Perfect Set may be key to $311,100 pick six carryover
ARCADIA, Calif. – Bettors are expected to wager more than $1 million on the pick six Thursday at Santa Anita, where a two-day, $311,100 carryover is up for grabs. The sequence is on races 3-8.
Race 3: Suavemente, a first-time gelding with worlds of speed, is the one to catch in this $50,000 maiden-claiming sprint for California-bred 2-year-olds. He hit the board in both of his starts in the spring at 4 1/2 furlongs and will try to stretch his speed to 5 1/2 furlongs.
Rivals include second-time starters Collect the Debt and Hopelessly in Love; the longshot front-runner B K All the Way; and the closer Star Express.
Race 4: Lucky to Win will be tough in this maiden special weight for statebred 2-year-old fillies if she runs as well as she works. The Sean McCarthy-trained Lucky to Win turned in a visually impressive gate work last Friday, going five furlongs under Rafael Bejarano in 1:00.20. She finished well while running away from two unraced maidens trained by Bob Baffert.
“She’s got speed and some grit,” said McCarthy. “She’s certainly training the right way. She should run well.”
Easy Grader has an experience edge. The diminutive filly was favored in her debut, chased a fast pace, and tired to fourth.
“I think she’ll move up,” said trainer Eddie Truman. “How much, I don’t know.”
Hurricaine Callie finished second in three straight California-bred maiden races. Late ’n Left returns from a three-month layoff. Her runner-up debut in June puts her in the hunt.
Race 5: A one-mile turf race for older $50,000 maiden-claiming runners attracted a modest field. Selection ran well on the course in March but is a 10-start maiden. Broken Up has finished in the money in all three of his starts. Junior G Man drops in class but also is a 10-start maiden. Arms War makes his second start after splitting the field in his debut. Unusually Big missed by a nose in his most recent start at Santa Anita. Eight will start, and the only way to guarantee pick six survival is to use all.
Race 6: Perfect Set might be the most heavily favored runner on the card in this $16,000 claiming starter allowance. Since being claimed in April by Jerry Hollendorfer, he has won 3 of 5, including two recent allowances.
Hollendorfer assistant Dan Ward explained the gelding’s improvement.
“He’d run [23] times and was always coming from way out of it,” said Ward. “He was 6 years old and had never had blinkers. We put blinkers on him, and it really got him running.”
The main rival for Perfect Set is Ike Walker, who should be pressing the pace outside.
Race 7: Abbey Vale and Wanstead Gardens are the principals in this third-level turf allowance at 1 1/4 miles. The distance could be a challenge for Abbey Vale, who tired in both recent tries at the distance, but one of those starts was over a boggy course, and the other was his recent comeback.
Phil D’Amato trains Abbey Vale, while Neil French trains the impressive N2X winner Wanstead Gardens, who crushed Texas Ryano last out by more than three lengths. Texas Ryano returned to defeat Abbey Vale by two.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 4 Abbey Vale. Trainer Phil D’Amato is 27-8-3-5 with a $3.37 ROI over the past two years in turf routes in the second start following a layoff. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 5 Flamboyant. Trainer Patrick Gallagher is 24-1-4-1 with a $0.36 ROI over the past five years with jockey Brice Blanc aboard. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Race 8: Devil Rising is the controlling speed in this $16,000 claiming sprint (N3L) at 5 1/2 furlongs. He has a tactical edge over deep closers Secret Command and Market Notes.