Two-day Pick 6 carryover of $266,793 at Santa Anita Friday

The prospect of a total Pick Six pool of $1 million awaits punters on Friday at Santa Anita, as no one had all six winners today, creating a two-day carryover of $266,793. Additionally, there is also a Single Ticket Pick Six Jackpot carryover of $111,442 into Friday.

With a total of 68 horses, 61 of which will be eligible to run, entered in Friday’s Pick Six sequence, average field size will likely exceed 10 horses per race. With eight races on tap, the Pick Six will be comprised of races three through eight.

First post time for Friday is at 1 p.m. Approximate post time for race three is at 2 p.m. PT.

Attentive to the pace throughout, California-bred Anatolian Heat edged by favored Mr Vargas a sixteenth of a mile from home to take Thursday’s $51,000 Santa Anita allowance feature by 2 ¼ lengths under Israel Ocampo. Trained by Peter Miller, the 4-year-old Unusual Heat gelding got 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf course in 1:12.09.

A first condition allowance winner with Ocampo going five furlongs on turf versus state-breds Sept. 3, Anatolian Heat took the jump into open company with aplomb and registered his third overall victory from 13 starts.

“I had a lotta horse all the way today,” said Ocampo. “I think with the layoff, he was more mature today and he seemed better with a target, sitting right off the six horse (Mr Vargas).”

Off at 8-1 in a field of 10 three year olds and up, Anatolian Heat paid $19.20, $7.40 and $4.20. Owned and bred by Anatolia, Inc., Anatolian Heat, who is out of the Woodman mare Anatolian Queen, picked up a winner’s check of $39,780. With a Cal-bred bonus of $17,400, his total earnings on the day amounted to $57,180, bringing his career bankroll to $159,500.

Ridden by Evin Roman, Mr Vargas, as expected, blasted clear early, enjoyed a two length advantage on the winner at the top of the lane and finished second by a diminishing three quarters of a length over longshot Trifecta.

Off at 8-5, Mr Vargas paid $3.60 and $2.80.

Ridden by Joe Talamo, Trifecta flew from last to finish a neck in front of Cheekaboomboom. Off at 12-1, Trifecta paid $6.20 to show.