Hello, my name is JOHN CHERWA and welcome to our horse racing newsletter as both Santa Anita and Golden Gate are on a three-day race week. A couple of news items before we get to some of the

usual features. --An attempt to stop the Oct. 29 hearing into Justify’s positive drug test after the 2018 Santa Anita Derby failed. A high-powered group of attorneys tried to stop the

hearing, but a judge refused. The positive test was for scopolamine, which is found in jimson weed. It is not considered a performance enhancer. The charges were originally dismissed by the

California Horse Racing Board, but MICK RUIS, owner and trainer of second-place finisher Bolt d’Oro, filed suit against the CHRB. As part of a settlement, in which the CHRB had to pay no

underhand position. Smith wrote: “It is contrary to our instincts and techniques, which in turn is impacting our balance and reaction time. We strongly believe that regulation is extremely

hazardous and has added an even greater risk and uncertainty to our profession.” For more on this and the complete text of the letter, catch this in the Paulick Report. Just click here.

SANTA ANITA PREVIEW Santa Anita’s Friday card continues its trend of being less than spectacular. The eight-race card starts at 1 p.m. Half the races are on the turf and half the races are

restricted to Cal-breds. The feature is the seventh for horses going six furlongs for $59,000. Microrithms is the 6-5 favorite for BOB BAFFERT and DRAYDEN VAN DYKE. He has won five of eighth

races, including his last three at the allowance level. Pyron is the second favorite at 4-1 for MARK GLATT and FLAVIEN PRAT. He is three-of-10 lifetime and is coming off an allowance win.

Here are the field sizes, in order: 7, 5, 9, 6, 6, 6, 7, 8. FRANK MIRAHMADI’S SA PICK FIFTH RACE: No. 4 Gypsy Spirit (3-1) In what looks to be an extremely competitive race on paper, Gypsy

Spirit has a legitimate chance to make it back-to-back wins. She has been highly regarded since just missing in her U.S. debut five months ago and put it all together last time with a

well-timed stretch kick. MONDAY’S RESULT: An overlay at 5-1, Little No Way ran a good race but was unable to catch odds-on favorite Colosi, coming up a half-length short when finishing

second, more than five lengths clear of the third-place finisher. _Frank Mirahmadi is the track announcer at Santa Anita Park._ CIARAN THORNTON’S SA PICK SIXTH RACE: No. 4 Debt Monger (8-1)

Debt Monger jumps up multiple classes for trainer STEVE MIYADI, first off the claim last out on the win. He does very well on this move with a big flat bet profit. Friday, he puts bug-boy

ALEXIS CENTENO on board with an 11-pound weight break. The strategy is simple to see — pop the gates and go gate-to-wire using that feathery weight break. Miyadi has quickly heated up at

this meet after a slow year in SoCal. He is winning 23%, 21% first off the claim, 20% claim repeat with big in the money percentages. This is what he excels at. This horse also loves Santa

Anita going 2-1 from four starts here. Toughest race on the card and I am hunting for value. MONDAY’S RESULT: Silent Mustketier settled nicely off the rally but couldn’t rally for anything

better than third. _Ciaran Thornton is the handicapper for Californiapick4.com, which offers daily full card picks, longshots of the day, best bets of the day._ GOLDEN GATE WEEKEND PREVIEW

Here’s our weekly look at the best racing going on at Golden Gate Fields. We’re delighted to have race caller and all-around good guy MATT DINERMAN as our host for previews and other

musings. So, take it away, Matt. “The big story this week: mandatory payouts. On Sunday afternoon, Golden Gate Fields offers mandatory payouts in the Golden Pick Six jackpot, the Rolling

Super High Five and both Pick 5’s. Heading into Friday’s eight-race program, the Pick 6 jackpot carryover is $287,833. If the Pick Six carries over until Sunday, you could be looking at a

seven-figure pool to be paid out that day. “Sunday’s premier race is the ninth, an allowance for 3-year-old fillies. Southern California shipper Woke Up to Aces (trained by MICHAEL MCCARTHY)

goes up against local Sadie Bluegrass (JONATHAN WONG), who has terrific recent form. The eighth is also intriguing: a fun maiden special weight at 5 ½ furlongs for 12 2-year-old fillies.

“Trainer MANNY BADILLA may hold the aces in Friday’s featured second race, an allowance for fillies and mares at one mile on Tapeta. Badilla saddles the top two morning-line choices, Sloane

Garden and Never Be Enough. Two time stakes winner Sloane Garden, the 8-5 favorite, won the Golden Poppy Stakes in June and the Luther Burbank Stakes in August. Although both races were on

turf, Sloane Garden has already won twice on the main track. Aug. 28th allowance winner Never Be Enough is the 9-5 second choice and “should not be ignored,” according to Badilla. The

daughter of Sir Percy has been steadily climbing up the class ladder and comes off a stellar run in which she defeated stakes placed and multiple allowance winning stablemate Ziarah. “A

strong nine-race program on Saturday begins at 1:45 p.m. (It’s a 1:15 p.m. post on Friday and Sunday.) The headliner on Saturday is the sixth, a second-level allowance that looks like a

stakes on paper. The 1 1/16-mile turf race features track record holder Give Me the Lute and stakes winner American Farmer. “Give Me the Lute, trained by ANDY MATHIS, broke the track record

sprinting five furlongs over firm turf on June 7. That day, he stopped the clock in 55.34 seconds, winning by seven lengths. As a 3-year-old at Del Mar, he broke his maiden going two turns.

His last route race, a first-level allowance at Del Mar immediately following the maiden win, resulted in a length loss while encountering traffic problems down the lane. “American Farmer is

a STEVE SHERMAN trainee last seen finishing off-the-board in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby. Winner of the Robert Dupret Derby for 3-year-olds in August, American Farmer sports class and comes

off a run in which he earned a career high Beyer speed figure (83). Recent allowance winner Fuente also figures to get play. Builder is an interesting item in the race, too: he was claimed

last time out for $62,500 for trainer ED MOGER JR. for his brother, owner STEVE MOGER.” LOS ALAMITOS WEEKEND PREVIEW Los Alamitos is the only track in California racing at night. So, let’s

turn things over to marketing and media guru ORLANDO GUTIERREZ, who will tell us about things going on at Los Alamitos. Orlando, the floor is yours. “Trainer JUSTIN JOINER returns to Los

Alamitos with a trio of 2-year-old quarter horses on Friday night. The best-known is Lady La Belle, the third highest seller at $310,000 during the closing session of the 2019 Ruidoso

Yearling Sale. Lady La Belle has had troubled trips in her two outings at Ruidoso Downs this summer and will look for better luck in Friday’s eighth race. Her rivals include stablemate No

Emotion, who faced Grade 1 winner Cyber Monday in a trial at Ruidoso Downs, and Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity finalist Hi High Hopes, who has four second place finishes this season.

“Joiner, who has enjoyed big-time success in his late season visits to Los Alamitos, will also saddle First Painted Hero when he makes his career debut in the seventh race on Friday. “Six

trials to the richest running ever of the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Super Derby will highlight the nine-race program on here on Saturday night. Forty-three sophomores will compete in the 400-yard

trials with the horses with the 10 fastest times advancing to the final on Sunday, Nov. 8. The gross purse for the Los Alamitos Super Derby is $1,052,350, which is a record eclipsing the

2010 purse of $1,052,000. The purse is also up $43,000 from the prize money offered in 2019. “The lineup of trial hopefuls on Saturday is tremendous, as it will be headed by ED ALLRED’S

derby winning brothers Nomadic and Circle City plus Grade 1 stakes winners Runforyourlife and Tell Cartel and Grade 2 stakes winners Inaugurator and Sass Go Blue. There will be eight other

runners with career earnings of $100,000 or higher. “The opening trial, which is scheduled as the fourth race, is one of the strongest, as it will feature Governor’s Cup Derby winner

Nomadic, All American Oaks runner-up Kiss Thru Fire and the stakes experienced runners Corona Required, Invader and One Sweet Change. “The second trial might be even stronger with Grade 2

Golden State Derby winner Circle City and two-time derby winner Tell Cartel facing the Aleman-trained Cattail Cove and returning star Southern Wagon. Cattail Cove was second in last year’s

Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity and sixth to Nomadic in this year’s Governor’s Cup. The Link Newcomb-owned campaigner traveled to Ruidoso Downs after the Governor’s Cup, running

second in his trial to the All American Derby and then finishing third in the $100,000 All American Invitational Stakes. “Inaugurator, winner of the Grade 2 Heritage Place Derby and

runner-up in the Grade 1 All American Derby, will highlight the third trial. The gelding has won four and finished second in his other two starts of 2020. He began the year by breaking his

maiden at Los Alamitos before outstanding efforts at Remington Park and Ruidoso Downs. In the later trials, top stars such as 2019 Grade 1 Golden State Futurity winner Runforyourlife,

Oklahoma Derby runner-up Aint Working, John Carter Cash, who beat older horses in the Los Alamitos Championship at 440-yards on Aug. 14, and Determined One, who ran third in last year’s

Grade 1 All American Futurity, will be in action. “Sunday’s card has a full night of trials to the Grade 1 Golden State Million Futurity at 400 yards. Eighty-eight juveniles are expected in

the trials led by Grade 2 Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity winner La Jaconde and Restricted Grade 1 Governor’s Cup Futurity winner Constituent. Among the top new arrivals are Oklahoma

Futurity winner Aint She Working, who also finished second in the $1 million Heritage Place Futurity. Ruidoso invaders like Eastern Shore, Elmer, Bodhi and A Dash Of Sign could also star in

a big way. The horses with the 10 fastest times will return for the Golden State Million final on Nov. 1. “Fasig-Tipton will hold its California Fall Yearlings Sale, at Los Alamitos on

Monday. The sale starts at noon. The 298-horse catalog is available online at FasigTipton.com or through the Equineline sales catalog app. “Recapping last week’s Grade 1 stakes, Ed Allred’s

Chocolatito outdueled the ageless champion Zoomin For Spuds by a nose to win the 60th running of the Grade 1, $125,000 Robert Boniface Los Alamitos Invitational Championship at 440 yards on

Sunday. “Ridden by OSCAR ANDRADE JR. for trainer SCOTT WILLOUGHBY, Chocolatito caught the razor-sharp Zoomin For Spuds in the final yards after trailing by a length at the midway point of

the race. Andrade, who won this race last year with BH Lisas Boy, is first jockey since ROBERT ADAIR to win this race in back-to-back years but with different horses. Adair won the 1970

running with Go Derussa Go and the 1971 edition with Kaweah Bar. Chocolatito covered the 440 yards in :21.37. CHRIS WADE’S FRIDAY LA PICK EIGHTH RACE: No. 2 Other World (7-2) He has improved

in each subsequent start while facing productive opposition while earning very competitive numbers for Friday’s endeavor. In this gelding’s last effort 27 nights ago, he bobbled and drifted

inward at the gate, while losing over half a length and his early racing momentum. After the less than stellar getaway, this gelding showed a nice turn of foot past the gap prior to

finishing steadily while under a slight hold nearing the wire. With a solid number that compares favorably in here and an expected step forward this evening for a strong trainer/jockey

combo. A final thought I love getting new readers of this newsletter, and you certainly can’t beat the price. If you like it, tell someone. If you don’t like it, you’re probably not reading

this. Either way, send this along to a friend, and just have them click here to sign up. Remember, it’s free, and all we need is your email address, nothing more. Any thoughts, you can reach

me at [email protected]. You can also feed my ego by following me on Twitter @jcherwa. Now, the star of the show, Friday’s entries. Santa Anita Entries for Friday, October 16. Santa

Anita, Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, California. 13th day of a 18-day meet. FIRST RACE. 5½ Furlongs Turf. Purse: $55,000. Maiden Special Weight. Fillies and Mares. 3 year olds and up. State

bred. PP Horse Jockey Wt Trainer M-L Claim $ 1 Envy Juan Hernandez 124 Anthony K. Saavedra 7-2 2 Spanish Channel Tiago Pereira 124 Javier Jose Sierra 6-1 3 Verry Bossy Anthony Locke 120

Robert J. Lucas 12-1 4 Shez Our Arch Eswan Flores 120 Jorge Gutierrez 15-1 5 Cassie Belle Flavien Prat 124 Sean McCarthy 6-5 6 Elgofranco Mario Gutierrez 120 Ben D. A. Cecil 5-2 7 Forever

Free Heriberto Figueroa 120 Anthony K. Saavedra 15-1 SECOND RACE. 6½ Furlongs. Purse: $32,000. Maiden Claiming. Fillies and Mares. 3 year olds and up. Claiming Price $50,000. State bred. PP

Horse Jockey Wt Trainer M-L Claim $ 1 Capital Heat Jessica Pyfer 110 Vann Belvoir 4-1 50,000 2 Jan Jan Can Juan Hernandez 124 Mike Puype 5-1 50,000 3 Adrienne's Progeny Tyler Baze 120

Jorge Periban 12-1 50,000 4 Little Miss Ellie Flavien Prat 120 Vladimir Cerin 4-5 50,000 5 Rickie Nine Toe's Alexis Centeno 113 Jorge Periban 5-2 50,000 THIRD RACE. 5½ Furlongs Turf.

Purse: $55,000. Maiden Special Weight. 2 year olds. State bred. PP Horse Jockey Wt Trainer M-L Claim $ 1 Fleet Roy Eswan Flores 122 Hector O. Palma 15-1 2 Whiskey Vision Abel Cedillo 122 Val

Brinkerhoff 15-1 3 Lil Nas Flavien Prat 122 Peter Eurton 5-2 4 That Corey Mario Gutierrez 122 Ben D. A. Cecil 3-1 5 Circleofchampions Umberto Rispoli 122 Carla Gaines 5-1 6 By Moonlight

Alexis Centeno 115 Steven Miyadi 5-1 7 The Chosen Vron Drayden Van Dyke 122 J. Eric Kruljac 6-1 8 Gates of Heaven Heriberto Figueroa 122 Shelbe Ruis 15-1 9 Me Likey Juan Hernandez 122 Doug

F. O'Neill 8-1 FOURTH RACE. 6½ Furlongs. Purse: $28,000. Claiming. Fillies. 3 year olds. Claiming Price $20,000. PP Horse Jockey Wt Trainer M-L Claim $ 1 Heart River Jorge Velez 122

Jeffrey Metz 3-1 20,000 2 Sherilinda Eswan Flores 122 George Papaprodromou 7-2 20,000 3 Dehydration Tyler Baze 124 Jeffrey Metz 5-2 20,000 4 Billy K Edwin Maldonado 122 Ryan Hanson 10-1

20,000 5 Don't Stop Lookin Alexis Centeno 115 Robert A. Bean 10-1 20,000 6 Flying Business Flavien Prat 122 Mark Glatt 9-5 20,000 FIFTH RACE. 1 Mile Turf. Purse: $59,000. Allowance

Optional Claiming. Fillies and Mares. 3 year olds and up. Claiming Price $62,500. PP Horse Jockey Wt Trainer M-L Claim $ 1 Tapwater Mike Smith 122 Richard E. Mandella 4-1 2 Out of Balance

Abel Cedillo 122 David E. Hofmans 15-1 3 Heathers Grey Aaron Gryder 122 Sean McCarthy 5-1 4 Gypsy Spirit Flavien Prat 122 Leonard Powell 3-1 5 She's Our Charm Juan Hernandez 122 Ronald

L. McAnally 2-1 6 Quick Umberto Rispoli 124 John W. Sadler 5-2 SIXTH RACE. 1 1/16 Mile. Purse: $35,000. Claiming. 3 year olds and up. Claiming Price $32,000. PP Horse Jockey Wt Trainer M-L

Claim $ 1 Truth Seeker Ricardo Gonzalez 122 Steven Miyadi 5-1 32,000 2 Conquest Cobra Jessica Pyfer 112 Vann Belvoir 3-1 32,000 3 Justin's Quest Flavien Prat 122 Richard Baltas 5-2

32,000 4 Debt Monger Alexis Centeno 111 Steven Miyadi 8-1 32,000 5 Bold Endeavor Tyler Baze 122 George Papaprodromou 6-1 32,000 6 Secret Touch Umberto Rispoli 122 Mark Glatt 2-1 32,000

SEVENTH RACE. 6 Furlongs. Purse: $59,000. Allowance Optional Claiming. 3 year olds and up. Claiming Price $62,500. PP Horse Jockey Wt Trainer M-L Claim $ 1 Kneedeepinsnow Abel Cedillo 122

Shelbe Ruis 8-1 2 Microrithms Drayden Van Dyke 124 Bob Baffert 6-5 62,500 3 Pyron Flavien Prat 122 Mark Glatt 4-1 4 Grinning Tiger Tyler Baze 124 Anthony K. Saavedra 8-1 5 Surfing Star

Umberto Rispoli 124 Bruce Headley 5-1 6 California Street Mike Smith 122 Patrick Gallagher 8-1 7 Champagneonme Juan Hernandez 122 John W. Sadler 6-1 EIGHTH RACE. 1 Mile Turf. Purse: $55,000.

Maiden Special Weight. Fillies and Mares. 3 year olds and up. State bred. PP Horse Jockey Wt Trainer M-L Claim $ 1 Keep Dancing Jose Valdivia, Jr. 120 Michael S. Wilson 15-1 2 Ketchup Edwin

Maldonado 120 Brian T. Cunningham 15-1 3 Buy Wave Buy Tiago Pereira 124 Alexis Barba 20-1 4 New Heat Abel Cedillo 120 Anthony K. Saavedra 8-1 5 Cheerful Charm Flavien Prat 124 Dan Blacker

5-2 6 Rose's Crystal Juan Hernandez 120 Carla Gaines 7-2 7 Slew's Screen Star J.C. Diaz, Jr. 120 Daniel Dunham 15-1 8 Rockie Causeway Umberto Rispoli 120 Richard Baltas 6-5