Favorites Present Some Variety

There is one thing the morning line favorite in the eight races that will be run today at Santa Anita don’t have in common.

The same jockey.

Eight different riders have the call on the favorite on Jeff Tufts’ morning line. One jockey conspicuous by his absence on a choice is Alex Solis. The meet’s leading rider after leading the standings at Del Mar, Solis is named on five horses. Three of them--Barbs Colony in the first, Earth Pleasure in the sixth and Happy Michelle in the featured seventh--are 4-1, and the other two--Doc Ihnken and Saintly Act in the eighth--are 6-1.

The favorites, winning at about a 33% clip at the meet, will be ridden by Jose Valdivia Jr., Mike Smith, Corey Nakatani, Martin Pedroza, Luis Jauregui, Garrett Gomez, Chris McCarron and Laffit Pincay Jr.

The shortest price of the day could be McCarron’s mount in the $50,000-added Hidden Light, a one-mile turf race for 2-year-old fillies. La Martina is 8-5 in the field of nine as she makes her first start in this country for owners Team Valor and Gary Barber and trainer Jenine Sahadi.

Bred in England, La Martina broke her maiden by 31/2 lengths in her debut in Italy on June 30, then was third in a listed stakes in England less than a month later. She will debut on Lasix and doesn’t have a stellar group of fields to defeat.

Race of the day: The fourth, a one-mile race for older $12,500 claimers, is the best wagering opportunity. File Away is the lukewarm 3-1 choice for the always potent combo of trainer Jack Carava and Martin Pedroza, but plenty of others aren’t without a chance.

Who’s hot: Solis. Besides leading the jockey standings, he is also tops in stakes victories with four, two more than Kent Desormeaux and Valdivia.

Who’s not: Danny Sorenson. Entering Thursday, the jockey was winless at the meet.

Exotically speaking: A pick three singling Tizzified in the fifth, Natural Attraction, Willie Cruise and My Domain in the sixth and La Martina and Film Critic in the seventh.

Winners: Previous Day/Meet Total: 5/49. Money: Previous Day/Meet Total: $21.60/$269.40. Total money bet: $308.