How to bet Santa Anita's $30,835 Super High 5 carryover

No one managed to hit the $1 Super High 5 in either of the final two races on Saturday at Santa Anita, which means Sunday’s card features an enticing $30,835 non-jackpot Super High 5 carryover.

The prize pool is available to chase right off the bat in Race 1, a maiden special weight for fillies and mares sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs on turf. Eight horses have been entered, which equates to 6,720 possible outcomes.

At first glance, morning-line favorite #4 Phenom (9-5) seems like a logical choice. The three-year-old filly ran second in a six-furlong sprint over this course and class level on Oct. 8, beaten one length. That marked Phenom’s first start off a seven-month break, and since trainer Phil D’Amato strikes at a 21% rate with horses running for the second time following a layoff, Phenom figures to produce another strong effort on Sunday.

But Phenom’s 0-for-6 lifetime record is cause for pause, and she’s facing several rivals with potential for improvement. #2 Infinite Empire (3-1), for example, finished fourth by one length in her lone turf start racing 1 1/16 miles against maiden special weight company at Del Mar. Cutting back in distance may trigger a winning run.

The same goes for #3 Albayaader (4-1), most recently fourth in a one-mile maiden special weight over the Santa Anita lawn. And don’t forget about #7 Side by Side (12-1), who finished just 1 3/4 lengths behind Phenom after carving out a quick pace on Oct. 8. That effort marked Side by Side’s turf debut, and she’s eligible to improve on Sunday if she escapes with slower fractions up front.

So how should we bet the Super High 5? We recommend playing two tickets. The first will key Phenom on top while emphasizing Infinite Empire, Albayaader, and Side by Side underneath. The second will play the latter three on top while keying Phenom in second place.

We’ll throw in #5 Rebel Girl (10-1) and #6 Saddle Up Jessie (6-1) for fourth and fifth place.

• $1 Super High 5: 4 with 2,3,7 with 2,3,7 with 2,3,5,6,7 with 2,3,5,6,7 ($36)
• $1 Super High 5: 2,3,7 with 4 with 2,3,7 with 2,3,5,6,7 with 2,3,5,6,7 ($36)
  Total: $72

Good luck!