US Horse Racing Tips: Paul’s three to capture your Imagination on Sunday

Our Stateside specialist Paul Quigley shares his US horse racing tips for Sunday, focusing on the action at Santa Anita.

Find his two selections from the California venue, plus one from Remington Park, below.

00:00 Santa Anita (Race 7) - Richi @ 6/4

Three of the five gals entered are trained by Bob Baffert. Howin (4) has twice placed in Grade 3 company, but looks a cut below her stablemates Cavalieri (3) and Richi (5). The pair will dominate the market.

Cavalieri made it a perfect four-from-four when beating Richi in a Grade 1 over a mile here in March. The lack of a race since suggests she may have had some kind of physical issue. Her trainer has a fine record with returning runners and she has been working well.

RICHI did have no excuses on the front end when beaten just under a length by Cavalieri in March. She followed that up with a Grade 2 victory over course and distance.

The five-year-old faced a stiff task against a pair of top-notchers on her comeback in a Grade 1 at Del Mar. That was especially true as she conceded the early lead to another Baffert-trained runner. The same may happen here as Baffert often employs team tactics. As the likely second favourite, she gets a tepid vote.

Sugar Fish (1) won this race last year, but it looks a deeper renewal. She may have needed her comeback after a long absence at Del Mar. The blinkers she wore last time come off today. She’s an easier read than La Kika (2), who makes her Stateside debut. She was a dual Grade 1 winner in Peru.

01:00 Santa Anita (Race 9) - Imagination @ 5/2

A few of these have questions to answer in terms of fitness and wellbeing.

Straight No Chaser (2) is one of them. He’s unraced since a below-par effort in a Group 1 at Meydan in April, but is proven fresh. Last year he won this race by open lengths off a similar lay-off.

He bettered that by winning The Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint. The six-year-old has been working well for his comeback. He’s probably a worthy favourite to win this on route to defend his crown at Del Mar.

Bob Baffert is double-handed. His IMAGINATION (8) may be the play at the likely odds.

He’s mostly featured in route races. He was a fine third in a Grade 1 over seven furlongs in December. He’s not raced since January but his trainer has a fine record with returning runners.

He could get a nice set up if his stablemate Speed Boat Beach (5) pulls a few of these through fast fractions. He looked a top sprinter in 2023 winning a Grade 1 here. Having missed all of last year, he’s not ran to that level in two starts this term.

He was used up in a speed duel when well behind Dr. Venkman (1) in a Grade 2 last month. The rail-drawn runner is a consistent type and looks to have a solid place chance at the very least.

Wound Up (6) and Mbagnick (7) are others that need to rebound. The former is likely to be part of the pace brigade, while the latter could be used more tactically.

01:48 Remington Park (Race 10) - Coal Battle @ 2/1

This may be as simple as Bracket Buster (4) going to the front and staying there. He won a stake at Monmouth in June by seven lengths. Since then, he’s ran into the top two three-year-olds in the country in Grade 1s.

He was used up on the speed in The Haskell. Last month, he ran a 10-length second to Sovereignty in The Travers at Saratoga. If Luis Saez can have him racing kindly on the front end, he will be very hard to reel in.

The likely dangers to Bracket Buster come out of The Grade 3 Indiana Derby. The winner of that race came back to win a stake at Parx last weekend. Little separated COAL BATTLE (8) and Publisher (5), who were second and fourth respectively.

Coal Battle has some tactical speed and may get a nice trip off the pacesetter. Publisher, who is still a maiden, is more pace dependent. The late runner finished ahead of Coal Battle when runner-up in The Grade 1 Arkansas Derby.

As well as Publisher, Steve Asmussen has Iron Dome (2) in the lineup. He is much-improved since given a test of stamina. He’s gone from a maiden win in July to New York-bred stakes winner in three races. This is a step up in class but he may be up to the task.

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Paul Quigley is a long-time US racing fan and tipster. He provides US Horse Racing Tips for Betfred Insights as well as working for Betfred TV...