After a Santa Anita Derby Day where So Happy found another gear late to run down favored Potente, it is Closing Day of the Classic Meet. This means mandatory payouts in all pools, including a trio of carryovers. The two-track $2 Sunset Pick Six has a two-day carryover of $54,824, the $1 Super High Five has $36,476 that must go, while the traditional $2 Pick 6 has almost $97,983. It should be a massive afternoon of wagering to close out the stand. Sunset 6 races will be Gulfstream 8-10 as well as Santa Anita 8-10.It should be a massive afternoon of wagering to close out the stand. Here is how I see the final Pick 6 of the Santa Anita meet.
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.
Race 5:
Grade: C+
Main Ticket: 5 Goje
Backups: 4 Taking a Joy Ride; 1 Christa McAuliffe
Forecast: The sequence gets started with a state-bred MSW at 5.5-furlongs where I had a difficult time being creative. #5 Goje appears the clear one to beat after a pair of speed and fade efforts for trainer George Papaprodromou. He cuts the Audible filly back in distance and moves her back to the dirt for her fourth lifetime start. If she makes the front again today, she is likely to prove tough to catch. #4 Taking a Joy Ride is the only first-time starter I can make much of a case for. Trainer Craig Lewis legs up jockey Juan Hernandez on this daughter of Clubhouse Ride who comes in off a steady series of local drills.
Race 6:
Grade: C+
Main Ticket: 7 Smart Code
Backups: 4 Gregory’s Pride
Forecast: It is difficult to trust #4 Gregory’s Pride and #7 Smart Code in a vacuum, but both get significant class relief on Sunday dropping into this non-winners of three $30k claimer over the lawn. I prefer #7 Smart Code. The son of Honor Code has had favorable voyages of late and been unable to make a serious impact, but they came against starter allowance foes. Kazushi Kimura should be able to work out a perfect stalking trip off a contentious early pace. If they go too fast early, #4 Gregory’s Pride is likely to be making the final move. The 8YO gelding has not seen the winner’s circle in a while, but gets his first chance against claiming foes. Antonio Fresu takes the call.
Race 7:
Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 1 La Silenciosa
Backups: None
Forecast: I will take a stand in this state-bred MSW event at 5.5-furlongs over the main track with second-time starter #1 La Silenciosa. The daughter of Known Agenda makes her second career start after breaking slowly on debut, but putting in a solid run against the flow to earn third. Trainer Victor Garcia adds blinkers to this $85,000 FTCAYR 2024 purchase. If she gets out of the gate in better order, she should handle a field comprised of several runners without experience. Emisael Jaramillo has had an outstanding first winter in Arcadia. He will be back onboard.
Race 8: Providencia
Grade: B
Main Ticket: 3 Inbox; 5 Lilo Lil
Backups: 1 Darya
Forecast: #3 Inbox makes her second start in the States for trainer Phil D’Amato and first against stakes foes in the closing day feature. The British-bred was impressive besting a field of maidens in late January and has seemingly been pointed to this spot since by the best turf trainer on the west coast. She should make it 2 for 2 over this surface if she gets enough pace to chase. That is the big question though, so I will also use a price horse that I expect to make the lead. #5 Lilo Lil enters the Providencia as a maiden, but gets an important rider change to Emisael Jaramillo. Jaramillo is one of the best in the game at getting his horse into the race early and that could be exactly what this filly needs to be at her best. With a clean break, expect this daughter of Caravaggio to be prominently placed in a race where that very well could be the key to victory.
Race 9:
Grade: B
Main Ticket: 7 Chasin Munny; 4 Four O Six Creed
Backups: 2 Broadway Unions
Forecast: There should be an honest early tempo in this optional claimer over the main track, which hopefully can help get us some separation from the public within the sequence. That’s because the two ML favorites are two of the runners I hope to duel each other into defeat. #1 Dirty Words and #6 Captain Sparrow both should take money and should be involved early. I prefer #7 Chasin Munny. Trainer Librado Barocio has had an outstanding Classic Meet. He sends this 9YO gelding out for his second start off a one-year layoff after tackling much better in his return race on March 21. He should find a perfect stalking trip off the early leaders. I will also use #4 Four O Six Creed. The Jeff Mullins trainee also gets class relief after a pair of poor efforts to kick off his 6YO season. The rider upgrade to Juan Hernandez and the decrease in competition has a big chance to wake him up.
Race 10:
Grade: C+
Main Ticket: 8 Precision; 4 Tribal; 5 Milbo Baggins; 6 Six Magpies; 7 Dynodave
Backups: None
Forecast: The finale is a head scratcher, but a race where I will take a stand against a favorite that is likely to be over bet due to his competition. #3 Goodfella is listed as the 5-2-ML choice and should take at least that much money. The Irish-bred gelding comes in having run second in 3 of his last 4 starts, but has struggled to win races evidenced by his 1 for 17-record. A deeper dive into the Michael McCarthy trainee shows his only win came via DQ as the 1-9-favorite two-back at Turf Paradise. He is as capable as anyone of winning the final race of the meet, but the tote will suggest he has a much stronger chance than most others. I will fade the underlay and use several in hopes of closing things out with a solid price.
Good luck on Closing Day!
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