Who Do You Like on Opening Day?

- The Oak Tree meeting opens at Santa Anita on Wednesday, and it's a cause celebre for racing fans everywhere. The meet gets off to a rollicking start with a contentious six-horse allowance race on the grass. Here's the breakdown:

Symphony Sid (5-1) was claimed for $50K by Mike Mitchell two back, and his last was a thoroughly fine 5th in the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap, in which he earned a 92 Beyer that is well competitive in this field. Drops down to the N3L allowance level - he won at the NW3X level at Bay Meadows last year (he's the only horse in for the optional claiming tag). The cut back from a mile and three-eighths to nine furlongs should help as well as the inside draw. He could very well be lone speed in here too.

Unrivaled Song (2-1) is two-for-two lifetime and on the grass for Neil Drysdale. In his last, he broke a bit slow, and was extremely wide coming out of the turn, and closed to win, getting his final furlong in 11 1/5. The horses that ran second and third ran behind Symphony Sid in the Del Mar. Unrivaled Song is by Fusaichi Pegasus out of a Danehill mare, which makes him inbred 3x3 to Danzig.

Budha (9-2) was a Grade 3 winner in Chile. His two allowance races here have been OK, but other than a couple of sharp recent workouts, not too much to get excited about here.

Robador (7-2) has returned in fine fettle as a four-year old after a year layoff, with two route wins on the dirt. He put in some decent efforts on the grass in three winless tries. He's by the late Batonnier, a 15% turf sire who is inbred 3x3 to Ribot, and he has some European stakes winners on his distaff side. Still, I'd want some value against some horses with proven grass form.

Potential (8-1) is the longest shot in the morning line, but I dunno, it seems to me that his last race, a win at 35-1 in his turf debut, stacks up quite favorably against that of the morning line choice. For one thing, he ran a faster race according to Beyer, 90-87, and he too was very wide swinging for home. Whatsmore, whereas Unrivaled Song loped along and saved ground early, Potential had to run early to stay in contact with a quick pace; his first quarter was 22.89. After a second quarter was 23.80, and he quickened in each of the subsequent quarters as he rolled home in 23.49. The two horses out of the race that have started ran 1-2 in the Ponoma Derby at Fairplex (on the dirt). Not much turf in the pedigree to speak of, and an anemic Tomlinson of 186. But his performance on the grass certainly showed some potential (sorry).

Much Faster is 3-1 morning line off a 13 month layoff for Frankel. Another one of those TNT horses from Brazil (and I'm surprised that a stable with that name is permitted to fly equines or humans into this country), he had shown steady progress culminating in a win in his 4th U.S. start in an entry level allowance at a mile and three-eights. He earned a 93, the highest last grass Beyer in this race, but he has to contend with a move up in class and a cut back to a distance that may be less than what he'd prefer. He's working nicely, but damn it, I'll continue to stand against these long layoff horses that are overbet until I eventually go broke. Besides, this horse may not be the best one here even without the layoff.

PICKS:
Symphony Sid - in front as far as he goes
Potential - can split the exacta (at least) at a fair price
Unrivaled Song - tough to pick against a horse that has come home in 11 1/5 in both starts, but I think the value will lie elsewhere as this one needs to go faster as he moves up and tackles elders.