Headley has key to pick six

ARCADIA, Calif. - Anything less than two wins at Santa Anita on Thursday will be a disappointment for trainer Bruce Headley.

Anything less than a conquest of the pick six, which has a $186,350 carryover, will be a disappointment for many bettors.

On an eight-race program, Headley has two likely favorites - Diamond Tiara in the second race, a $54,000 allowance race for 3-year-old fillies, and Grand Appointment in the seventh race, a $54,000 allowance race for California-breds. Grand Appointment will appear on thousands of pick six tickets.

The pick six covers races 3 through 8.

The third is a sprint for 3-year-old claimers that drew eight entrants. Odd Testamony, the winner of a maiden claimer on Jan. 17, is a leading contender.

The fourth race, an optional claimer over a mile on turf, is open, with Toqueville, Special Ring, and Lily's Lad capable of winning. Promontory Gold, trained by Bobby Frankel, seeks his first win since the Grade 3 Hill Prince Stakes at Belmont Park in 2000. He has made one start since, finishing fifth here on Dec. 31.

Blazing Deputy, the sharp winner of a maiden claimer on Jan. 24, has a good chance to win the fifth race, a six-furlong starter allowance for 3-year-old fillies. She is a stalker in a race loaded with speed.

The jockey-trainer team of Laffit Pincay Jr. and Bill Spawr has the favorite in the sixth in Yankee Pirate.

Grand Appointment drew the rail and has nine opponents in a race loaded with speed. Vixen Storm, a closer, adds blinkers in an attempt to end a four-race losing streak. He was third in the California Cup Classic last November at 72-1.

Grand Appointment has one win in four starts, the victory coming in a maiden race at Hollywood Park last May when he was trained by Vladimir Cerin. For Headley, Grand Appointment was fifth in a seven-furlong allowance race on Dec. 30 and second by a half-length on Jan. 17.

"I look for him to be a good horse," Headley said.

The finale is for maiden claimers over 5 1/2 furlongs. Of the 11 entrants, only B Swift, coming off a pair of second-place finishes, finished higher than fourth in his last start.

In the second race, Headley is hoping that Diamond Tiara can win over a mile and earn a berth in the $300,000 Santa Anita Oaks on March 9.

"She's another champion on the way," Headley said. "She looks like it and acts like it."

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