The racing week at Santa Anita Park kicks off with a bang later today when there is not only a $20,078 carryover in the Sunset Six Pick 6, but also a juicy $58,868 carryover in the traditional $2 Pick 6. The wager gets started at 5:37 PM eastern/2:37 PM eastern and is extremely approachable with a small or medium sized budget.


Grade Descriptions: Grade A=Highest degree of confidence; Grade B=Solid Play. Grade C=Least preferred or pass; Grade X=probable winner but likely at odds too short to play.

Race 4:
Grade: C
Main Ticket: 1 Rock N Roll Song; 5 Respect the Crown; 4 Honorable Gal
Backups: None

Forecast: There is not much early speed signed on in this open $6250 claimer to kick things off. #4 Honorable Gal should make the lead, but is 0 for 4 over this surface and has not raced since last August making her tough to fully trust. That said, she should take them a long way under jockey Ricardo Ramirez. I will use her along with two other logicals to kick things off in a race where I lack creativity and a strong opinion.


Race 5:
Grade: C+
Main Ticket: 1 Saharian
Backups: 3 Gallatin

Forecast: I will roll with a pair of class droppers in this $50k maiden claimer at one-mile over the grass, including top choice #1 Saharian. The son of Blame has been outrun in three starts to kick off his career for trainer Jeff Mullins, but all came against stronger competition. The inside draw should lead to a career best performance with Emisael Jaramillo jumping aboard for the first time. #3 Gallatin is less exposed, but took no money on debut for the Jonathan Thomas barn. Thomas wastes no time dropping the homebred in for a tag and trying the sod. Lots of questions to answer making 8-5 a bit short, but he will not have to be much to be competitive against these.


Race 6:
Grade: X
Main Ticket: 2 Sendit Mo
Backups: None

Forecast: Like many, I will be all in on #2 Sendit Mo in this $25k claimer for 3YOs at 5.5-furlongs. The son of Yaupon has taken on better through all 7 career starts for trainer Peter Miller. Miller has had a tough meet and appears to be dropping to get himself a much-needed victory in Arcadia. The veteran conditioner’s last win at the Great Race Place came on February 6. The blinkers go on this filly that should have no issue handling this compact group of 6.


Race 7:
Grade: X
Main Ticket: 4 Troisieme Etoile
Backups: None

Forecast: Another runner that appears tough to beat in the sequence is #4 Troisieme Etoile. The Reddam Racing homebred was backed heavily on debut before finishing a solid second after a less-than-ideal voyage. Trainer Doug O’Neill brought her back and stretched her out half a furlong further in career start number two and she delivered with a win going away in the end. Look for jockey Emisael Jaramillo to find a comfortable spot off a lively early tempo and take control mid-stretch in this state-bred first-level allowance for 3YO fillies.


Race 8:
Grade: B
Main Ticket: 5 Meridian Mae
Backups: 7 Stardialed

Forecast: I will take on 5-2-ML favorite #6 Memetic in this optional claimer at 6.5-furlongs over the main track. The Calumet farm filly has been disappointing in her two tries versus winners since breaking her maiden in impressive fashion to kick off her 3YO season. I will hope to get the jump on her with #5 Meridian Mae. The Mike Puype trainee dropped in for a tag for the first time on February 21 and it led to an easy 6+ length romp under jockey Kazushi Kimura. Kimura stays aboard this daughter of Stanford that should be prominent early in a race that does not appear to have a ton of early zip signed on. Hopefully, she breaks on top, controls the tempo, and makes it two wins in a row.


Race 9:
Grade: B
Main Ticket: 6 Imaboutago
Backups: None

Forecast: The sequence concludes with this allowance feature at 6-furlongs over the grass where I don’t trust the ML favorites. #8 Certitude has burnt a lot of money since her last win for trainer John Sadler. This includes a neck defeat at odds-on against similar when we saw her last in early February. I will let her and 5-2-second choice #7 Jungle Peace beat me. I like #6 Imaboutago. The Irish-bred makes her fourth start of the calendar year for trainer Leonard Powell after being outsprinted by a serious filly Gratefully in a restricted stake last month. Prior to that this 5YO mare rattled off a pair of efforts that squarely put her in the mix against these. Mirco Demuro was aboard her two-back when she won against similar at nearly 6-1. He will be back aboard this mare that was back on just 15 days rest last time out, but should be fully rested in the Friday finale.