Sunday is Rainbow 6 Mandatory Payout Day at Santa Anita, and the Pick 6 marks the return of highly regarded 3-year-old Roadster, who has been away from the races since a troubled 16th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby six weeks ago.

Roadster resurfaces Sunday in the Grade 3 Affirmed Stakes, and it looks like Bob Baffert wants to get this one in a big way. Only six horses are in the 1 1-16th-mile race on the main track, and half are trained by the Hall of Famer.

It’s a reunion of Roadster and jockey Mike Smith, who rode the Quality Road colt in his first four starts and then opted out when he committed to Omaha Beach, who was withdrawn. Smith finished 11th on Cutting Humor. Florent Geroux was aboard Roadster, who was clearly didn’t enjoy the ‘off’ conditions and was very ride throughout. The Derby is an absolute toss-out for Roadster and a return to good form is probable. He won the Santa Anita Derby over Game Winner and Instagrand and is back to much friendlier environs.

Roadster is joined by stablemates Kingly and Mucho Gusto. Kingly hasn’t seen this level of competition and his success has come at Golden Gate Fields. Meanwhile, Mucho Gusto is a three-time graded winner and will give fits to any rival bent on getting the lead.

Mucho Gusto is a gate-to-wire threat but Roadster looks like the classier model and can recover from the Derby doldrums. Despite the 20-cent minimum on the Pick Six, it’s easy to run up the cost. A single on Roadster is the choice here, and that opens a lot of other races in which to spread out. That looks like a necessity as the early races are highly competitive. The suggested ticket here follows a 5x3x4x3x1x2 approach.

Here’s a suggested ticket for the mandatory payout Rainbow 6 at Santa Anita on Sunday:

Race 4: #2 Top Brass, #3 American Currency, #4 Tough But Nice, #6 Giddymeister, #7 Puriano
Race 5: #3 Mucho Unusual, #5 All Star Cast, #8 Ladymidtown
Race 6: #1 Smiling Rose, #3 Rather Nosy, #5 Tapitha Bonita, #7 Convince
Race 7: #1 Zaffinah, #2 Pantsonfire, #5 Lynne’s Legacy
Race 8: #5 Roadster
Race 9: #8 Boru, #10 Zorich

20-cent Rainbow 6: 2-3-4-6-7 with 3-5-8 with 1-3-5-7 with 1-2-5 with 5 with 8-10 ($72)