Frontrunner Has Interesting Choices

Of the five Grade I stakes races set to go on Saturday at Santa Anita, the $250,000 Frontrunner for two-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on the dirt has drawn the largest field with 11, and could possible set up to be the best betting race of the five. While the others seem to have one or two that clearly will go to the gate as favorites, things are less clear in the Frontrunner, with morning line favorite Dance With Fate a tepid 7-2. The race is a ‘Win and You’re In’ event for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Dance With Fate and Tamarando to duel again

The Florida-bred Dance With Fate broke his maiden second time out at Del Mar in August, and then came back to run second in the Del Mar Futurity. In that one he was boxed in at the 3/8 and had to go five-wide to get out of trouble, coming up a half-length short to Tamarando, who he’ll also face in the Frontrunner. California-bred Tamarando is second choice in the ML at 4-1 with the Futurity his second win in a row. Schoolofhardrocks, with only his initial maiden win under his belt, is 4-1 on the ML.

Ontology needs clean break from the inside

Of the double-digit choices, Ontology is 10-1, and is coming into the Frontrunner as a maiden, having not scored in four lifetime starts. Three of those starts were in stakes, including the Grade II Best Pal, and he has three runner-ups to his credit. If he can get out of the gate clean – which has been a problem – he may have a shot. Of the others, Roundupthelute (9-2) is coming off a win in the CB Afflerbaugh Stakes at Fairplex, where he ran out of room and had to come off the fence and made his move on the second turn, pulling away in the stretch to win by two clear lengths.