Anne Marie Duff

SANTA ANITA

11:59 San Antonio Invitational Stakes (Grade 2) Dirt 1m1f

The race of the weekend is at Santa Anita this evening featuring the top three-year-olds from last season, Kentucky Derby winner and Horse of the Year California Chrome and the once beaten Shared Belief. They are also opposed by the Bob Baffert-trained Hoppertunity, winner of a Grade 2 at the track already this year to add to his Grade 1 Clark Handicap win at Churchill in November.

California Chrome went on a five-race winning streak in the first half of 2014, taking him from three Santa Anita wins to the Preakness at Pimlico. In his Santa Anita Derby victory, he had Hoppertunity over five lengths behind. Following a break after his Belmont Stakes loss, he came back narrowly lose the Breeders’ Cup Classic, finishing third to Bayern with Shared Belief in fourth after losing ground at the start.

Shared Belief missed the classics but returned to be unbeaten on the west coast coming into the Breeders’ Cup Classic. After his defeat there, he returned to Santa Anita in December and showed enough speed to win the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes over seven furlongs.

On this occasion, he might have too much speed for California Chrome.

SELECTION: Shared Belief

Next Best: California Chrome

GULFSTREAM PARK

9.28 Suwannee River Stakes. (Grade 3) Turf 9 furs

The contest features the Irish-bred Sandiva, now with Todd Pletcher. She is already a listed winner at the track for Al Shaqab Racing in December. Also in the mix are the Irish-breds Starstruck, a daughter of Galileo, once a winner at Dundalk before her graded victories in the US, the Ballymacoll Stud-bred Bohemian Dance, a daughter of Islington, and the Kenny McPeek-trained Rosalind who made an abortive trip to Royal Ascot last year but had won a Grade 1 at Keeneland earlier in the year.

10:28 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (Grade 1) Turf 1m1f

Two former European runners line up with Al Shaqab Racing’s Mshawish and Juddmonte’s Slumber. Mshawish is the favourite after a Grade 2 win last time over the Shug McGaughey-trained Grade 1 winner Imagining. Lochte, winner of a Grade 3 last time could also be involved.

10:58 Donn Handicap (Grade 1) Dirt 1m1f.

Last year’s brilliant winner Lea returns to the scene of his 2014 record breaking Donn Handicap win. The six-year-old, trained by Bill Mott, comes back off just one start this season to defend his title against the WinStar Farm duo of Constitution and Commissioner. Lea developed a virus last April and missed the rest of the season. He returned last month and took the Grade 3 Hal’s Hope Stakes, a race he also won before his Donn triumph in 2014.

Constitution (Javier Castellano) is one of three runners for Todd Pletcher. The son of Tapit finished third in the Grade 1 Clark Handicap behind Hoppertunity. He was sidelined last spring with a hairline fracture after winning three in a row, including the Florida Derby. Commissioner (John Velazquez), also trained by Pletcher, returned to action last month after spending time off with injury. He had finished runner-up in the Belmont Stakes last year. The Jeremy Noseda-trained Sloane Avenue travels from England to make his dirt debut after wins at Lingfield and Kempton.

SELECTION: Lea

Next Best: Constitution