Golden Hour Late Pick 4 a bettor friendly addition to Santa Anita and Golden Gate wagering menu

ARCADIA, Calif. – A new $1 wager combining the final two races at Santa Anita and the final two at Golden Gate will debut Friday as one of the least expensive wagers in California.

The 15 percent takeout for the Golden Hour Late Pick 4 ranks only behind the 14 percent early pick five in takeout among California wagers. The new daily wager begins with the next to last race at Santa Anita, followed in order by the next to last at Golden Gate, final at Santa Anita, and final at Golden Gate.

For bettors, the wager’s key attribute is takeout. For Golden Gate, the benefit is exposure.

“We always try to have a competitive last race,” Golden Gate racing secretary Patrick Mackey said. “It’s a get-out race for around the country. Now with the pick four, we’re going to try to do that with the last two races and hope we can get as many eyes on our races as possible.”

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At Santa Anita, racing secretary Steve Lym said: “We sort of load up the back end of the card anyhow. We’re going to try to put decent races as the last two races of the day. Obviously, I don’t want a 1-9 shot.”

The final races Friday at Santa Anita are a turf allowance and a maiden-claiming sprint; Golden Gate carded a turf allowance and a main-track allowance sprint. The inaugural Golden Hour Late Pick 4 links Santa Anita race 9, Golden Gate race 8, Santa Anita race 10, and Golden Gate race 9. Below is a look at the sequence.

Santa Anita 9

Class-drop front-runner KITTY BOOM BOOM (3) could lead gate to wire in this entry-level allowance for fillies and mares at a mile on turf. Sharp Cal-bred allowance winner NICE ICE (4) should get an ideal trip positioned second behind the speed.

Golden Gate 8

Stakes winner OUR SILVER OAK (1) should improve second start back for the meet-leading trainer-jockey combo of Jonathan Wong and Evan Roman. SHADRACK (5) returned to form last out when he returned to his favorite turf course at Golden Gate.

Santa Anita 10

Class-drop front-runner SCREAM AND SHOUT (14) and comeback closer MISS GEORGIE GAL (6) stand out. Scream and Shout drops to the maiden-20 bottom for the first time; Miss Georgie Gal returns for trainer Andrew Lerner and jockey Flavien Prat, who have won with nine of their last 17 starters as a team. FADED LOVE (3) makes her second start for an outfit that occasionally pops with second-start maidens.

Golden Gate 9

A cutback to 5 1/2 furlongs benefits NO COVER CHARGE (9) in this entry-level sprint for 3-year-old fillies on the main track. A speedster drawn outside her pace rivals, No Cover Charge should be tough at this shorter trip.

◗ The $12 ticket: 3, 4 with 1, 5 with 3, 6, 14, with 9.