Giant Expectations to go the Extra Distance in the Santa Anita Handicap
00.30 Santa Anita, Santa Anita Handicap
The Santa Anita handicap has been won by many high profile horses like Seabiscuit, Affirmed, Alysheba and more recently Shared Belief and Game On Dude for Bob Baffert. This year’s race looks a poor renewal with no stand-out horses, with best of the bunch looking to be Accelerate who is a grade 2 winner that always seems to run his race, but 2/1 isn’t a great price so I’m tempted to chance Giant Expectations at 10/1.
Giant Expectations beat Accelerate along with Hoppertunity and Prime Attraction who also re-oppose today in the San Antonio Stakes her in December 2017. That race was over 1 mile and ½ a furlong and while many will argue that the step up to 10 furlongs will be against Giant Expectations, he has never raced over this far. He won the San Antonio pretty easily, finishing over 3 lengths in-front of Accelerate and is also a winner over 1 mile 1 ½ furlongs so the extra distance may be within his grasp.
Giant Expectations will most probably try to make all with Prime attraction looking the other pace runner, they have drawn in 4 and 1 respectively. A forecast sloppy track will not trouble Giant Expectations as he has won on a wet track before and this could also aid his suspect stamina if he gets an easy time on the lead on a slicker track.
Recommended bet
00.30 Santa Anita: Giant Expectations, 10/1
