2018 San Felipe Stakes Odds, Picks

San Felipe Stakes Preview and Odds

Carrying a total purse of $400,000, the San Filipe is run at 1 1/16 miles on the Santa Anita dirt track. The race awards Kentucky Derby qualifying points on a 50-20-10-5 scale. 

Undefeated in three lifetime starts, McKinzie has been made the morning line favorite for the San Filipe with odds of 9-5. After breaking his maiden at first asking, he then captured the (G1) Los Alimitos Futurity, a race where he was actually beaten by 3/4 of a length by another Derby contender in Solomini, but was bumped to first place when that one was DQd to third place for interference in the stretch drive. 

He came back from that effort to win his 2018 debut with relative ease in winning the (G3) Sham Stakes at Santa Anita by 3 1/2 lengths. In both of those wins he has shown good ability to rate just behind the pacesetters to the top of the stretch and then move quickly to the lead. Interference aside, he was caught late by Solomini in the 1 1/16 mile LA Futurity, but as a son of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, pedigree suggests that distance shouldn't be an issue for him.

Bolt d’Oro Makes His 2018 Racing Debut

Compared to the field he beat in the Sham, he faces much tougher competition here in the form of Bolt d'Oro, second choice in the morning line at 2-1. He won three straight to start his career, including the (G1) Del Mar Futurity and the (G1) Frontrunner Stakes at Santa Anita. He then went to the 2017 Breeders' Cup Juvenile, where he stumbled at the start and then was forced to race wide through most of the race. He was closing on the second-place finisher Solomini in deep stretch, although both of them were losing ground to the eventual winner, Good Magic. 

The San Filipe will be Bolt d'Oro's debut for 2018, so there is some question as to whether he'll be in top racing form or if he needs a race to get back into peak condition. 

After the top two, the race is wide open. Breaking from the #2 gate next to Bolt d'Oro, Lombo (8-1) is likely going to be gunning for the lead right out of the gate. Although he took three tries before getting his maiden win, he then moved right up to graded-stakes company and was impressive in winning the (G3) Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita in early February, a race where he went ot the front right away and then fought off a couple of challengers to maintain the lead and eventually win by two lengths after being geared down a bit late in the stretch.

A repeat of that effort could get him in the mix, particularly if Bolt d'Oro shows any signs of rust coming in off the long layoff.

From the far end of the starting gate Kanthaka (4-1) also made the jump from maiden winner to graded-stakes winner, as he took the (G2) San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita in his third lifetime start. He is a late-running colt who just got up in the last few strides to score his maiden win by a neck, and then came from seven lengths off the lead to take over at the top of the lane and win going away in the San Vicente. He's stretching out here past seven furlongs for the first time and he's going to need a fast pace in front of him if he hopes to get into the money.

The San Filipe Stakes goes Saturday, March 10 from Santa Anita Race Track in Arcadia, California. It's race #6 of 11 on an excellent day of racing that includes three other Grade 1 races. Expected post time for the San Filipe is 2:30 PM Pacific.

Entries w/ ML Odds

1. Bolt d'Oro (2-1)
2. Lombo (8-1)
3. Ayacara (8-1)
4. McKinzie (8-5)
5. Aquila (15-1)
6. Calaxman (30-1)
7. Peace (15-1)
8. Kanthanka (4-1)

San Felipe Stakes Picks

• #4 – McKinzie
• #1 – Bolt d’Oro
• #2 – Lombo
• #8 – Kanthanka

You can bet the full day of racing at Santa Anita as well as the entire schedule of Kentucky Derby qualifying races with an account at a top-rated online racebook.

Category : Betting Picks

Tag : Horse Racing , San Felipe Stakes