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Top Choice Season Statistics :
18 selections – 4 wins (22.2%) $2 Win bet ROI $1.62 (-$0.38)
Best Bet: Calese in race 5
Race 1 – 12:45pm (PST) 4yr old &up Mcl 16000 6 furlongs All-Weather (Selections: 3-4)
Top Choice: (3) Creedance figures to improve on the synthetic being by Jimmy Creed out of an Artie Schiller mare. He faces much easier here in what looks to be a pretty weak maiden $16k dash. Trainer Brinkerhoff doesn’t get a lot of credit but has traditionally done well with maiden claimers (12%) mostly on the S. Cal circuit. Looking to kick the card off with a bang at boxcar odds.
Backup: (4) Winter Fog looks well spotted here after close up efforts at or around this level. Has great tactical speed. McLean/Hernandez combo hitting 10/43 (23.3%) since 2019. Two solid workouts in preparation. Exits heat that saw Polar (1st) return to win at Los Alamitos in a 6250n2x. Solid for all placings.
Race 2 – 1:15pm (PST) 4yr old &up Clm 8000b 5-1/2 furlongs All-Weather (Selections: 3-2)
Top Choice: (3) Aalsmeer is now 9 years old but can still flash back to his days of glory now and then. He’s been chasing some rather quick paces as of late and could very well find himself on the lead today. Nothing like a soft lead to reverse form. Loves this course and trip. Live.
Backup: (2) Aotearoa gets a much softer spot here dropping down to conditioned claimers. The Wong/Hernandez combo won 5/12 (41.7%) in 2019. Should be storming from off the pace.
Race 3 – 1:45pm (PST) 4yr old & up Clm 12500n2L 6 furlongs All-Weather (Selections: 4-5)
Top Choice: (4) Daddy Jones drops to conditioned claimers from the starter allowance ranks and can really storm home. This looks like his best surface and distance. Delia/Martinez combo 38/190 (20.0%) since 2019. Gets our backing here at a short price.
Backup: (5) Coil to Strike was only 2-1/4 behind second place in his last effort when the winner ran off to win by 5 lengths. He has some back class as well as above average early speed. I think he could surprise at a price.
Race 4 – 2:15pm (PST) 4yr old &up F&M OClm20000 1-1/16 miles All-Weather (Selections: 2-1)
Top Choice: (2) Gratzie (GB) comes back to a winning level after finding herself last at the top of the stretch in a race with no pace. Despite that setup she rallied strongly to participate in a blanket finish missing the win by 2 lengths. That race has since produced two winners, An Eddie Surprise (7th) came back to win a first level allowance last weekend at SA and Hurley (5th) came back to win a clm20000n2x at GG. Badilla/Antongeorgi were 4/21 (19.0%) in 2019. Big shot here.
Backup: (1) Fabriana is a little filly who just likes to win races, especially on the GG tapeta where she boasts 6 wins from 13 starts. I trust Tamayo has her ready of the short break with only two workouts and the ever potent Tamayo/Hernandez combo 19/50 (38.0%) since 2019 is in her corner.
Race 5 – 2:45pm (PST) 3yr old Fillies Mcl 8000 5 furlongs All-Weather (Selections: 3-2)
Top Choice: (3) Calese hasn’t missed a beat in preparation for her synthetic debut, sporting a steady string of works since late November. Bob Hess Sr. does very well with the S. Cal invaders coming to GG scoring 20% of the time. Breeding suggests she’ll likely move up on this surface switch and cut back to sprinting. Will storm over the top for the win as our best bet of the card.
Backup: (2) Baby Hang On looked like a winner in mid-stretch when Bayonce stopped and she blew past, but she got run down herself thereafter. Sports a nice 3f drill in preparation and should be stalking and ready to pounce at today’s shorter distance. Rondan has his “A” rider Martinez in the irons here. Live for it all.
Race 6 – 3:15pm (PST) 4yr old &up Clm 12500n2L 1 mile All-Weather (Selections: 3-4)
Top Choice: (3) Missed the Boat has been a different horse since switching to the synthetic. Has jumped up in class 3x since coming to GG and placed in each event. Will find a similar stalking trip here. Retains Gonzalez and Markle does very well with route horses. Good chance at good odds.
Backup: (4) Captain Red loves this trip and surface. Has placed 2nd each time when running at this level. Delia/Martinez combo off to a roaring start in 2020 2/3 (66.6%). Logical contender.
Race 7 – 3:45pm (PST) 3yr old Fillies MdnSpWt 5-1/2 furlongs All-Weather (Selections: 6-4)
Top Choice: (6) Zakar has steadily worked on a 7 day interval since Nov 1st in preparation for this. She is a high priced yearling for Tommy Town Thoroughbreds, who comes from a strong female family. Into Mischief needs no further recommendation as a sire. Live first time starter.
Backup: (4) Mime also comes from a very strong female family. She debuted last summer missing the runner up spot by a nose. Full sister Oh My Oh broke her maiden at the MSW level here last year. Strong CA bred could pick the pieces up late.
Race 8 – 4:15pm (PST) 4yr old &up F&M Alw31000n1x 6 furlongs All-Weather (Selections: 3-9)
Top Choice: (3) Sheza Factor comes to town after a solid Del Mar effort in November. Belvoir has done well with S. Cal shippers to GG in the past and this mare should move up with the switch from dirt to synthetics based on my breeding numbers. Bullet workout at SA on Jan 2nd signals readiness. Big upset chance.
Backup: (9) Promote (IRE) comes overseas from Great Britain for the Charles/Gordon/Badilla connections. This group has brought over several that won first out when shipping overseas to GG (Kynance (IRE), Left Alone (GB), Astolat (GB) and Gratzie (GB)). This one looks no different and must be respected.
Race 9 – 4:45pm (PST) 3yr olds Mcl 12500 6 furlongs All-Weather (Selections: 7-6)
Top Choice: (7) Sensational Rocket is hard to look past after breaking slow and falling back last early in his debut when the pace was a crawl. He then came home with an impressive stretch drive sectional time to only miss by 1-1/4 lengths. Second out improvement expected and nice 4 furlong drill on Jan 3rd. Love his sire’s, (Silent Name (JPN)), progeny on a synthetic or turf surface. Big chance to score here.
Backup: (6) Spider Rico debuted very nicely at SA in October when stalking early then forging to the lead in the stretch only to tire late. The next out going longer and up in class did not suit him and he returns sprinting. Breeding numbers say he should improve a bit on the synthetic and Genaro Vallejo used to be a terror here at GG back in 2012-2014 75/438 (17.1%) before he moved base to S California. Looks solid.