Santa Anita Horse Racing Picks Including Kentucky Oaks Prep Race for Sunday 3/5/23

The Santa Anita Classic Meet continues following Saturday's big day of racing and the San Felipe Stakes. Sunday's card is nine races, including a Kentucky Oaks prep race for fillies in the Santa Ysabel Stakes. Post time is 3:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. local time at "The Great Race Place" just outside of Los Angeles.

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, these are some of the best bets to make at FanDuel Racing today.

1. Pride of the Nile and Faiza, Race 3

FanDuel Racing Odds: 5/2 and 8/5
Bet Now at TVG | Bet Now at FanDuel

Race 3 is the $100,000 Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles. This is a Kentucky Oaks points race with the top-5 finishers earning 50-20-15-10-5 points. Yesterday's KY Oaks prep at Gulfstream saw a 46/1 longshot win the Davona Dale Stakes.

The numberFire data projects a pretty formful race in the Santa Ysabel with Pride of the Nile (5/2) to win with the meet's winningest top jockey (by far) Juan Hernandez riding. Faiza (8/5) is set to make a hard run with top jockey Flavien Prat riding from the outside No. 6 post while And Tell Me Nolies (3/1) has a shot to finish in the exacta and trifecta.

Pride of the Nile finished second in two recent graded stakes. Faiza is 3-for-3, including a half-length win over Pride of the Nile five weeks ago in the Grade 3 Las Virgenes Stakes.

2. Brickyard Ride and Motorious, Race 5

FanDuel Racing Odds: 2/1 and 5/2
Bet Now at TVG | Bet Now at FanDuel

Race 5 is the $100,000 Grade 3 San Simeon Stakes for older horses at 6 1/2 furlongs on the downhill turf course. The numberFire projections are Brickyard Ride (2/1) to win ahead of Whatmakessammyrun (5/1) and Motorious (5/2).

Brickyard Ride has won 12-of-23 starts but hasn't raced since last May, when he had his four-race winning streak snapped and finished fifth in a Grade 2 race. Motorious makes his first graded stakes start after finishing second here in a minor stakes, rallying from off the pace as the heavy favorite. Respect the Code (8/1) finished a half-length behind Motorious in that race.

3. Johannes and Sharp Aza Tack, Race 7

FanDuel Racing Odds: 4/1 and 3/1
Bet Now at TVG | Bet Now at FanDuel

Race 7 is the $100,000 minor Baffle Stakes for 3-year-olds at 6 1/2 furlongs on the downhill turf. The numberFire algorithm projects Sharp Aza Tack (3/1) to win and Helladic (8/1) to hit the board. First Peace (4/1) is scratched. Sharp Aza Tack has been off since November, when he finished seventh in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint after winning a minor stakes. Helladic has leading jockey Frankie Dettori riding. He's also been off since Nov. and finished first or second in three starts, including a close runner-up with a 103-speed figure here behind the heavy favorite.

Johannes (4/1) with top turf rider Umberto Rispoli is a threat in his first stakes start following an 8-length maiden win and 105-speed figure versus a full field two months ago. He's a son of Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.