Shapiro on Sunday's Double Pick 6 Carryover at Santa Anita

by SCOTT SHAPIRO

 

Despite winning favorites to close the Saturday action at Santa Anita Park there is a two-day Pick 6 carryover of $133,642 starting with Race 4 on Sunday afternoon.

 

The pool that according to Santa Anita should reach near $750,000 offers racing fans a sequence that includes two stakes events and a reasonable chance to connect on six out of six with a limited budget.

 

Here are a few horses that I advise including on your Sunday Pick 6 ticket at “The Great Race Place.”

 

Race 5

 

#7 Williston Dude has failed to find the winners’ circle thus far in his career despite seven chances for former conditioner Matthew Chew. However, the five-year-old gelding was claimed on January 20 by trainer Mark Glatt and should be ready for a career best effort on Sunday afternoon.

 

Glatt adds blinkers to the son of First Dude and cuts him back from a mile and a sixteenth to seven furlongs as he takes on $20K maiden claimers for just the second time.

 

#2 Awesome Anywhere is the 8-5-morning line favorite in the second leg of the Pick 6 based on a speed and fade to second place effort on debut earlier this month. He will be dangerous if left alone on the front end. However, the son of Awesome of Course faced a real weak group on February 1 and took very little money at the windows going off at nearly 10-1. He ran well, but is far from unbeatable in this spot.

 

I am expecting a big move forward for Williston Dude on the barn upgrade and cutback to one turn. If jockey Joe Talamo can keep him within shouting distance early he should get the best of this group late for his first career victory.

 

Race 6

 

#3 The Tulip has failed to hit the board in each of her first two tries in the States for trainer Paddy Gallagher, but has shown she can run despite the disappointing efforts.

 

The daughter of French bred Lawman was well backed for her North American debut on New Years’ Day, but a lackluster ride from Hall of Famer Mike Smith had her too far back early before uncoiling a strong run along the rail good enough to earn fourth beaten less than two lengths.

 

Like many I expected the five-year-old mare to move forward and get her picture taken on February 1, but the Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners runner lost all of her momentum when coming with what appeared to be a strong wide rally from well off the pace. She finished dead last.

 

Gallagher wheels The Tulip back in less than three weeks after that puzzling effort earlier this month suggesting she came out of the race well. She takes on a much less talented group than she faced last time out and should be rolling late. I would not leave her off my ticket.

 

Race 8: The Grade 3 Las Flores

 

Sunday’s feature is the $100,000 Las Flores. The six-furlong event over the main track is for older fillies and mares and drew a compact field of 6.

 

#6 Selcourt is listed as the 6-5-morning line favorite off of a powerful seven and a half length score in the Kalookan Queen Stakes on January 14. The John Sadler trainee will be tough to beat if she replicates that effort last time out, but I am concerned with the presence of the other likely speed in #1 Princess Karen.

 

Princess Karen has little choice but to send from her rail draw, which is likely to lead to a contentious early pace. If Selcourt is unable to relax and gets caught up in an early duel she is going to struggle to hold off the run of #5 Skye Diamonds.

 

Skye Diamonds did little wrong in 2017 winning 5 of 7 races for veteran trainer Bill Spawr. The daughter of First Dude won both the Grade 2 Great Lady M at Los Alamitos and the Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo at Del Mar before a fourth place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

 

The five-year-old mare has reportedly been training extremely well leading up to her first start of 2018 and should sit the right trip under regular rider Tiago Pereira. Look for Pereira to make his move on the far turn and take control in the lane. The price will not be big, but she makes for a potential single in the penultimate leg of the Pick 6.

 

Good luck at taking down a share of what should be a very nice pool!

 

You can find my full card Daily Selections every day for the Southern California circuit here:

 

https://www.brisnet.com/product/selections-picks-reports/WDS