Santa Anita: A single for the $63,127 Pick 6 carryover

There’s a $63,127 Pick 6 carryover awaiting bettors at Santa Anita on Sunday. And it’s a traditional (not jackpot) carryover, so all winning bettors will earn a share.

The Pick 6 gets underway in Race 3 (post time 5:07 p.m. ET), and Santa Anita estimates the final pool could reach the $500,000 range.

The feature event in the sequence is Race 7, the $100,000 Desert Stormer S. The six-furlong dirt dash has attracted seven fillies and mares, including a major wildcard: #6 Richi (2-1). The daughter of Practical Joke has won multiple Group 1 races in Chile and scored her most impressive victory racing about 1 1/4 miles, so cutting back to six furlongs for her U.S. debut is a significant question mark.

On the bright side, Richi has shown speed in morning workouts for trainer Bob Baffert, most notably clocking a bullet five furlongs from the Santa Anita starting gate in :59. It’s possible Richi will be sharp enough to win the Desert Stormer (she has won running as short as 6 1/2 furlongs), but complicating matters is the fact she’s facing a formidable field. #4 Anywho (5-2) is 3-for-4 sprinting and exits an eight-length victory in an $80,000 allowance optional claimer at Churchill Downs. #1 Chismosa (4-1) has been competing on turf as of late, but her dirt resume includes a win in the Las Flores (G3) and a runner-up finish in the Santa Monica (G2). And #7 Princess of Time (8-1) is 2-for-2 sprinting six furlongs at Santa Anita this year.

In other words, the Desert Stormer doesn’t look like a great spot in which to seek a single. If it’s a single you’re after, you might be better served checking out Race 8, a maiden special weight for California-bred fillies and mares sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs on turf.

Although 11 horses have entered, many bring uninspiring form to the table. That stands in stark contrast to #4 Moonlight Tryst (5-2), the morning line favorite after debuting with a runner-up finish in a six-furlong dirt sprint over this class level. The daughter of American Pharoah gained 4 1/2 lengths through the final furlong to miss by only a nose.

Switching to turf could trigger improvement from Moonlight Tryst, since American Pharoah sires 14% winners on grass. It helps that she’ll be ridden by Hector Berrios, a 20% winner on turf this year. If Moonlight Tryst moves forward at all, she’ll be tough to deny; hence our belief that she’s a viable Pick 6 single.

Good luck!