US racing tips: Shane Ketteridge bids to follow up last week's 20-1 winner

Principe Carlo
12.06am Santa Anita
1pt win

Big Novel
12.36am Santa Anita
2pt win

Santa Anita has the nickname 'The Great Race Place!' and it's easy to see why as the California track has hosted some great races over the years and again plays host to some fantastic Stakes contests on Saturday, with the $200,000 Leigh Ann Howard California Cup Oaks being one of the most competitive, and I like the horse drawn down on the inside, Big Novel, who can win the prize for John Sadler and his team.

This filly hit the board on two occasions at Del Mar last summer before breaking her maiden tag in impressive style in a 6f maiden special weight at this course back in October.

Two second-placed efforts in black-type events on the dirt at Del Mar and Los Alamitos followed that victory, and she ran with great credit on both occasions, but I feel this mile on the turf, with that inside draw, should be ideal as she can be kept quiet down on the inside under John Velazquez before being eased out to win in the stretch in a race that should set up perfectly for her.

The penultimate race at Santa Anita is the $150,000 California Cup Sprint Stakes over 6f on the dirt, and Brickyard Ride will be tough to beat here. However, he hasn't run since finishing down the field in a Grade 2 at Del Mar in November, so with that in mind it is worth siding with Principe Carlo, who has been very good in his last two starts and has enough ability to win this.

The selection, whose sire Coil was a dual Graded stakes victor at this course, is a three-time winner here, one of which was over course and distance, so he knows the track well and has been in good form recently, too.

After finishing second in an allowance optional claimer here in October 2020, he was then not seen on the track for over a year, but returned in great heart with another good second in a similar contest before beating Positivity, who reopposes here, in a black-type race at Del Mar in November, so there are plenty of positives about his chances in this contest.

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