Friday and Saturday were both excellent racing days. Fabulous Strike switched his style up in the Grade 3 Gravesend Handicap, rating in second before accelerating to an easy 1 1/4 length victory. Indian Blessing was all business, taking the Grade 1 La Brea in a similar fashion. Perhaps my favorite race in this two day span was the Grade 1 Malibu. Just as I had predicted, Bob Black Jack lulled them to sleep on the front end and found the winners circle. His price was ripe at $12 considering the short field. The connections are now considering a trip to Dubai. I don’t know if he is quite that good, but I wish them luck.

The Blue Norther at Santa Anita looks like the best stakes race left this weekend. Two-year-old fillies will be racing one mile on the turf. My top selection will be Oro Blanco at 6-1, who is coupled with Streetscape. Trained by Marcelo Polanco and piloted by Joe Talamo, the daughter of Hold For Gold finished third by five lengths in the Grade 1 Oak Leaf Stakes as a maiden. She enters this race after an easy maiden win and looks primed for a big run. I don’t think there is much speed in this race, so her close stalking style should be an advantage. She is hard to go against at 6-1.

Internally Flawless is the 8/5 ML favorite. Bob Baffert has opted to remove the blinkers which she has ran with in all three of her starts. She closed with a fury last out in the Grade 3 Mieseque and just missed the win by 3/4 of a length. April Pride is also an interesting entry. Grade 3 placed in Britain, she finished 11th in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in her only U.S. start. The daughter of Falbrav should move up this time, and offers value at 5-1.

1st- Oro Blanco

2nd- Internally Flawless

3rd- April Pride

$2 Exacta (1,3,7 BOX)

$2 Trifecta (1,3/1,3,7/1,2,3,6,7)