US racing tips: Tom Collins looks to Santa Anita sprinter for his best selection

Temple
6.45 Gulfstream Park
1pt win

Brickyard Ride
9.35 Santa Anita
2pts win

Colonel Liam
9.52 Gulfstream Park
1pt win

With Luis Saez suspended, Tyler Gaffalione at Churchill Downs and Irad Ortiz riding at Santa Anita over the weekend, the jockeys' room at Gulfstream Park is looking a bit light on exceptional talent.

Saez would have been set for a phenomenal few days had he been able to take his mounts and would have probably been booked on Temple, who holds clear claims of winning the $48,000 allowance optional claimer (6.45) at the track this evening.

Despite just seven runners in the line-up, this mile turf contest looks set to be an absolute thriller and British racing fans will recognise the name Monarchs Glen, who originally raced for John Gosden and Khalid Abdullah before moving to the US.

Now a six-year-old, he should go close under Samy Camacho but he will struggle to hold off the bang-in-form Temple, who is drawn inside him in gate four and will look to stalk the leaders before pouncing late under 5lb claimer Cristian Torres.

Torres is a clear step down from Saez but this four-year-old gelding loves racing at this venue and racked up a hat-trick here last summer.

He hasn't looked back since with seven more starts to his name, only once finishing outside the first three and that was in the Grade 2 Qatar Twilight Derby when he was shipped to the west coast in November last year.

Temple continues to fire on all cylinders and was mightily impressive when he quickened up off a fast pace to win in this company last time. He was well supported into 5-4 favouritism and showed a good turn of foot to scoot up the inside and deny another decent expat Arthur Kitt, formerly trained by Tom Dascombe.

That looks good form in the context of this race and traffic problems shouldn't be a problem this time around. He did a nice piece of work at Palm Meadows Training Centre two weeks ago before a blow out at Gulfstream last week to get him ready for this.

Saez would have also picked up the ride on Blue Buff in the $46,000 allowance optional claimer (9.52) later on the card. He was one of the most improved horses around at the start of the year but I'd be a bit tentative about backing him now upped in grade after a layoff.

His works have been good but all of his victories came in poor contests and his morning line price of 9-5 looks a tad short.

Consequently, I will take a chance on the Todd Pletcher-trained Colonel Liam, a $1.2million purchase who was awarded the race on debut at this track after passing the post in second.

The good-looking son of Liam's Map showed great professionalism that day when, after breaking in front, he made a beeline for the rail and tried to make every yard of the running.

He was passed turning in by the Chad Brown-trained Per Capita, who had already had two starts. Liam's Map was battling back but looked beaten when hampered in the final 50 yards. Nevertheless, the stewards deemed that interference enough to change the result.

Liam's Map can take a big leap forward now he is stepped up in trip. He has also been working well in the build-up to this and could prove to be a Graded performer.

Look to the west coast and Santa Anita for the final selection of the night, which is Brickyard Ride in the $28,000 starter optional claimer (9.35).

There is plenty of speed in this contest but getting to the front at Santa Anita can prove fruitful no matter how hard they go, and hopefully that will be the case with this three-year-old.

He showed significant improvement from first to second run when he won far more impressively than the nose margin suggests. Brickyard Ride had the field strung out in the early part of the contest having shown devastating speed and was geared down at the line.

Put a line through his next outing, when he was involved in a freak incident (ran through the rail). He again performed creditably when making most, only to be run down in the final few strides, last time.

This colt is very speedy and is drawn ideally in gate two. He should be able to make the rail and from then on he will look to dominate. His recent work over 5f here will have him spot on for this and he should be much shorter than his 3-1 morning line price.

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