Horse racing tips: Our 5 best bets at Santa Anita this Friday

20:30 Smoothlikebuttah @ 5/2

It’s always tricky to pick a winner in a two-year-old maiden, but I’ve sided with the Luis Mendez runner SMOOTHLIKEBUTTAH. This race won’t take much winning and Miss Glorious is the current favourite. She didn’t set the world alight on debut and while the experience of a race always counts in a race like this, she faded badly at the finish over this four-furling trip.

Mendez has them fit for debut performances and his stable is flying working off a 50% strike rate at Santa Anita. She is bred to see out this trip and she will stay further in time, that could be crucial at the finish. Hopefully, she will pass the favourite Miss Gorious in the final strides.

21:01 Busy Paynter

BUSY PAYNTER was very impressive when winning two on the spin earlier in the year. She changed hands and was asked a big question by new connections and her new trainer Mark Glatt in her latest outing. Maybe they got a bit ahead of themselves.

In fairness, she wasn’t disgraced and drops back in class for this race. It’s also worth noting she has now been given time to settle into new surroundings. This race is well within her grasp and tonight is the night for this filly. The jockey booking also significant as Flavien Prat takes over in the saddle and she should go very close. Sheza factor had a good win a couple of starts ago and followed that up by making the frame. He could be the main danger.

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22.05 Boonesboro Beauty (NAP) @ 2/1

This filly is certainly well named and BOONESBORO BEAUTY will always stand out in the paddock. She has excellent form in the book and has won over this trip in the past. She is really running at the top of her game as our selection has been placed in her last two races in this Grade over track and trip.

Boonesboro Beauty also has came in for serious support in recent starts and has been very unlucky in running. In a small field, like in this race, there can be no hard luck stories and for me she is the bet of the whole card. She has finished in front of some of her rivals in this race in the past too. She’s our NAP selection and there is no need to mention the rest.

23.09 Caught In A Trappe

This chestnut filly and caught the eye in more ways than one on debut finishing second. It was no surprise that CAUGHT IN A TRAPPE went off favourite in her latest and to be honest, ran very disappointingly. I’m going to forgive her that run and it may be the case that this lightly-raced filly has had her problems.

Everything about this race should suit and a reproduction of that debut performance would be good enough to go close in this contest. The trainer/jockey combo is always worth noting to. Golden Melodie finished in front of our selection previously, so for that reason would appear to be the main danger. But, Caught In A Trappe can reverse the form here.

23.41 Lighthouse

We have a match between our last selection and Lofty who just missed out on a four time in her latest run.

LIGHTHOUSE was equally impressive herself last time out, when finishing second in a Grade 3 and will come on for that run, she is also is running in slightly calmer waters here. It promises to be a cracking race between the two, with our slight preference for Lighthouse.