Spriggzee Will Have Plenty of Competition in the Seventh

Three of the five horses scheduled to run in the seventh race at Santa Anita today enter off victories.

The sharpest is probably Spriggzee. A 6-year-old son of Gulch, he has won three of his last four and will be moving up in class today after being claimed for $40,000 by trainer Ted H. West for owner Jeffrey Sengara.

Spriggzee, who won by 3 1/4 lengths as the 19-10 favorite the day he was claimed, has won his last three races around two turns. Corey Nakatani will keep the mount today in the $62,000 optional claimer at one mile. The race is part of a pick six with a carry-over of $82,655.

Gallardo, a 4-year-old Running Stag ridgeling, ran the best race of his career on March 16. The Florida-bred won an allowance by seven lengths at nearly 11-1 for owners Patti and Hal Earnhardt III and trainer Bob Baffert, who also entered Devil’s Bay this afternoon.

Primerica also won his last start. An 8-year-old Mr. Greeley gelding, he won by half a length as the 11-10 choice March 1 and was re-claimed for $50,000 by trainer Mike Mitchell, who had lost the veteran for the same price Jan. 29.

Power Boy, who hasn’t run since last May 26 at Hollywood Park, completes the field. Trained by Ron Ellis, Power Boy, a 6-year-old Walter Willy gelding, has won twice in four tries on the Santa Anita main track.

Race of the day: Artie Schiller, who hasn’t run since winning the Breeders’ Cup Mile at 5-1 last Oct. 29 at Belmont Park, will run in the $250,000 Maker’s Mark today at Keeneland. Garrett Gomez will ride the 5-year-old El Prado horse for Timber Bay Farm and Mrs. Thomas Walsh and trainer Jimmy Jerkens in the Grade II at one mile on turf. Artie Schiller won the 2005 Maker’s Mark by 2 1/4 lengths as the 3-2 favorite.

One for the road: Men’s Club should get a contested pace to chase and can be along in time with a slight drop in class in the sixth race today at Aqueduct. Channing Hill will ride the 3-year-old Brahms colt for Vinery Stables and trainer Steve Asmussen in the $46,000 optional claimer at one mile.

Exotically speaking: A pick three using Snoden, Summer Survivor and Cousin Joe in the third, Paint It Black in the fourth and Tabor, Victorville, Ghazwan and Get Funky in the fifth.

Winners: (previous day/meet total): 3/229. Money: (previous day/meet total): $22.60/$1,308.20. Total money bet: $1,348.