Sherwood Park potential key in carryover

ARCADIA, Calif. - Sherwood Park may be a key on many pick-six tickets at Santa Anita on Thursday, a program that begins with a huge one-day pick-six carryover of $231,863.

returned from an eight-month layoff last month to nearly score the second victory of his four-race career. He rallied from well off the pace and took the lead in the stretch before losing by a neck.

Thursday at Santa Anita, Sherwood Park will be favored to secure his second win when he starts in a $50,000 allowance race at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course.

The hillside allowance race is the seventh race on an eight-race program.

The pick six covers the third through eighth races, all of which are sprints. There is one race at six furlongs for 4-year-old claiming fillies; two on the hillside course - a $35,000 claimer and the Sherwood Park race; and three over 5 1/2 furlongs - for $10,000 claimers, for $32,000 claimers, and a maiden claimer.

Sherwood Park will be favored in the seventh race, which drew 14 entries but will have a safety limit of 10 starters.

The race will be the shortest of Sherwood Park's career. Last year, Sherwood Park made two starts at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Hollywood Park, finishing seventh in his debut after a poor start and leading throughout a maiden race.

Drysdale considered starting Sherwood Park in an allowance race at 1 1/4 miles on turf on March 4, but thought that Thursday's distance would be more appropriate for the 4-year-old colt's second start of the year.

"We didn't think he'd be ready for a mile and a quarter," Drysdale said. "He needs more experience."

Sherwood Park will be coming from well off the pace, and must catch Miracle Maker, Seminole Native, and Yankelevitz.

finished second in a $62,500 claimer on the hillside turf course on Jan. 19, his first start since April. Trained by Mike Machowsky, Miracle Maker has never been worse than fourth in four starts on turf.

beat fellow California-breds in an allowance race on the hillside turf course on Jan. 13, and is unbeaten in two starts on the course.

Yankelevitz beat maidens in a hillside sprint on Feb. 1, his sixth start.

A closer with a decent chance is More Dust, trained by Bobby Frankel. More Dust won a $40,000 claimer on the hillside course on Jan. 7, his first victory in the U.S.