ARCADIA, Calif. – A veteran gelding and a pair of lightly raced 3-year-old fillies try to extend the season-long trend of winning favorites in a trio of races Friday at Santa Anita. Cowboy Mike looks like a slam dunk in race 6, a second-level allowance at one mile on dirt. Canto Della Terra stretches to one mile on turf in race 7 following an impressive maiden win in her U.S. debut. Fast-working firster Brilliantly launches her career in race 8, a maiden sprint on dirt. Cowboy Mike, Canto Della Terra, and Brilliantly are program favorites at a meet where chalk is tough to beat. Favorites won 22 of 38 last week, and 127 of 260 at the meet. It’s a 49 percent win rate for favorites, and flat-bet profit based on $2 win bets: total return $570, from $520 wagered. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. Race 6: Favorite Cowboy Mike is likely to set the pace as he stretches out from a runner-up sprint. Bob Baffert trains the 4-for-14 gelding for owner-breeder Connie Pageler, and Juan Hernandez will ride. Cowboy Mike has two wins and a second from three dirt routes at Santa Anita, and is listed at 7-5 on the morning line. If Cowboy Mike makes the lead as expected, the race could be over early. Barely Funtional drops from a sixth-place finish in a turf stakes, Manitowish stretches out and might influence the pace, stakes winner Ill Bellator makes his first start since August, last-out maiden-claiming winner Malibu Rocks is racing above his eligibility as the longest shot in the field. Race 7: Favorite Canto Della Terra scored a sharp maiden victory Jan. 19 in her U.S. debut at six furlongs on turf, after which trainer Phil D’Amato nominated her to the Sweet Life Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on Feb. 9. It was too quick back, and D’Amato waited for Friday’s entry-level allowance. Frankie Dettori rides Canto Della Terra, the 2-1 program favorite in her first route. The main challenger is Amorita, who won a maiden turf mile in November and was a contender Jan. 24 in an allowance turf route. Amorita lost the race before it began. “She hesitated walking up to the gate, something set her off,” trainer Richard Mandella said. “She’s got a temper.” When jockey Tiago Pereira asked her, Amorita took off “like a scalded cat,” Mandella said. Amorita opened a six-length lead after a blistering 45.42-second half-mile, and understandably faded in the lane. “She’s pretty good most of the time, but she can lose it, too,” Mandella said. Dettori takes over on Amorita, who is the main rival for stretch-out favorite Canto Della Terra. Others entered include California Cup Oaks winner Take Another Card, last-out allowance runner-up Resolve, dirt stakes winner/turf stakes-placed Tequilaandtherapy, and last-out maiden winner Firenze Flavor. Race 8: First-time starter Brilliantly was entered in a similar maiden sprint Jan. 24 off a string of flashy works. But a bug was going through trainer Baffert’s stable and Brilliantly was scratched when she showed signs of coming down with something. It was over quickly. Brilliantly, sired by Uncle Mo and listed as the 9-5 favorite, worked well since being scratched and will be ridden by Hernandez. But a first-time starter to her outside will make Brilliantly run. Formula Rossa has worked very well for trainer Mark Glatt, including a five-furlong gate work Feb. 11 in 1:01. Formula Rossa worked inside a mate and was always running easily. She is by Vekoma, whose progeny have won 20 percent first out. Glatt is 7 for 32 with debut fillies in maiden special weight dirt races the past five years. Mike Smith rides Formula Rossa, listed at an attractive 5-1 as second choice in the program. ◗ The only stakes this week at Santa Anita is the $100,000 Wishing Well for filly and mare turf sprinters on Saturday. The Wishing Well, race 3, includes Queen Maxima, Stay and Scam, and Laulne. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.