Pick 4 of the Week: Santa Anita Saturday

1. A trio of black-type races for California-bred runners will be part of the closing four-race sequence at Santa Anita on Saturday. 

Race 8 Wager

• 50-cent Pick 4: 3,4,8,9,11 with 2,10,11 with 2,3,4 with 1,10 ($45)

Race 8 – Allowance

First-level dash for the boys on the main oval attracted a big field of 11. The especially competitive group features multiple in-form runners in a challenging opening race of the play. I’ll use #3 Bob’s Blue Moon, Mark Glatt’s #4 Lonesome Slew, the unbeaten #8 Our Bucky Charm, Doug O’Neill’s #9 Devil Among Us, and #11 Duty First, who adds blinkers coming off of a win off the long absence. 

Race 9 – Unusual Heat Turf Classic S. 

A total of 11 will vie in the 1 1/8-mile turf contest. #2 On the Whim has won stakes races in two of his last four tries, and the Dean Pedersen pupil is also 3-for-5 at Santa Anita. The Acclamation gelding is not super consistent but has to be on the ticket under Tiago Pereira. 

#10 Old Pal drops back in with state-bred runners following a trio of tries in the open allowance ranks as of late. The Grazen gelding has yet to run a bad one on the oval with a 7-3-2-2 mark at The Great Race Place. #11 Aligato likes the surface, is good at the distance, and also gets Flavien Prat to ride. The late runner wouldn’t be a surprise for Glatt. 

Race 10 – Cal Cup Derby

The $175,000 tilt on the main strip for recently turned three-year-olds features a talented field of eight, including the top-five finishers of the King Glorious S. at Los Alamitos. #3 Shea Brennan, #2 I’m A Bad Boy, and #4 R Heisman, the top trio last time, each merits inclusion in my opinion. 

Race 11 – California Cup Oaks

A dozen sophomore fillies will go postward in the finale which will be contested at a mile on the dirt. In a race without much speed in the fold, I expect #1 Tequilaandtherapy to get a dream trip close to the tempo while saving ground throughout. The Doug O’Neill charge was a solid third in the Soviet Problem S. at Los Alamitos last time and will be tough with a forward move beneath Edwin Maldonado. 

Mike McCarthy’s maiden #10 Grateful My Love made a belated run when fourth most recently and I am expecting a big performance from the daughter of Danzing Candy. The bay will be moving best of all late beneath Flavien Prat. 

Good Luck!