Hersh: How I'd play Santa Anita for Sunday, March 20

The featured Las Flores Stakes comes early, race 3, and we’ll pass over that and all the early races and look to the back end of a decent Sunday card for action at Santa Anita.. The late pick four spanning races 6-9 starts with a deep, interesting second-level turf-route allowance and includes a potential single in a stakes race, and that’s where the focus lies.

In race 6, Boozer (#3) is a win bet if he stick close to his 4-1 morning line odds, but I’m skeptical that will be the case. He’s a 6-year-old but really only hit peak form starting in January 2015, and he came back from a layoff last fall looking just as good. Only horses to beat him in routes the last 14-plus months are What a View, Alert Bay, and Talco, all of whom have won graded turf stakes the last two calendar years. He’s got a versatile lead-press-stalk style, and will be a pick four key if nothing else.

In race 7, Trinitas Soldier is a potential win play or exacta key at something like 8-1 morning-line odds. First-time gelding, blinkers off, class relief, good trainer stats in several pertinent categories. Relegating the two favorites to backup status here.

In race 8, Denman’s Call hung in admirably against two of the better 3-year-olds in North America, Nyquist and Exaggerator, and that in just his second career start. The turn back from seven to six furlongs does not hurt at all.

In race 9, some sort of non-absurdist case could be made for all 10 in the main body of the field, and I would much rather narrow the ticket in the races where I have an opinion than get knocked out of the cashing leg by any of these steeds.

Race 6
A – Boozer (#3)
B – De Treville (#1), Perfectly Majestic (#5)

Race 7
A – Trinitas Soldier (#5), Opportunistic (#8)
B – Fashionably Handsome (#4), Latest Craze (#6)

Race 8
A – Denman’s Call (#5)
B – Toews On Ice (#6)
C – Mt Veeder (#1), Iron Rob (#3)

Race 9

A – Larry Birdstone (#1), Aren Vaughn (#3), Fishel (#4), Broken Up (#7)
B – Seedsnstemsagain (#2), Boone Docks (#5), Woody’s Folly (#6), Village Kitten (#8), Bronzino (#9)
C – Popsracer (#10)

Ticket cost: $74 with 50-cent base
Budget alternative $36 - Single Boozer (#3) in race 6, eliminate the two “C” plays in race 8.

:: See Marcus Hersh’s pick four play in DRF TicketMaker and bet it with DRF Bets