santa anita park | Horse Racing Free Tips

Sunday’s Golden Hour Pick 4 Rewards Two Winning Tickets With $35,628 Payout

In an incredible twist of pari-mutuel fate, Wedding Groom, a handy winner at odds of 4-5 of Santa Anita's eighth race on Sunday, keynoted an unlikely $35,628.60 bonanza as there were two winning tickets in the one dollar Golden Hour Pick 4, which is comprised of the final two races at both Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields. What is equally astonishing is that the one dollar parlay in the four-race sequence would've paid, by comparison, a paltry $3,347.

Instituted at the beginning of the current Autumn Meet on Sept. 25, the Golden Hour Pick Four complements the five dollar Golden Hour Double and also features a low 15 percent takeout.

With Umberto Rispoli up, Wedding Groom sailed to victory by 8 ¼ lengths and paid $3.80 to win. Leg Two in the Golden Hour Pick 4 was run next at Golden Gate, as Shot of a Lifetime, with Cristobal Herrera up, won their eighth race at 7-1 and paid $16.20 to win.

The Golden Four then shifted back to Arcadia, where longshot I Will Not, with Mario Gutierrez aboard, took the ninth race at 10-1 and paid $22.40.

The Golden Hour Pick 4 concluded with Golden Gate's ninth race and it was won by longshot Southern Thunder. Off at 19-1 with Hugo Herrera, Southern Thunder paid $40.00 to win.

Beginning with Santa Anita's eighth race, the winning numbers, with prices in Sunday's one dollar Golden Pick 4 were (9) $3.80, (5) $16.20, (1) $22.40 & (6) $40.00.

Monday's Golden Hour Pick 4 will begin with Santa Anita's seventh race, which has an assigned post time of 4:13 p.m. PT.

First post time for an eight-race card today at Santa Anita is at 1 p.m. Santa Anita's races, including the final two races from Golden Gate Fields, can be viewed live and free of charge at santaanita.com.

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‘His Time Has Come’: Juan Hernadez Riding Hot At Santa Anita Park

With his third triple in the last three racing days on Saturday, hot-riding Juan Hernandez moved within two victories of tying Flavien Prat for the riding lead at Santa Anita's Autumn Meet that concludes on Oct. 25.

While Prat has been fulfilling stakes engagements at Keeneland during this holiday weekend, Hernandez closed the gap. Prat's record reads 16-17-9 from 56 mounts, a 29 percent winning clip, while Hernandez has a 14-3-5 mark from 55 mounts, 25 percent.

The success of the 28-year-old native of Veracruz, Mexico, who was a force in the Bay Area before coming to Southern California under the astute guidance of veteran agent Craig O'Bryan, may have caught some observers by surprise, but not O'Bryan.

“He was the runaway leader at Golden Gate last year winning at 32 percent,” O'Bryan said. “His time has come. He knew he was ready.

“I think you'll see him more and more confident the longer he stays. I'm not surprised at his success here, but I was surprised that I got him; (Northern California-based trainer) Blaine Wright kind of put it all together, so that part was great, but Juan is a good rider, very smooth and a really nice guy, too, a good family man with two kids.”

Humility aside, winning races on a major circuit requires equal amounts of desire and diligence from both jockey and agent. Juan and Craig have those attributes in abundance.

Among the jockeys O'Bryan has represented are three Hall of Fame members: Eddie Delahoussaye, Alex Solis and Gary Stevens.

“Juan is definitely holding up his end of the bargain; he's a very good jockey,” said Craig, whose father George was a top agent and whose 33-year-old son, Brandon, represents apprentice Jessica Pyfer, winner of her first race Friday on only her sixth mount.

Craig has been plying his trade as an agent for 49 years and George, bless his soul, “will be 100 late this month,” Craig said. “Brandon got off to a good start. You never want to go too long without getting your first win.”

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Santa Anita’s Friday Card Features $243,835 Carryover In Rainbow Pick Six Jackpot

With Santa Anita set to embark upon a four-day race week that will include Columbus Day racing on Monday, there is a sizeable carryover of $243,835 awaiting fans this Friday, Oct. 9 in the track's popular 20 cent Single Ticket Rainbow Pick Six Jackpot.

With a nine-race card on tap this Friday, the Rainbow Six will be comprised of races four through nine. Approximate post time for Friday's fourth race is at 2 p.m. PT.

A total of 59 horses are eligible to run in Friday's Pick Six sequence, making average Rainbow Six field size a lucrative 9.8 runners per race.

Although there is no public admittance due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Santa Anita's races can be viewed free of charge via the track's livestream video at santaanita.com. Fans can also watch and wager via several different platforms, including www.1stbet.com/bet.

First post time Friday through Monday will be at 12:30 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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‘We Can’t Ride Them To Their Full Potential’: Santa Anita Jockeys Struggle With New Whip Rules

Following the first day under new whip rules at Santa Anita Park, several jockeys shared their continuing frustrations with the Daily Racing Form.

The California Horse Racing Board regulations include:

Riders cannot use the crop more than six times during a race, excluding showing or waiving the crop or tapping the horse on the shoulder.
Riders cannot use the crop more than two times in succession (within the six-time limit) without giving the horse a chance to respond before using the crop again.
The crop must be used in an underhanded position with the crop always at or below the shoulder level of the jockey.

“We can't ride them to their full potential, even if it's a light overhanded tap left-handed,” Drayden Van Dyke told drf.com. “People have to understand to get that whip over to your left hand, there are certain techniques you have to do. Underhanded bars you from being able to do it as quickly. This is a game when every millisecond matters. I think it's really discouraging.”

“In my professional opinion, it's not going to work,” Hall of Famer Mike Smith said. “If you're on a deep track and they're tiring, it doesn't work. It'll cost somebody second money, a win, or third money.”