Two horses worth singling in Santa Anita's $555,555 Rainbow 6 carryover

In case you’re wondering, you don’t have to wait for mandatory payout days to play jackpot-style Pick 6 wagers. If you construct a unique winning ticket on any given day, you’ll win the entire jackpot pool in one fell swoop.

That’s exactly what happened on Wednesday at Gulfstream Park, when one lucky bettor combined the right mix of longshots winners to sweep the Rainbow Pick 6 to the tune of a $636,311.50. If that sounds enticing, then you’ll definitely want to check out the Friday card at Santa Anita, where a $555,555 Rainbow 6 carryover is on tap.

The sequence spans Race 3 through Race 8, and it’s come up competitive with large fields across the board. Every field contains at least nine runners, so there are plenty of opportunities to think outside the box in search of upset winners.

One of the first horses to catch my eye is #9 Luckys Last Stand (5-1), the morning line fifth choice in Race 7, a 6-furlong maiden special weight for California-bred 3-year-olds. At first glance, Luckys Last Stand seems overmatched—the son of Lucky Pulpit debuted in a $50,000 maiden claiming race at Los Alamitos, whereas many of his rivals are exiting maiden special weights.

But Luckys Last Stand actually turned in a solid effort, dueling for the lead through fast fractions of :21.85 and :45.13 before holding on to finish third by three lengths. The 75 Brisnet Speed rating he received is among the highest in Friday’s field, and Luckys Last Stand appears capable of shaking loose on an easy lead at Santa Anita. I’m confident he can vie for victory even while facing ostensibly tougher company.

If you’re looking for a horse to single, Luckys Last Stand looks like a nice-priced option. But the most reliable runner in the sequence is probably #5 Made in Karoo (9-5), who looms as a formidable favorite in Race 4, a 1-mile $40,000 maiden claiming race for 3-year-old fillies.

A stoutly bred daughter of Empire Maker out of a Lemon Drop Kid mare, Made in Karoo has posted solid Brisnet Speed ratings against maiden special weight company, most recently coming home fourth against a high-quality field at Los Alamitos. Winner Moonlight d'Oro looks like a stakes horse in the making, runner-up Frosteria came back to place in the Santa Ynez (G2), and third-place finisher Moraz easily won her next start.

Suffice to say, dropping down from maiden special weight to maiden claiming company should make Made in Karoo tough to beat for trainer Peter Miller, who strikes at a 26% rate when making this move. She’s facing much easier competition and can win for fun at a short price.

Good luck!