How to bet Wednesday's Santa Anita Pick 4 on a budget

Santa Anita's Winter Meet gets underway on Wednesday with a trio of graded stakes part of the late Pick 4 I'm looking to bet on a budget.

The sequence will start with the Grade 2 Mathis Brothers Mile, carded as Race 7 at Santa Anita with a scheduled post time of 5:50 p.m. ET, and runs through an allowance turf route at 7:35 p.m. The San Antonio Stakes (G2) and Malibu Stakes (G1) are also included.

Once again, I will use one of my favorite cost-effective Pick 4 wagering strategies, the spread ticket formula. It would cost $540 to lump all of my contenders on one ticket, but the spread ticket formula knocks the price down to a much more reasonable $46.

Race 7 (G2 Mathis Brothers Mile, 8T) 

Primary - #7 DESERT STONE, #5 River Boyne

Secondary - #2 Choo Choo, #10 Shivermetimbers, #1 Sejo, #6 Combatant

Comments: #7 DESERT STONE (12-1) is interesting at a price. He seems to prefer this turf course (both wins at Santa Anita) and Geovanni Franco rides him well. He was only a half length behind River Boyne in the Twilight Derby here on Nov. 4. #5 River Boyne (8-5) is 5-for-5 at Santa Anita and is strictly the one to beat. Flavien Prat has options with the versatile sort, and his best race wins this. #2 Choo Choo (12-1) and #10 Shivermetimbers (8-1) are both price players for Jerry Hollendorfer. The former returned to finish an encouraging second in the Let It Ride, and Joel Rosario hops aboard. The latter is a Del Mar dirt route specialist trying turf for the first time. Mike Smith rides him, and he drilled a turf bullet back on Nov 25. #1 Sejo (6-1) won his last two firm turf routes in France and he makes his U.S. bow for Hronis Racing and John Sadler. Irad Ortiz Jr. takes the call, and my best guess is that he needs this race and wants more ground. #6 Combatant (6-1) returns to turf and might be able to rally for a share under Jose Ortiz. He is 1-for-13 with five minor awards. 

Race 8 (G2 San Antonio Stakes, 8.5f) 

Primary - #7 GIFT BOX, #2 Battle of Midway

Secondary - #3 Dabster, #8 Air Strike, #6 Tatters to Riches

Comments: #7 GIFT BOX (4-1) always threatened to be a stakes horse on the East Coast but never really lived up to the hype. He earned competitive numbers in his last three flat mile starts at Aqueduct, and Sadler has him now (firing local bullets for this). This is a good distance for him (3: 2-1-0) and he will likely stalk the pace under Rosario. #2 Battle of Midway (9-5) exits back-to-back stakes wins. He is 4-for-6 at Santa Anita and 2-for-2 at this distance. #3 Dabster (5-2) is in great form for Bob Baffert, but this distance might be a tad short. #8 Air Strike (12-1) is the most interesting 3-year-old entrant. He has improved since moving to the Phil D’Amato barn, and Florent Geroux got to know him in the Zia Park Derby on Nov. 21. He won his lone local try at this distance. #6 Tatters to Riches (5-1) has raw ability and upside but tender feet have plagued him since the Shared Belief. He was forced to miss the Oklahoma Derby because of a foot abscess, and his last effort versus Battle of Midway in the Comma to the Top was not pretty. He adds blinkers but might prefer Del Mar and is probably not ready to beat a field of this caliber.   

Race 9 (G1 Malibu Stakes, 7f)

Primary - #6 AXELROD, #13 McKinzie

Secondary - #5 Identity Politics, #4 Still Having Fun, #3 Copper Bullet, #12 Kanthaka

Comments: The pace should be honest, and #6 AXELROD (10-1) might be in the right spot throughout under John Velazquez. The Breeders’ Cup Classic was too big of an ask for the improving colt, who ran well in both local starts. Michael McCarthy is a fine dirt sprint trainer. #13 McKinzie (7-2) was not ready for ten furlongs in the Classic last time either, and that was a real clunker. He looked good beating Axelrod off the bench, however, in the Pennsylvania Derby and he easily graduated in his career debut at this distance. #5 Identity Politics (12-1) is lightly raced and on the upswing for Chad Brown. He should be finishing under Ortiz Jr. and this distance is perfect. #4 Still Having Fun (20-1) got plenty of pace help in his Woody Stephens upset at this distance June 9 but has not had any luck in four starts since. He will be finishing and might spice up the exotics. #3 Copper Bullet (6-1) was a graded sprint winner as a juvenile and returned with a sharp optional claiming score at this distance against older optional claimers at Churchill Downs on Nov. 23. He should be part of a contested early pace. #12 Kanthaka (6-1) won all three of his local extended sprints, including the Laz Barrera and San Vicente under Wednesday's rider, Flavien Prat.   

Race 10 (Alw-1x, 9T) 

Primary - #4 ACKER

Secondary - #2 The Hunted, #3 Shaky Alibi, #5 Trojan Spirit, #1 Cupid’s Claws, #6 Souter

Comments: #4 ACKER (5-2) followed up a solid local $35k/3L flat mile turf score with an easy optional claiming triumph at Del Mar on Nov. 24. Three of his four turf wins were here, and Rafael Bejarano rides him well. He will probably stalk the pace and could easily make it three straight. #2 The Hunted (8-1) removed blinkers and promptly won back-to-back flat mile turf races against California-breds on Oct. 27 and Nov. 25. #3 Shaky Alibi (5-1) exits a big front-running maiden win at Del Mar on Dec. 2. Bejarano abandons for Acker, but Smith is an ample sub, and he might get brave if able to sneak away early. #5 Trojan Spirit (8-1) earned improved numbers in his last pair for Drayden Van Dyke/Paddy Gallagher. He rallied for the place behind Acker on Nov. 24 and beat today’s foe #1 Cupid’s Claws (10-1) in his course/distance maiden win Oct. 19. The latter rallied from the outside post in his flat mile maiden win at Del Mar Nov. 12. #6 Souter (8-1) owns stalking speed and earned improved numbers in a starter allowance win Nov. 11 (runner-up next out winner). Rosario ends up here.