Santa Anita Horse Racing Picks for Saturday 4/22/23

The rebranded spring portion of Santa Anita's six-month racing season stated Friday, April 21 with a new moniker – the “Hollywood Meet."

There are 10 races at "The Great Race Place" on Saturday and post time is at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. local.

As always, check the program for scratches and changes, and monitor the weather and track conditions.

(I will reference Equibase's Speed Figure in selected races, which tells you how fast a horse has been running in each of its races after adjusting for track, distances, and conditions).

Santa Anita Betting

According to numberFire horse racing projections and Guaranteed Tip Sheet, these are some of the best bets to make at FanDuel Racing today.

Did you follow FanDuel Racing picks and cash in on the biggest longshot in a recent Allowance race at Keeneland? Longshot Time For Trouble (18/1) cashed $2 win bets for $37.50 and a $2 exacta paid $189. At Santa Anita, top pick Pequena Tormenta (2/1) won yesterday by 11 lengths. 

Mobile betting on horse racing is easy with the best-in-class experience at FanDuel.

1. Chick's Dig It and In Vronsky Style, Race 4

FanDuel Racing Odds: 12/1 and 5/2
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Race 4 is an Allowance race for Cal-breds sprinting 6 furlongs on the turf. The numberFire data projects Square Cat (4/1) to battle In Vronsky Style (5/2) to the wire. It also expects Exceed Speed Limit (3/1) to finish in the money with top turf jockey Umberto Rispoli riding.

In Vronsky Style is conditioned by the meet's top trainer, EPO Phil D'Amato. He's finished runner-up in three of his last four starts, including at this distance and on the turf course in Feb.

Chick's Dig It (12/1) is offering up some sweet value with jockey Joe Bravo aboard. He fancied a runner-up finish losing by a neck last month at this distance before missing again just two weeks ago. He switches from dirt to turf but little-known trainer John Wallace II sees more in this gelding and makes the move to the grass.

2. Brickyard Ride and Anarchist, Race 5

FanDuel Racing Odds: 6/5 and 5/2
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Race 5 is the $100,000 Grade 2 Kona Gold Stakes for older horses at 6 1/2 furlongs. The meet's top jockey Juan Hernandez rides the heavy favorite Brickyard Ride (6/5) looking to win for the 13th time in 25 starts, including 9-of-13 at Santa Anita. Brickyard Ride won this race last year wire-to-wire as the prohibitive favorite, and he's the top pick by both numberFire and Guaranteed Tip Sheet.

Sunrise Journey (4/1) won his last two races both at Santa Anita. Positivity (6/1) has been off more than a year but has the class to compete and has done good work getting prepped. Anarchist (5/2) is top trainer Doug O'Neil's entry who ran the highest last race speed figure and has finished runner-up three straight times, including the Grade 3 last month. Underrated jockey Ramon Vazquez has the second-most mounts at the meet behind Juan Hernandez.

3. Royal Ship and Defunded, Race 9

FanDuel Racing Odds: 3/1 and 4/5
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Race 9 is the $200,000 Grade 2 California Stakes for older horses at 1 1/8 miles on the turf. Defunded (4/5) is the heavy favorite and top win contender and pick by both numberFire and Guaranteed Tip Sheet.

Guaranteed Tip Sheet notes that Defunded ran the highest last race speed figure in a Grade 1 race, while the meet's top jockey Juan Hernandez rides for controversial EPO leading trainer Bob Baffert. Royal Ship (3/1) could benefit from returning to dirt after flailing on turf last out. His trainer is true horseman Richard Mandella and HOF jockey Mike Smith rides.

Parnelli (4/1) is conditioned by underrated trainer John Shirreffs. Parnelli is a consistent performer that hit the board in six of eight at Santa Anita. Kiss Today Goodbye (15/1) has some of the best dirt numbers in the field.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.