Pick Pony Picks – Consensus Expert Picks for Santa Anita Park, March 28, 2026.


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Race 1 – Starter Allowance – 1430 yards turf – purse n/a

Win: Hey Lil Lady (1) – 60% confidence

Place: Miss Meagher (IRE) (3) – 30% confidence

Show: Fancy Facts (5) – 10% confidence

Alternative: How Lovely (IRE) (4) – 10% confidence

Race notes: Analysts are clustered on Hey Lil Lady (1) as the primary winner with strong supporting sentiment for Miss Meagher (IRE) (3), suggesting a relatively formful outcome on paper with limited enthusiasm for Princess Midnight (2). Other runners include: Princess Midnight (2).

Race 2 – Claiming – 1320 yards dirt – purse n/a

Win: Singlemore (5) – 50% confidence

Place: Hondo Crouch (1) – 40% confidence

Show: Bazooka Charlie (3) – 10% confidence

Alternative: Pop Paul (4) – 10% confidence

Race notes: Multiple analysts side with Singlemore (5) as the main speed with Hondo Crouch (1) consistently projected as a underneath type, while Bazooka Charlie (3) and Pop Paul (4) hold secondary appeal and Bolt Zapper (2) is treated as a fringe contender. Other runners include: Bolt Zapper (2).

Race 3 – Wilshire Stakes (G3) – 8f turf – purse n/a

Win: Rashmi (1) – 70% confidence

Place: Miss Artois (3) – 50% confidence

Show: Hannah Buckle (IRE) (4) – 40% confidence

Alternative: Antifona (FR) (2) – 20% confidence

Race notes: Rashmi (1) is a dominant win choice across sources, with Miss Artois (3) a clear second choice and Hannah Buckle (IRE) (4) and Antifona (FR) (2) filling out the logical exotics, leaving Walk'n The Beach (5) generally dismissed as an outsider. Other runners include: Walk'n the Beach (5).

Race 4 – Maiden Claiming – 1320 yards dirt – purse n/a

Win: Elsa Dutton (4) – 60% confidence

Place: Dad's Bad Bunny (3) – 40% confidence

Show: Manhattan Beauty (5) – 40% confidence

Alternative: Miss Hot And Cold (6) – 20% confidence

Race notes: Elsa Dutton (4) is widely viewed as the key class-dropper with consistent support, while Dad's Bad Bunny (3) and Manhattan Beauty (5) are regularly slotted as underneath types and Miss Hot And Cold (6) shows up mainly as a deeper exotic inclusion, leaving Montage Blue (1) and Despite (2) as distant longshots. Other runners include: Montage Blue (1), Despite (2).

Race 5 – Maiden Claiming – 9f turf – purse n/a

Win: Justivar (1) – 70% confidence

Place: Channel Place (8) – 40% confidence

Show: Holly Goquickly (FR) (3) – 40% confidence

Alternative: Springline (5) – 40% confidence

Race notes: Justivar (1) has near-universal top billing, while Channel Place (8), Holly Goquickly (FR) (3), and Springline (5) appear frequently in the exacta and trifecta slots, creating a tightly bunched group behind the favorite and relegating Velvet Lilly (7), Global Consort (2), Isntsheloverly (4), and Heavenly Belle (6) mostly to outsider status. Other runners include: Global Consort (2), Isntsheloverly (4), Velvet Lilly (7), Heavenly Belle (6).

Race 6 – Claiming – 1320 yards dirt – purse n/a

Win: My Kat (6) – 50% confidence

Place: Pride Of Queens (2) – 40% confidence

Show: Lady Detective (3) – 30% confidence

Alternative: Flamingo Star (4) – 20% confidence

Race notes: Analysts are split between class-dropping My Kat (6) and improving Pride Of Queens (2) on top, with Lady Detective (3) drawing attention as a live price and Flamingo Star (4) fitting more as a backup type, while Om Time Gal (1) and Final Table Lady (5) rarely feature prominently. Other runners include: Om Time Gal (1), Final Table Lady (5).

Race 7 – Allowance Optional Claiming – 1320 yards turf – purse n/a

Win: Yacowlef (IRE) (4) – 60% confidence

Place: Ballyvaughan Gig (8) – 50% confidence

Show: Re Armed Jon (6) – 30% confidence

Alternative: Irish Royalty (5) – 30% confidence

Race notes: Yacowlef (IRE) (4) is the primary win choice but Ballyvaughan Gig (8) has strong support as either a co-top or exacta partner, with Re Armed Jon (6) and Irish Royalty (5) occupying the next tier and Supersonic Blue (1), Fomo Joe (2), Helicity (7), and Enterdadragon (3) largely ignored except as longshot spice. Other runners include: Supersonic Blue (1), Fomo Joe (2), Enterdadragon (3), Helicity (7).

Race 8 – Maiden Claiming – 1430 yards dirt – purse n/a

Win: One Step Beyond (2) – 50% confidence

Place: Actung Baby (7) – 40% confidence

Show: Throwthefirstpunch (1) – 40% confidence

Alternative: Offleethirsty (5) – 20% confidence

Race notes: One Step Beyond (2) is a slight consensus leader on the strength of consistency, with Actung Baby (7) and Throwthefirstpunch (1) trading spots among analysts, while Offleethirsty (5) and Bossing Mo (8) are treated as secondary prices and Southern Sig (6), Honoring Autism (3), and Carl Erskine (4) are generally regarded as deeper longshots. Other runners include: Honoring Autism (3), Carl Erskine (4), Bossing Mo (8), Southern Sig (6).

Race 9 – Maiden Special Weight – 1430 yards turf – purse n/a

Win: Big Bill (8) – 60% confidence

Place: Curlin Command (6) – 60% confidence

Show: Colonel Slade (5) – 40% confidence

Alternative: Jimmy Winkfield (9) – 30% confidence

Race notes: There is strong consensus that Big Bill (8) and Curlin Command (6) control the race, with Colonel Slade (5) and Jimmy Winkfield (9) the main alternatives, while Almost There (10), Its The Bandit (1), Wasting Aces (3), Gilchrist (2), Hondo's Gold (4), and Royal Rumor (7) appear mostly as underneath possibilities rather than win threats. Other runners include: Its the Bandit (1), Gilchrist (2), Wasting Aces (3), Hondo's Gold (4), Royal Rumor (7), Almost There (10).

Recommended Exotic Plays by Race

Race 1 – Starter Allowance – 1430 yards turf

Analysts would structure exactas around Hey Lil Lady (1) over Miss Meagher (IRE) (3) and Fancy Facts (5), pressing 1–3 and 1–5 combinations while using How Lovely (IRE) (4) sparingly underneath. Trifectas can key Hey Lil Lady (1) on top of Miss Meagher (IRE) (3), Fancy Facts (5), and How Lovely (IRE) (4), with Princess Midnight (2) only on the bottom rung for minimal coverage.

Race 2 – Claiming – 1320 yards dirt

Exotic approaches are likely to lean on Singlemore (5) and Hondo Crouch (1) as A-level horses in exactas and trifectas, with Bazooka Charlie (3) and Pop Paul (4) serving as B-level inclusions. A common structure would be 5,1 over 5,1,3,4 over 5,1,3,4,2 to capture the main opinions while still allowing Bolt Zapper (2) to sneak into the back end.

Race 3 – Wilshire Stakes (G3) – 8f turf

Given the heavy consensus, analysts would likely key Rashmi (1) as a single in verticals and multi-race wagers, building exactas 1 over 3,4 and trifectas 1 over 3,4,2 over 3,4,2,5. Miss Artois (3) profiles as the main exacta partner, while Hannah Buckle (IRE) (4) and Antifona (FR) (2) are natural inclusions in trifectas and superfectas.

Race 4 – Maiden Claiming – 1320 yards dirt

Most exotic tickets would revolve around Elsa Dutton (4) on top, backed up with Dad's Bad Bunny (3) and Manhattan Beauty (5) in exactas and trifectas. Miss Hot And Cold (6) would be used as a value superfecta and trifecta underneath piece, with Montage Blue (1) and Despite (2) largely confined to deeper spread tickets.

Race 5 – Maiden Claiming – 9f turf

Analysts are likely to build exactas and trifectas centering on Justivar (1), using Channel Place (8), Holly Goquickly (FR) (3), and Springline (5) as interchangeable underneath components. A common superfecta construction might be 1 over 8,3,5 over 8,3,5 over 8,3,5,7,2,4,6 to incorporate the logical longshots without excessive cost.

Race 6 – Claiming – 1320 yards dirt

Exotic strategies would treat My Kat (6) and Pride Of Queens (2) as co-keys, boxing them in exactas and building trifectas 6,2 over 6,2,3,4 over 6,2,3,4,5,1. Lady Detective (3) and Flamingo Star (4) become important coverage horses, especially in superfectas, to capture potential upsets in the underneath slots.

Race 7 – Allowance Optional Claiming – 1320 yards turf

Yacowlef (IRE) (4) projects as the main key in exactas and trifectas with Ballyvaughan Gig (8) and Re Armed Jon (6) as primary partners. Irish Royalty (5) fits as a critical superfecta horse, while Supersonic Blue (1), Fomo Joe (2), Helicity (7), and Enterdadragon (3) can be sprinkled on the bottom of wider tickets for longshot coverage.

Race 8 – Maiden Claiming – 1430 yards dirt

Given the perceived difficulty, analysts would likely recommend spreading in exotics, using One Step Beyond (2), Actung Baby (7), Throwthefirstpunch (1), Offleethirsty (5), and Bossing Mo (8) on multi-horse tickets. A reasonable structure could be 2,7,1 over 2,7,1,5,8 over 2,7,1,5,8,3,4,6 to balance chalk with price horses.

Race 9 – Maiden Special Weight – 1430 yards turf

Vertical wagers are expected to center on Big Bill (8) and Curlin Command (6) as the key exacta pair, with Colonel Slade (5) and Jimmy Winkfield (9) filling out most trifecta combinations. Superfectas might be structured 8,6 over 8,6,5,9 over 8,6,5,9 over 8,6,5,9,10,1,3,2,4,7 to account for one or two surprise underneath runners.

Value Play Observations

Analysts collectively treat Hey Lil Lady (1) as a strong favorite in Race 1, but repeated mentions of Fancy Facts (5) as a live contender suggest Fancy Facts (5) could offer overlay value if the market leans too hard toward the top two. In Race 2, Hondo Crouch (1) appears frequently underneath rather than on top, implying that Singlemore (5) might be the more efficient win play at similar or better odds.

Rashmi (1) is a near-unanimous choice in Race 3, and that level of consensus often produces an underlaid favorite, so Miss Artois (3) may be a more attractive value in win and exacta pools if her price drifts. Race 5 shows heavy support for Justivar (1), but the depth of respect for Channel Place (8), Holly Goquickly (FR) (3), and Springline (5) could create overlays on those second-tier runners if the board over-concentrates on one horse.

In Race 6, split opinions between My Kat (6) and Pride Of Queens (2) suggest either could be an overlay depending on final odds, especially if one drifts above implied consensus probability. Race 8 offers potential overlays on Offleethirsty (5) and Bossing Mo (8) because they appear in certain analyst projections yet may be overlooked in the market relative to One Step Beyond (2) and Actung Baby (7).

Race 9's dual focus on Big Bill (8) and Curlin Command (6) hints that Colonel Slade (5) and Jimmy Winkfield (9) might be underbet relative to their inclusion frequency in exotics, particularly in trifecta and superfecta pools. Horses like Jimmy Winkfield (9) and Almost There (10) show up more often than typical longshots in underlying analyses, which can translate into sneaky value if the public fixates on the top pair.

Overall Wagering Strategy

Strongest consensus races on this card are Race 3 with Rashmi (1) and Race 5 with Justivar (1), where multiple independent algorithms and analysts converge on the same top selection and consistently keep those horses in the top two slots. In these spots, treating Rashmi (1) and Justivar (1) as single anchors in multi-race wagers and pressing vertical constructions through them is a logical approach because the projected outcome profile is narrow and the underlying form is solid across sources.

Split-opinion races emerge notably in Race 2, Race 6, Race 7, and Race 8, where several horses share material support and confidence percentages fall into more balanced ranges between leading candidates. In those events, a more nuanced wagering style is appropriate: rather than leaning heavily on one runner, bettors can structure A/B tickets with co-keys such as Singlemore (5) and Hondo Crouch (1) in Race 2, My Kat (6) and Pride Of Queens (2) in Race 6, and Yacowlef (IRE) (4) and Ballyvaughan Gig (8) in Race 7, accepting greater variance in exchange for better potential payouts.

For multi-race sequences, the strongest structural spine would include Rashmi (1) in Race 3 and Justivar (1) in Race 5 as primary singles, while using narrower but still covered positions in Race 1 with Hey Lil Lady (1) and Miss Meagher (IRE) (3) and in Race 9 with Big Bill (8) and Curlin Command (6) as principal coverage. This setup allows bettors to afford wider spreads in chaotic races like Race 2 and Race 8 without inflating ticket cost excessively, and it creates the potential to capitalize on carryovers or inflated pools if one of the spread legs produces an upset.

Exotic value is most likely to surface in races where the consensus is broad but still acknowledges a deep bench of contenders, such as Race 6 and Race 8, because second- and third-tier horses like Lady Detective (3), Flamingo Star (4), Offleethirsty (5), and Bossing Mo (8) can land in key slots at decent prices. Structurally, bettors can leverage superfecta wheels and four- or five-horse trifecta combinations that key the main consensus runners on top while rotating several value plays in the third and fourth positions, keeping base wagers small to manage risk while preserving upside.

Environmental and track factors from the provided sources point to a dry, warm day with turf and dirt both listed fast or firm, which suggests that pace dynamics and trip will matter more than sudden surface changes, and this should favor tactical, versatile runners in the sprints and mile races. Pace projections embedded in the analysis imply that certain races, like Race 1 and Race 2, may feature clear speed elements on or near the front, which can privilege forwardly placed runners such as Hey Lil Lady (1), Singlemore (5), and Hondo Crouch (1) if the track plays neutrally or slightly speed-favoring.

The key takeaways for bettors are that the card offers a blend of high-confidence single candidates and legitimately contentious events, making it well-suited to a strategy that presses opinions where consensus is strongest and spreads where it is weakest. Emphasizing efficient use of Rashmi (1), Justivar (1), Big Bill (8), and Curlin Command (6) as structural anchors while hunting for overlays like Fancy Facts (5), Miss Artois (3), Offleethirsty (5), and Colonel Slade (5) in exotics can optimize return relative to risk across the program.

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