Santa Anita Handicap 2025 Analysis

By Jarrod Horak

The Grade 1, $300,000 Santa Anita Handicap is the 10th race at Santa Anita Park on Saturday, March 1. Nine horses will face the starter and Locked is the 3-2 morning line favorite.

Santa Anita Handicap field: 1 – Express Train (10-1), 2 – New King (8-1), 3 – Hit Show (5-2), 4 – J B Strikes Back (30-1), 5 – Mirahmadi (6-1), 6 – Katonah (8-1), 7 – Locked (3-2), 8 – Midnight Mammoth (30-1), 9 – Tarantino (12-1).

Santa Anita Handicap Analysis

Four horses figure to mix it up early (J B Strikes Back, Mirahmadi, Midnight Mammoth, Tarrantino) and the pace should be legit. 

Hit Show captured four of his last five graded dirt routes. He won three straight graded races last year, and started 2025 with a last-to-first score as the favorite in the Louisiana (G3) in the slop at Fair Grounds on Jan. 18. Brad Cox’s versatile horse owns quality speed ratings and he reconnects with Flavien Prat. 

Locked was part of the trifecta in all seven starts. He won the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) in 2023 and tallied in the Cigar Mile (G2) last year. He rallied wide from post 10 to land the place behind romping winner White Abarrio in the Pegasus World Cup (G1) on Jan. 25. He adds blinkers and reunites with his 2023 pilot Jose Ortiz. 

New King exits a fast local optional-claiming win as the favorite at 1 1/16 miles on Feb. 2. Bob Baffert’s lightly raced colt should work out a decent stalking trip in his longest and toughest career test. 

Express Train figures to save ground behind lively splits. The 8-year-old horse is a multiple graded winner and he captured this event in 2022, and has not won since. He missed all of 2023, and was third in the Kona Gold and Grade 2 San Diego last year. He returned from a layoff of five months and split an 8-horse field in the Grade 2 Laffit Pincay, Jr. on Dec. 26, and he stalked, led, and landed the place in the  San Pasqual (G2) on Jan. 25. Hector Berrios got acquainted with him last time and he might hit the board in his third start after a layoff. 

Santa Anita Handicap Video