Racing At Santa Anita With Marc Doche: Grade 2 San Pasqual On Day After Big Cash

The final day of the $1 pick four at Santa Anita proved extremely profitable as we connected in the last four races of the day to cash for nearly $2,200. Today, we see the return of the Fity Cent minimum option for the pick four and the featured race of the day is the Grade 2 $150,000 San Pasqual for older horses going a mile and a sixteenth on the main track.

Off consecutive wins at Hollywood Park, including the Grade 3 Native Diver, Aggie Engineer was installed as the 2-to-1 morning line favorite and drew the inside post for trainer Patrick Gallagher.

“I think we’ll probably send him and see what happens. Joe (Talamo) likes to let him run away from there so we’ll probably do that again,” Gallagher told me yesterday morning at Clocker’s Corner.

Click here to watch my complete interview with Patrick Gallagher

His main challenge is likely to come from 5-to-2 second choice Dakota Phone, who finished fourth in the aforementioned Native Diver after having won the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Churchill Downs in November.

With other potential early speedsters Ryehill Dreamer and Red Door Drive signed up, Dakota Phone will hope for a contested pace early to set up his closing kick.

We also welcome back Chantal Sutherland to the jockey colony today. She rides Pat’s Dream in the fourth and Cardiff Giant in the sixth.

We’re off to the races!

Best Bet of the Day (ROI based off $2 WPS bet)

Race 3 - #1A World Renowned (5/2 ML) – We’ll lose some value on the price since this $900,000 three-year-old son of A.P. Indy is coupled in the wagering with Parable, but he’s trained lights out since a troubled debut and should be forwardly placed on the stretch out.

Yesterday’s Result – Show dough with Alpine Yodel (-$3.90)

Total for 2010-11 Santa Anita meet – (-$28.50)

Late Pick 4

Leg 1 – Race 6 (1,3,6,7) – Down the hill with $40,000 claimers to start things off and we’ll go four deep.

No. 1 Gallant Gent has been picking up the pieces against better and has run well on turf.

No. 3 Fandino is the only runner with experience on this layout having finished first and second in those tries.

No. 6 Thomas Baines won clear in his last two races against claimers.

No. 7 Derrick Do wheels back in a week for trainer Vladimir Cerin and is dangerous rolling down the hill with his early speed.

Leg 2 – Race 7 (1,5) – Along with Aggie Engineer, we’ll use the Bob Baffert trained Spurrier, who finished second in this race last year and could be sitting on a huge effort in his second off the layoff.

Leg 3 - Race 8 (2,5,6,7,8) – A mile on turf in allowance optional claiming company for California-breds and we go five deep in a wide open affair.

Leg 4 – Race 9 (2,5,6,7,11) – Three-year-old maiden fillies run for a $30,000 tag in the finale and again we spread with five horses in a race where pretty much anything can happen.

Recap – (1,3,6,7) w (1,5) w (2,5,6,7,8) w (2,5,6,7,11) – Total cost of ticket = $100

Make sure to follow me on Twitter @mdoche for last minute changes caused by scratches and much more!

To view my horse racing channel on YouTube click here!

Good luck!

Yesterday’s Result – (+$2,193.70)

Total for 2010-11 Santa Anita meet – (+$1,615.70)

Total for 2010 Del Mar meet – (-$554.55)