Piassek's Plays: Santa Anita Stakes Selections

Gambling
Finding winners at ‘The Great Race Place.’ (Penelope P. Miller/America's Best Racing)

In his regular gambling blog, John Piassek presents his top picks for the upcoming weekend in horse racing, offering betting options at different budget levels. Piassek’s Plays is brought to you by Horseplayers.com, the official online qualifying site of the Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) and National Horseplayers Championship (NHC). Horseplayers.com offers low-cost feeders every day and BCBC and NHC qualifiers every weekend, and it’s the only site where you can qualify for the $1 million BCBC. It’s free to sign up – click here to get information about registering and how to enter contests.

Piassek has contributed to the horse racing sites The Racing Biz and Danonymous Racing and worked at Tioga Downs, Monmouth Park, and Saratoga Race Course. He joined America’s Best Racing in January 2021.


Saturday, March 5

Television schedule

Thursday, March 3: post time varies on TVG

Friday, March 4: 3 p.m.-6:30 p.m. on FS2; post time varies on TVG

Saturday, March 5: 4 p.m.-6 p.m. on CNBC 4:30 p.m.-7 p.m. on FS2; post time varies on TVG

Sunday, March 6: 3 p.m.-6:30 p.m. on FS2; post time varies on TVG

Santa Anita Park, Race 5, $200,000 Buena Vista Stakes, post time 5 p.m. ET

#2 Tony Ann: One of many graded stakes races on Santa Anita's loaded Saturday card, the Buena Vista features a field of 11 fillies and mares traveling one mile on the grass. Tony Ann will get her first big class test in here, as she makes her stakes debut for trainer Phil D'Amato with Umberto Rispoli in the saddle. Despite her lack of stakes experience, she's one of the fastest horses in the race. She's won three in a row in maiden special weight and allowance company in Southern California, running Brisnet figures in the 90s each time. Last out, in a second-level allowance optional claiming race at Santa Anita, she was pressured on the pace but dug in and held off a surging rival to win by a neck. There's a lot of speed in this race, but she's proven in the past that she doesn't have to have the early lead. Rispoli can tuck her in right off the early leaders and get an ideal stalking trip.

Strategy on a $10 Budget

$4 to win on 2

$3 exacta: 2 with 3, 6 ($6 total)

Strategy on a $25 Budget

$9 to win on 2

$4 exacta: 2 with 3, 6 ($8 total)

$1 trifecta: 2 with 3, 6 with 3, 4, 5, 6, 10 ($8 total)

Strategy on a $50 Budget

$18 to win on 2

$8 exacta: 2 with 3, 6 ($16 total)

$2 trifecta: 2 with 3, 6 with 3, 4, 5, 6, 10 ($16 total)

Santa Anita Park, Race 10, $500,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes, post time 7:30 p.m. ET

#4 Count Again: We'll try another D'Amato trainee in this one-mile Grade 1 contest. Count Again won the Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes in his last start, closing with a rush to win by a half-length in an exciting finish. That was his first race with Flavien Prat, one of California's top jockeys, in the saddle. Prat once again has the mount. Count Again's Thunder Road win was his first start in more than four months, but he still ran one of his career-best figures, earning a 94 on the Brisnet scale. Although he doesn't have much early speed, he has one of the best closing kicks in the field and will be rolling late.

Strategy on a $10 Budget

$7 to win on 4

$3 exacta: 4 with 8

Strategy on a $25 Budget

$15 to win on 4

$5 exacta: 4 with 7, 8 ($10 total)

Strategy on a $50 Budget

$30 to win on 4

$10 exacta: 4 with 7, 8 ($20 total)

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