to eight. Our key contenders are He Will (#9), who makes his stakes debut in career-best form; and Holy Lute (#12), who has been freshened since a decent try in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (gr. IT).

In with solid chances are Stormy Liberal (#3), Acceptance (#6), Richard's Boy (#8) and Bettys Bambino (#11). The latter is 5 for 6 over the course, but hasn't been out in nearly two years.

Hobbits Hero (#2) could benefit from the cutback in distance. Ohio (#5) had some trouble behind Holy Lute in a division of the Eddie D in early autumn, and has won over this course fresh.

A – 9, 12

B – 3, 6, 8, 11

C – 2, 5

La Brea (race 7, 3:01 PT)

There are three options to my way of thinking, Lightstream (#2), Finley'sluckycharm (#3) and Constellation (#4).

The only two graded stakes wins in the field belong to the stretch-running Lightstream, who is 3-1-0 from four starts at the distance, including victories in the Raven Run (gr. II) and the Beaumont (gr. III).

Finley'sluckycharm is unbeaten in five sprints and looks like the main speed, but is unproven past six furlongs.

Constellation didn't bust any stopwatches winning off the bench first time for Jerry Hollendorfer, but she is grade 1-placed and figures to be tighter this time.

A – 2

B – 3, 4

Malibu (race 8, 3:31  PT)

Ten Blessings (#4) is making his stakes debut in a grade 1 for Bob Baffert, and the aggressive placement seems like a plus, considering he did the same thing earlier this year with Drefong in the King's Bishop (gr. I) and Arrogate in the Travers (gr. I). His first-level allowance victory on Breeders' Cup Friday was accomplished one full second faster than the Damascus Stakes three races later.

Mind Your Biscuits (#2) finished well in the TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I), and has worked bullets on both coasts since then.

Sharp Azteca (#7) has won four of his past five one-turn races, capped by a convincing score at Laurel Park over Hot Seat, who had won his first two outings by better than 20 lengths. The early scratch of Navy Hymn removes some early pace pressure, which is to his advantage.

Mor Spirit (#8) may need this, his first start since the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands(gr. I), but he has some class and has won or placed in all five tries over the track.

A – 4

B – 2, 7

C – 8

Mathis Brothers Mile (race 9, 4:01 PT)

Conquest Enforcer (#4) was sold as part of a dispersal for $785,000 at the Keeneland November sale. This is his first start for Phil D'Amato, and he appears ready to fire after some progressively faster works.

Dangerous on the turn-back are Blackjackcat (#2), Isotherm (#6) and Frank Conversation (#8), who exit the 1 1/8-mile Hollywood Derby (gr. IT).

Moonlight Drive (#3) is 2 for 2 over the course, but gets a class check after a hard-fought win in a second-level optional claimer.

A – 4

B – 2, 6, 8

C – 3