The Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 was solved Friday, but a pair of pools were not, creating an even bigger day for horseplayers on Saturday at the two 1/ST Racing tracks.
The mandatory payout in Gulfstream Park’s All-Stakes Rainbow 6 with a carryover of over $311K will understandably steal the spotlight later today, but do not snooze on the Sunset 6. The 15% takeout, $1 minimum, retail only wager went unsolved for the second day leading to a carryover into Pegasus Day of over $41K. For those not familiar, the Sunset 6 consists of the last three races at both Gulfstream and Santa Anita. Therefore, today’s sequence kicks off with the Inside Information (G2), Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1), and Pegasus World Cup (G1), then concludes with the last three from the Great Race Place. You can find my thoughts on the Gulfstream races on my “Pegasus Day All-Stakes Rainbow Pick 6 Analysis” blog from Friday. Below are my takes on the final three from Santa Anita, which also comprise the 15% takeout, $3 Late Pick 3.
Grade Descriptions: Grade A=Highest degree of confidence; Grade B=Solid Play. Grade C=Least preferred or pass; Grade X=probable winner but likely at odds too short to play.
Santa Anita Race 7:
Grade: B
Main Ticket: 10 Resolve; 5 Willa T
Backups: None
Forecast: This 1 1/8-miles event over the grass for first-level allowance foes looks like a two-horse race where I give the slight nod to #10 Resolve. The daughter of Midnight Lute was done no favors at the draw, but gets a massive rider upgrade to jockey Hector Berrios. Two-back she was likely best against similar competition at Del Mar, but moved way too early and was beaten in the lane. Last out, she struggled to relax early in the American Oaks (G1), yet still had some run late. She is just 1 for 14 and drawn to the far outside, but I still like her chances. #5 Willa T also exits graded stakes company where she was never involved early and raced against the flow. Expect her to be more prominent on the quick turnaround for Tim Yakteen.
Santa Anita Race 8: La Canada (G3)
Grade: X
Main Ticket: 4 Brilliantly
Backups: None
Forecast: The featured event in Arcadia also looks like a two-filly race. The Doug O’Neill barn has been hot, so I respect the chances of #3 So There She Was, but I expect her to be in chase mode throughout. She is likely to be chasing #4 Brilliantly. The daughter of Uncle Mo stretches out to two-turns after a pair of tries sprinting since returning off the layoff for Bob Baffert. She has a lot of early speed, but was beaten out of the gate by her stablemate in the La Brea (G1). The addition of blinkers and the added ground should ensure this $500k Keeneland September 2023 purchase gets to the front. I expect her to seal the deal as well.
Santa Anita Race 9:
Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 6 Fancy Facts
Backups: None
Forecast: The pace should be honest at the very least in this 6-furlong dash over the sod, but I am going to hope #6 Fancy Facts can still find her way to the wire first. The Factor filly drops back into the state-bred ranks after being ridden aggressively by jockey Kazushi Kimura at Del Mar in late November. She understandably ended up tiring late, but lost by just a length in the end. Her speed and the decrease in competition should make her tough to catch late in the Saturday finale.
Best of luck!
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