Santa Anita: How to bet the $20,311 Super High 5 carryover

If five stakes, including the Santa Anita Derby (G1), aren’t reason enough to bet Saturday's card at Santa Anita, there’s now a $20,311 Super High 5 carryover up for grabs.

The $1 wager went unsolved in the last race on Friday’s card, triggering a carryover into Saturday’s final race. The finale is Race 12, an $80,000 allowance optional claimer for older horses racing one mile over the turf course.

Santa Anita, Race 12, $20,311 Super High 5 carryover: wagers

• $1 Super High 5: 3 with 1,8,9 with 1,8,9 with 1,8,9 with 4,5,7,10 ($24)
• $1 Super High 5: 3 with 1,8,9 with 1,8,9 with 4,5,7,10 with 1,8,9 ($24)
• $1 Super High 5: 3 with 1,8,9 with 4,5,7,10 with 1,8,9 with 1,8,9 ($24)
  Total: $72

Santa Anita, Race 12, $20,311 Super High 5 carryover: analysis

Three of the key contenders are #8 Heart Headed (6-1), #1 Genius Jimmy (5-1), and #9 Cathal (7-2). They were separated by a neck and a head when running 1-2-3 in a race over this course, distance, and class level on March 2. All have experience competing at the stakes level and have consistently run well against allowance company, so there’s a strong chance all three will finish in the top five on Saturday.

However, our top choice is longshot #3 Covey (12-1), a former British campaigner stretching out in distance off a sixth-place finish at this class level sprinting about 6 1/2 furlongs over Santa Anita’s downhill turf course. The gelded son of Frankel is bred to thrive while stretching out over one mile, the distance over which he recorded his best win overseas.

It’s important to note Covey is picking up jockey Umberto Rispoli, a 24% winner on turf and a 36% winner teaming up with trainer Michael McCarthy over the last two months. We recommend taking a stand and keying Covey on top in the Super High 5 while emphasizing Hearted Headed, Genius Jimmy, and Cathal underneath.

Which other horses are worth including? #7 Irish Prophet (10-1) finished only one length behind Heart Headed when fifth on March 2 and has every chance to finish in the top five on Saturday. The same goes for #4 Eye On Ry, who finished sixth by 1 3/4 lengths on March 2. He’s finished on the board multiple times over this class level and came home ahead of Irish Prophet two starts back.

#10 City Exile (9-2) misfired on March 2, but his best form is good enough to factor under hot jockey Juan Hernandez. And don’t forget about #5 Red Cross Knight (8-1), who was beaten only two lengths when fourth in a 1 1/8-mile contest over this course and class level on Feb. 2.

Good luck!