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Santa Anita Picks & Predictions — May 30, 2026

May 30, 20269 racesAll Santa Anita picks

This card ran on May 30, 2026.

Best bets at Santa Anita, May 30, 2026

Race 12Steak FriesML 4/14:00 PM EDT

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It's a beautiful Saturday at Santa Anita — clear skies, 79 degrees, and not a cloud in sight. Conditions like these tend to keep the turf courses riding true and the dirt lightning-fast, so expect speed to be a factor throughout the afternoon.

We've got a 9-race card on tap, mixing turf and dirt with everything from maiden claimers to a marquee Stakes race closing out the main sequence. There's something here for every kind of player — whether you're firing singles, building pick-3 tickets, or hunting a longshot to anchor an exotic.

The headliner today is the Race 8 Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on dirt, where heavily-favored Seismic Beauty comes in at a short 2/5 morning line and a TrackWiz rating of 90 — the top number on the entire card. That's a race that could shape your whole wagering strategy for the day.

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Race 1

4:00 PM EDT

Starter Optional Claiming · 6 1/2 fur · Turf

A Starter Optional Claiming sprint on the turf where two horses share the top TrackWiz rating but the morning line tells very different stories — look for value hiding behind the favorite's shadow.

win2Steak FriesML 4/1

Steak Fries earns the top TrackWiz rating in this field at 85.62, a meaningful edge over the rest of the pack in a wide-open Starter Optional Claiming sprint. Kazushi Kimura gets the call for trainer Craig Anthony Lewis, and the 25% career win rate on a horse with a solid avg speed figure of 56 on the turf gives this runner a legit profile. At 4/1 on the morning line, there's genuine value here — our analysis has this horse as the most complete contender in the field. If the pace scenario sets up with early pressure from multiple rivals, Steak Fries looks like the type to come running late at 6.5 furlongs on grass.

place1DecapoML 2/1

Decapo draws the rail for John W. Sadler and Joel Rosario — a combination that knows how to win on this circuit. The 75.27 TrackWiz rating is nearly identical to Bee Eye Gee's, but Decapo's 16% career win rate across what appears to be a broader sample makes this horse a safe place-ticket anchor at the 2/1 morning line. Sadler is one of Southern California's sharpest conditioners and Rosario rarely wastes trips from the inside post on turf.

show8Bee Eye GeeML 6/1

Bee Eye Gee at 6/1 is an intriguing show-bet option with a TrackWiz rating of 75.21 — essentially a dead heat with Decapo for second-best in the field. Juan J. Hernandez has been a reliable presence at Santa Anita and trainer Brian J. Koriner has a live horse at a price here. The 12% career win rate is modest, but the avg speed figure of 55 keeps this runner competitive, and at morning-line odds of 6/1, the value in exacta and trifecta slots is real.

Live odds, scratches and ratings for all 8 runners

Race 2: Free with an Account

Race 2

4:30 PM EDT

Claiming · 1 mi · Dirt

The morning-line favorite doesn't hold the top TrackWiz rating in this one-mile dirt claimer — that's the kind of split worth paying attention to when hunting value.

win2Northern QuestML 8/1

Northern Quest is our top-rated horse in Race 2 with a TrackWiz score of 79.79, yet the morning line has this runner posted at 8/1 — a significant disconnect that TrackWiz analysis flags as a value opportunity. Edgar Payeras rides for trainer Jesus J. Uranga, who also saddles Wicklow Hills in this race, suggesting the barn has confidence in the stable's other entrant, but Northern Quest's numbers speak loudest. The 19% career win rate and avg speed figure of 53 on the dirt mile are respectable for this claiming level, and if the pace rolls honest with Morello pressuring from the front, Northern Quest could be sitting in the perfect stalking spot.

place6MorelloML 6/5

Morello is the 6/5 morning-line chalk for trainer Andrew Harris and jockey Edwin A. Maldonado, and the 71.45 TrackWiz rating backs up that favoritism to a degree. The 17% career win rate and best avg speed in the field at 55 on the dirt make Morello a legitimate contender, but the short price makes straight-win betting less appealing — place tickets are where the value lives if this horse ends up facing a pace battle.

show1LevonML 9/2

Levon comes in with a 70.55 TrackWiz rating and a 9/2 morning line that puts this horse right in the competitive mix. The 11% career win rate is on the lower side, but at a mile on the dirt, fitness and pace positioning matter as much as raw win percentage. Armando Aguilar has enough experience around the Santa Anita oval to get a good trip, and Levon slots nicely into exotic coverage as a third horse in trifectas.

Live odds, scratches and ratings for all 6 runners

Three races are unlocked and free for every TrackWiz reader today. Race 1 kicks things off on the turf at 6 1/2 furlongs, where Steak Fries draws our top rating at 85.62 and offers legitimate value at 4/1 on the morning line. On a clear day with firm turf, closers can get stuck, so watch the pace scenario carefully — horses with early position should get every opportunity here.

Race 2 shifts to a mile on dirt (Claiming), where Northern Quest at 8/1 is our top pick and a genuine price play — our analysis sees more upside here than the morning line suggests. Then Race 3 brings an Allowance Optional Claiming sprint on dirt, and Danzing Flyer at 9/5 is the most confident free-race selection of the day with a card-high rating among the opener trio at 88.37. At that class level, a well-rated 9/5 shot can still offer value when the form is this strong.

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Full Card Analysis

Race 3

5:00 PM EDT

Allowance Optional Claiming · 6 fur · Dirt

Danzing Flyer comes in as both the TrackWiz top-rated and the morning-line second choice, setting up a fascinating class-vs-pace dynamic in this Allowance Optional Claiming sprint on the dirt.

win2Danzing FlyerML 9/5

Danzing Flyer is the standout of this field with an 88.37 TrackWiz rating — the highest mark by a wide margin — and an eye-catching 50% career win rate for trainer Clifford W. Sise, Jr. Juan J. Hernandez is a savvy pilot who will know exactly where to place this horse in a six-furlong sprint, and the 9/5 morning line reflects genuine public confidence. The avg speed figure of 55 is solid for this Allowance Optional Claiming condition, and when you pair the highest rating with the best win percentage, it's hard to argue against making this your race anchor.

place6TequilaandtherapyML 5/2

Tequilaandtherapy — and yes, that name alone earns a second look — carries a 75.75 TrackWiz rating and the second-best avg speed in the field at 56 for Doug F. O'Neill's barn. Emisael Jaramillo takes the mount, and O'Neill has a long history of putting horses in winning positions at Santa Anita. At 5/2, there's enough value here to include in exactas underneath Danzing Flyer, and if the favorite gets shuffled back, Tequilaandtherapy's speed figure edge could prove decisive.

show4Stay in LineML 4/1

Stay in Line brings a 22% career win rate — the best among the non-favorites in this field — and Joel Rosario in the irons for trainer Andy Mathis is a combination that demands respect. The 69.39 TrackWiz rating and 4/1 morning line slot this horse perfectly as an exotic play, especially if the two top choices get tangled up on the front end. At six furlongs on the dirt, a horse that wins nearly a quarter of its starts is worth a show ticket.

Live odds, scratches and ratings for all 6 runners

Race 4

5:33 PM EDT

Maiden Claiming · 6 fur · Dirt

A wide-open maiden claiming sprint where every horse shows zero career wins — as expected — making TrackWiz ratings and trainer patterns the primary differentiators.

win6Baby Needs ShoesML 2/1

Baby Needs Shoes leads all horses in this maiden claiming field with an 83.38 TrackWiz rating, and Peter Miller is one of the sharpest trainers in Southern California when it comes to placing young horses correctly. Antonio Fresu gets the mount and the 2/1 morning line signals that the connections are confident. With all horses in this field at zero career wins, the edge goes to the horse with the best underlying metrics, and Baby Needs Shoes checks that box emphatically — sometimes in maidens, you just follow the data.

place8Turkey BirdML 5/2

Turkey Bird comes in with a 75.51 TrackWiz rating and a 5/2 morning line that makes this horse the likely second choice in the wagering. Trainer Angel Vega sends this runner out with Cesar Belmont aboard, and the avg speed figure of 55 matches the best in the field. In a maiden race where upsets happen regularly, Turkey Bird's rating profile suggests this filly (or colt) is knocking on the door and worth including in exactas.

show3Miss HellfireML 4/1

Miss Hellfire at 4/1 earns the third pick here on the strength of a 55.0 TrackWiz rating and the stable confidence implied by Kazushi Kimura's booking. Trainer Mike Puype presents this runner without an avg speed figure on record, which could mean a debut or limited work data — that mystery factor cuts both ways, but Kimura doesn't take mounts he doesn't like. At 4/1, the show overlay is reasonable for trifecta construction.

Live odds, scratches and ratings for all 9 runners

Race 5

6:04 PM EDT

Claiming · 1 mi · Turf

Two horses rated in the mid-80s on TrackWiz are separated by just over one point and priced at very different odds — this one-mile turf claimer sets up as a genuine two-horse battle with sneaky value lurking.

win9Jimmy Blue JeansML 3/1

Jimmy Blue Jeans leads our TrackWiz ratings at 85.51 with a 22% career win rate — one of the better marks in the field — and Juan J. Hernandez takes the mount for trainer Librado Barocio. At 3/1 on the morning line, this isn't a huge overlay, but the combination of top rating, solid win percentage, and a turf mile distance that rewards tactical pace riders makes Jimmy Blue Jeans a confident top choice. The avg speed of 55 is right in line with the competitive core of this field.

place8Hacking It UpML 5/1

Hacking It Up is separated from Jimmy Blue Jeans by barely more than a point in TrackWiz ratings (84.17 vs. 85.51), yet comes in at 5/1 — that's a price gap that doesn't match the performance gap. Trainer George Papaprodromou is well-respected on the Southern California circuit, and Antonio Fresu gets the call on a horse with a 22% career win rate and the best avg speed in the field at 57. If Jimmy Blue Jeans gets any traffic at all, Hacking It Up is right there to pounce.

show6Pioneer PrinceML 4/1

Pioneer Prince for Doug F. O'Neill checks in with a 69.4 TrackWiz rating and a 21% career win rate — the third-best win percentage in the field. Edwin A. Maldonado aboard and O'Neill's consistent record at Santa Anita make this a reliable show-spot inclusion in trifectas. At 4/1, there's enough meat on the bone to make the exotic play worthwhile, particularly if the pace scenario allows a closer to get there.

Live odds, scratches and ratings for all 9 runners

Race 6

6:37 PM EDT

Claiming · 6 fur · Dirt

The morning-line favorite in this six-furlong dirt claimer carries an eye-popping career win percentage, but TrackWiz ratings point to two other horses with higher ceilings — this is a race to fade the chalk.

win3Bobs HoneyML 6/1

Bobs Honey tops the TrackWiz ratings in Race 6 at 82.71, a notch ahead of Tate Batz, with a 25% career win rate and an avg speed of 55 on the dirt. Trainer Tim McCanna sends this runner out with Tiago Josue Pereira in the irons, and at 6/1 on the morning line, the value case here is genuine — our analysis rates this horse as the most likely winner in a field where the 9/5 chalk appears vulnerable. Six furlongs on the Santa Anita dirt suits a horse with this speed profile, and the combination of top rating plus double-digit odds is exactly the kind of play TrackWiz is built to find.

place6Tate BatzML 4/1

Tate Batz comes in just behind Bobs Honey at 81.72 on the TrackWiz scale with a 20% career win rate for Doug F. O'Neill, who fields plenty of live horses on this card. Emisael Jaramillo picks up the mount at 4/1, and in a six-furlong dirt sprint, a horse with that rating and that barn behind it is a near-mandatory inclusion in exactas. If Bobs Honey gets rank or hits trouble, Tate Batz is positioned to pick up the pieces.

show5Cloudy RoseML 9/2

Cloudy Rose at 9/2 for trainer Victor L. Garcia brings a 69.37 TrackWiz rating and a 14% career win rate into what figures to be a contested pace scenario. Abel Lezcano is an underrated rider on this circuit and gives this filly a patient, professional trip. At nearly 5/1, Cloudy Rose offers real value as a third horse in trifectas — and if the two top choices cancel each other out on the front end, she's the type to close ground in the final furlong.

Live odds, scratches and ratings for all 9 runners

Race 7

7:07 PM EDT

Maiden Special Weight · 1 mi · Turf

A Maiden Special Weight mile on the turf where first-out runners dominate the top of the ratings — trainer pedigree and morning-line confidence will separate contenders from pretenders in a notoriously tricky wagering race.

win1Post GameML 9/2

Post Game earns the top TrackWiz rating in this MSW field at 84.9, and trainer Peter Eurton is a proven hand at winning maiden turf routes with lightly raced horses. Armando Ayuso gets the call, and the avg speed of 56 is the joint-best in the field among horses with recorded figures. At 9/2 on the morning line, there's a mild overlay compared to the rating advantage our analysis shows — in a maiden special weight where talent wins, Post Game stands out as the most complete profile.

place2HazakaML 5/2

Hazaka at 5/2 is the morning-line second choice for Philip D'Amato, one of Southern California's best turf trainers, with Joel Rosario — among the best turf riders in the game — taking the mount. The 57.5 TrackWiz rating is lower than Post Game's, but the D'Amato/Rosario combination on a first-out turf horse at Santa Anita is a pattern that consistently outperforms. No avg speed figure means this is likely a debut, but the connections alone make Hazaka a mandatory place-ticket inclusion.

show8Path To PowerML 7/2

Path To Power is the other Philip D'Amato entrant in this field, coming in at 7/2 with a 55.83 TrackWiz rating and Antonio Fresu in the irons. Like Hazaka, Path To Power shows no recorded avg speed figure, suggesting limited or no published race history — a common profile for D'Amato's well-bred grass runners. The trainer's ability to have debut runners tuned up and ready makes this a live show contender, and the 7/2 morning line implies D'Amato's barn likes both horses.

Live odds, scratches and ratings for all 9 runners

Race 8

7:37 PM EDT

Stakes · 1 1/8 mi · Dirt

A short-field Stakes race at 1 1/8 miles on the dirt where the 2/5 morning-line favorite carries the top TrackWiz rating by a wide margin — this is about finding the right price for second and third, not beating the standout.

win3Seismic BeautyML 2/5

Seismic Beauty is as close to a lock as you'll find on a horse racing card — a 90.0 TrackWiz rating (the highest on today's entire card), a 50% career win rate, and Bob Baffert in the trainer's corner with Juan J. Hernandez aboard. The 2/5 morning line is justified, and our analysis sees no meaningful reason to look elsewhere for the win. At 1 1/8 miles on the dirt, this horse's combination of class and raw rating is overwhelming, and Baffert rarely enters stakes-level animals unless they're ready to fire.

place5Lavender LoveML 10/1

Lavender Love is the most intriguing overlay in this race at 10/1 with a legitimately strong 72.43 TrackWiz rating and an 80% career win rate — a small sample size likely, but a number that demands attention. Trainer Richard Baltas and jockey Armando Ayuso team up on a horse that clearly knows how to finish first, and if Seismic Beauty were to take a bad step or get shuffled in traffic, Lavender Love is the most dangerous horse in the field. The value for a place ticket at double-digit odds is hard to ignore.

show4Simply JokingML 3/1

Simply Joking at 3/1 for Michael W. McCarthy brings a 69.86 TrackWiz rating and a 33% career win rate, which is the second-best win percentage among horses with meaningful career data in this small field. Emisael Jaramillo gets the mount and McCarthy is a trainer with a habit of showing up in stakes races with live contenders. While Seismic Beauty figures to dominate, Simply Joking is the safest landing spot for show money and trifecta bottom construction.

Live odds, scratches and ratings for all 5 runners

Race 9

8:07 PM EDT

Maiden Special Weight · 1 mi · Turf

The closing race is a full-field Maiden Special Weight mile on the turf with 12 runners — a deep, tricky affair where our top two picks are separated by over 17 points in TrackWiz ratings, making race shape and trip luck especially important.

win9Pentle BayML 7/2

Pentle Bay tops this field with an 86.35 TrackWiz rating for trainer Simon Callaghan, a conditioner known for placing turf maidens with precision. Antonio Fresu gets the mount and the 7/2 morning line makes this the second-shortest price in the field despite the highest rating — that alignment between market and model is exactly what you want from a top pick. The avg speed of 54 is competitive in a field where most entrants cluster in the 53-55 range, and in a 12-horse turf route, post position 9 gives Fresu options to find a clean trip along the rail or out wide.

place2Soul SisterML 9/2

Soul Sister at 9/2 brings a 78.3 TrackWiz rating — a sizable gap behind Pentle Bay but still well ahead of the rest of the field — with Tiago Josue Pereira in the irons for trainer Karen Headley. The avg speed of 54 is right in the mix, and in a full field of maiden turf runners, a horse that our analysis rates this highly at a reasonable price is a natural exacta partner. Place tickets at 9/2 on a horse this well-rated in a maiden route represent solid risk-reward.

show5ConquistadoraML 8/1

Conquistadora is the third pick here at 8/1 for Michael W. McCarthy — who also runs Slice in this same race — with Juan J. Hernandez, one of the most decorated jockeys on the SoCal circuit, handling the mount. The 69.94 TrackWiz rating is the third-best in the field and the 8/1 morning line offers genuine value in a race where even the top choices carry uncertainty. McCarthy's dual-entry barn presence suggests confidence in both horses, and Hernandez's tactical ability in a full turf field gives Conquistadora the best chance of navigating traffic and hitting the board.

Live odds, scratches and ratings for all 12 runners

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Today's card is headlined by Seismic Beauty in the Race 8 Stakes, but the real value could come from Northern Quest at 8/1 in Race 2 and the price angles buried in the premium races. Danzing Flyer is our strongest free-play confidence pick, and the turf surfaces should be running true all afternoon under these clear conditions. Full analysis, exotic tickets, and pace projections are all available to subscribers — don't play the card blind.

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