Pick 4 of the Week: Santa Anita Saturday

The $500,000 Santa Anita Derby (G1) highlights a big Saturday of racing at The Great Race Place. Three Pick 4 wagers are on the menu at the Arcadia, Calif. venue, and my focus will be on the middle one that begins in race six.

RELATED: Tipsheet: 2025 Santa Anita Derby

Race 6 Wager:

• 50-cent Pick 4: 3,6 with 6,7 with 2,7,8,10,12,13 with 4,7,10 ($36)

Race 6 – Evening Jewel S. 

A challenging affair for three-year-old fillies at 6 1/2 panels on the main strip kicks things off. My top pick is #3 America’s Mark (5-2), who has come off the shelf to post a pair of strong turf wins leading up to Saturday. I expect the American Pharoah filly to handle the surface change with relative ease beneath Hector Berrios. 

If #6 Hot Girl Walk (5-1) can rate some in the early going, which I feel that she can, then she will be a major player late in a cast with a slew of early types. The Carla Gaines pupil will make her second run of the season, and first on this main oval, with Antonio Fresu in the stirrups. 

Race 7 – Maiden Special Weight

Turf dash for sophomore fillies bred in the Golden State has 12 on board. I’ll go two deep in the second leg with the Craig Lewis-trained #6 Ridegold (7-2) and Doug O’Neill’s #7 Less is More (5-1), who cuts back to a sprint following a trio of route races on the weeds in succession. 

Race 8 – Maiden Special Weight

A massive cast of 13 California-bred sophomores will go six panels on the dirt in the third leg of the sequence. I’m not brave enough to single in this heat, so multiple horses will make the ticket. #2 Western Freedom (5-1), #7 Beer Buzz (5-2), #8 Non Domicile (7-2), #10 Fix it Quick (15-1), #12 Gemini Buzz (8-1), and #13 Horizon Wildcat (15-1) will each be included in the tough dash. 

Race 9 – Turf Allowance

A big group of California-bred boys will run about 6 1/2 furlongs on the Hillside Turf Course in the capper. #10 Private Gem (7-2) looked the part in his debut on the course and at the trip with a professional tally for trainer Mark Glatt. Lookin at Lucky colt will make just his second run in more than 15 months, and improvement is likely with Umberto Rispoli retaining the ride. 

#7 Smiling Beast (6-1) ran into a very good one last time and the talented chestnut will try the green for the initial time in the heat. The five-year-old will be forwardly placed from the break with Armando Ayuso up. #4 Uncle Chilly (3-1) rallied well when second in his first run on the sod last time, and the colt will be in the hunt late with any kind of forward move beneath Juan Hernandez.