4/30/16 Golden Gate Fields Golden Pick 6 - Preview

It's the last Saturday in April; the Kentucky Derby is close enough that you could shake hands with it.  But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves; there's still the here and now, and for now the here that we'll be looking at is upstate California, where the featured race is the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile, and the jackpot Pick Six pool is just under half a million dollars.  So with that as background, let's take a run at The Golden Pick Six at Golden Gate Fields.

RACE 5 - (F) Md $8k - Six Furlongs Synthetic

A’s

# 3 Mesquite Dancer (Morning Line 8-5)

B's

# 2 Desert Smoke (ML 6-1)

C's

# 6 Beach Please (ML 5-1)

# 10 Saucy Babe (ML 20-1)

Scratch # 5 Meaningless Banter (ML 9-2)

Mesquite Dancer took the Place at this class level last time out, and now goes first off the claim for Trainer John Martin, who wins with approximately 40% of such.  Desert Smoke returns to one turn racing and drops in class.

Beach Please showed brief early speed against more expensive last time out.  Saucy Babe is a first time starter sired by Informed, whose progeny have done well at first asking, in a limited sample size.

RACE 6 - Clm $12.5k N2L - Six Furlongs Synthetic

A’s

# 10 Wise Tale (ML 4-1)

B’s

# 6 Bornatthetrack (ML 5-1)

C's

# 2 Badasmywifeletsmeb (ML 5-2)

# 3 Don'tsellhimshort (ML 6-1)

# 4 Merle (ML 12-1)

Scratch # 1 Compratore (ML 7-2)

Wise Tale took the Show against more expensive last time out.  Bornatthetrack missed victory by just a neck the last time that he competed at this class level around just one turn.

Badasmywifeletsmeb and Don'tsellhimshort both fit at this class level; they are also, however, a combined career two-for-forty-two.  Merle has finished in the Exacta in each of his last two contests, both at this class level.

RACE 7 - [S] (F) MSW - Eight and a Half Furlongs Turf

A’s

# 3 Doris Johnson (ML 7-2)

B's

# 1 Unusual Sky (ML 10-1)

# 4 Ish (ML 10-1)

# 7 Stipend (ML 2-1)

C's

# 6 Starring Role (ML 12-1)

Doris Johnson's two prior turf routes, both at this class level, were both solid efforts.  Unusual Sky could improve in her second career start.  Ish took the Show against open non-claiming maidens at today's distance last time out.

Stipend took the Show at this class level last time out.  Starring Role is a first time starter sired by Vronsky, whose progeny tend to do well on the grass as well as at first asking.

RACE 8 - The San Francisco Mile (Grade 3) - Eight Furlongs Turf

A’s

# 12 Bal a Bali (Brz) (ML 2-1)

B's

# 13 Gabriel Charles (ML 3-1)

C's

# 7 G. G. Ryder (ML 8-1)

# 11 Alert Bay (ML 6-1)

Scratch # 2 Home Run Kitten (ML 10-1)

Bal a Bali (Brz) has finished in the Trifecta in each of his last three races, all Graded Stakes.  Gabriel Charles won the Grade 1 Eddie Read last time out; but that last time out was over nine months ago.

G. G. Ryder, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, won last year's running of this contest.  Alert Bay shows a slowly declining form since winning the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile last September; but the sharp work last Saturday may be a sign that he's ready to deliver a sharp effort.

RACE 9 - [S] MSW - Eight and a Half Furlongs Turf

A’s

# 8 Country Road (ML 8-5)

B's

# 11 Zoristo (ML 12-1)

C's

# 2 Vow to Be Tops (ML 6-1)

# 5 He Could (ML 9-2)

# 9 The Big Train (ML 12-1)

Scratch # 1 Son of a Royal (ML 20-1)

Country Road ships upstate after taking the Show in each of his two prior career starts, both at this class level.  Zoristo tries the grass for the first time after hitting the board several times against open non-claiming maidens on the synthetic.

Vow to Be Tops ships upstate and goes for the first time for the barn of Trainer Tim McCanna, who tends to do well with new arrivals.  He Could took the Show at this class level charging down the hill at Santa Anita last time out.  The Big Train drops into state bred only company while getting on the grass for the first time.

RACE 10 - Md $20k - Eight Furlongs Turf

A’s

# 2 Troyes (ML 6-1)

# 6 Winning Causeway (ML 9-5)

B's

None

C's

# 1 Ace Deuce (ML 5-2)
# 8 Meeting in Heaven (ML 20-1)

# 9 Prince of Prague (ML 9-2)

Troyes took the Show against non-claiming maidens two starts back at today's distance, albeit on the synthetic main track.  Troyes is sired by Lemon Drop Kid, so the surface switch should not be a problem.

Winning Causeway took the Place against non-claiming maidens in each of his last two starts on the grass.  Ace Deuce and Prince of Prague should be forwardly placed early.

OK, that's the analysis.  While this is a jackpot wager, we won't be putting all our selections on one ticket.  While we still hold out hope that this could be the luckiest day of our lives, budgetary constraints must be respected.  I think it's also safe to presume that our "A" Selections won't form the basis of a unique ticket, so we should be safe in pressing those up.  So with that, playing our tickets in Crist fashion, we get:

All A Entries

$1.00 P6: 3 with 10 with 3 with 12 with 8 with 2,6 $2.00

All A Entries with All B Entries

$0.20 P6: 2,3 with 6,10 with 1,3,4,7 with 12,13 with 8,11 with 2,6 $25.60

A's with One C

$0.20 P6: 6,10 with 10 with 3 with 12 with 8 with 2,6 $0.80

$0.20 P6: 3 with 2,3,4 with 3 with 12 with 8 with 2,6 $1.20

$0.20 P6: 3 with 10 with 6 with 12 with 8 with 2,6 $0.40

$0.20 P6: 3 with 10 with 3 with 7,11 with 8 with 2,6 $0.80

$0.20 P6: 3 with 10 with 3 with 12 with 2,5,9 with 2,6 $1.20

$0.20 P6: 3 with 10 with 3 with 12 with 8 with 1,8,9 $0.60

Total: $32.60

Post Time for Race 4 is 7:15 EDT / 4:15 PDT.  Good luck to all.

Peace and Love,

Jimbo