Grade II Lane’s End Stakes and Grade II San Luis Rey Handicap

One of the most popular three year old prep races of the year is this Saturday when sophomores take the track for the Grade II Lane’s End Stakes.

The Lane’s End Stakes is held on the Polytrack at Turfway Park. Horse racing fans will want to really pay attention to how the Polytrack is paying earlier in the day before making a wager on the Lane’s End. The Polytrack surface can play towards speed or towards closers on any given day.

The other weekend stakes race is the Grade II San Luis Rey Handicap at Santa Anita.

Let’s analyze the weekend’s stakes races.

Turfway Park – Race 10

Grade II Lane’s End Stakes
$500,000
For Three Year Olds
1 1/8th miles on Polytrack

Westside Bernie will go off the chalk, but the D. Wayne Lukas trained Flying Private has the look of a serious up and comer. He finished second in his last race after having all sorts of trouble and Lukas can get these sub-par looking horses to improve big time from race to race. I love the breeding on this guy and will peg him as my top pick in this. Westside Bernie should win the Lane’s End as he’s shown ability over the Polytrack already and got to rest after running in the Grade III Holy Bull stakes. But the odds will be short on Westside Bernie. Bittel Road isn’t there just yet for Todd Pletcher but there are signs that he could improve enough to be a force in the Kentucky Derby. He should take another step forward in this.

1. Flying Private
2. Westside Bernie
3. Bittel Road

Santa Anita Park – Race 7

Grade II San Luis Rey Handicap
$150,000
For Four Year Olds and Up
1 ½ miles on turf

Artiste Royale is in terrific form, loves the distance and should be tough to beat in this because there is enough speed to set up his closing kick. He gets the win money. Spring House is an old pro that could add to the already $838,000 bucks that he’s won. He just picked up the victory in his last race going 1 ½ miles on the Santa Anita turf. Medici Code is another closer that will have to bounce back from two straight losses. One was to Spring House the other to Artiste Royale. He might not beat either one of those but he does have a shot to finish third.

1. Artiste Royale
2. Spring House
3. Medici Code

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