$1.25 million in Golden Pick 6 jackpot for Thursday
One or more bettors will collect more than $1.25 million at Golden Gate Fields this week by picking six straight winners.
The Golden Pick 6 jackpot has grown to $1,250,825 going into Thursday’s races, and if no one has a unique winning ticket Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, then the entire jackpot pool will be distributed to all those picking six winners on Sunday, the final day of the meet.
Here is a look at the Golden Pick 6 races for Thursday:
Race 3: Cleverly Beverly is the 7-5 morning-line choice in a field of six fillies and mares going one mile on the turf. Cleverly Beverly is in for a $10,500 tag; the rest are in for $12,500.
Cleverly Beverly has two wins and a second in her last three starts, all turf races at Turf Paradise, and has a 1-1-1 record in six starts over the Golden Gate turf.
French Tart, listed at 8-1, comes in looking sharp. She’s stepping up in class, but she’s won three straight, including her first turf victory.
Race 4: Fast Escape is 9-5 in this $16,000 maiden claimer for 3-year-old fillies going 5 1/2 furlongs. Making her first start since last Aug. 20, she has a nice sprinkling of bullet works at Pleasanton for a barn that wins at a rate of 21 percent, with a positive ROI, with horses off similar layoffs. Barcelo, 2-1, makes her first start for a tag since losing by a neck for $25,000 in her debut.
There are three first-timers in this field, and they have one similarity: None of their trainers has won with a debut runner over the past two years.
American Lioness, at 15-1 the longest shot in the field, lost by a head in her 2016 debut at this distance.
Race 5: Chutney is dropping in class and might be attractive in his third start of the year. But he’s the 3-1 second choice in this $6,250 sprint, and with Russell Baze riding, he probably won’t be drifting up.
Our Maserati (10-1) beat weaker here in impressive style two back and was claimed but then ran last against Quarter Horses at Los Alamitos. Valentino Bill (20-1), returning from seven weeks on the sidelines, beat basement claimers in his last start and hails from a barn winning at a 20 percent clip.
Race 6: Mistaken Identity is 6-5 to win his sixth straight, including a pair at this level. He comes into this $4,000 starter allowance at 1 1/16 miles on turf off a four-length win in allowance company. Tropical Heat (6-1) and Sure Victory (10-1) are possible separators.
Race 7: Pridelander is also 6-5 to win an $8,000 maiden claimer for 3-year-old fillies at a mile. This will be her first start on a synthetic surface. The 6-1 Safe World has been third in her last two starts, and she can’t seem to get past the second choice in here, 5-2 Silver Ice.
Race 8: Twelve fillies and mares go one mile on turf in the $12,500-claiming nightcap. Lirica Heat, the 9-5 favorite, graduated in her first race over the course two back and was third against better last time. The 10-1 Miss Lori is a 3-year-old filly facing older. She showed improvement in her last start.
Rose Among Thorns is by the turf millionaire Thorn Song and out of a dam who was stakes-placed on turf. She held on to win her Feb. 12 debut at the bottom level, and this will be her second start.