Expert Horse Racing Picks
Santa Anita Horse Racing: Expert Handicappers Reveal Consensus Picks for Sunday, June 14
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Four handicappers have released their consensus picks for Santa Anita Park's Sunday, June 14, 2026 race card — a 12-race bill headlined by the $100,000 Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano Stakes Daily News. The picks come from Bob Mieszerski, Eddie Wilson, Kevin Modesti and Mark Ratzky, all analysts for the Southern California News Group.
Sunday is also a mandatory payout day for the Sunset Pick 6 and other major wagers, meaning carryover pools must be paid out to bettors regardless of results Santa Anita Park. That rule typically draws far more betting action and bigger crowds — and track officials expect one of the highest attendance figures of the summer meet.
Gold Phoenix Draws Near-Unanimous Support in Marathon Feature
The San Juan Capistrano Stakes is the centerpiece of the card. Run at 14 furlongs — that's 1¾ miles, the longest stakes race of the meet — it demands extreme stamina from every horse in the field Equibase. The consensus panel and most outside analysts agree on one horse: #6 Gold Phoenix (IRE), trained by Philip D'Amato, listed at 7-5 odds.
Dean Keppler of In the Money Media named Gold Phoenix his "Best Bet" of the entire card. However, analyst Chris Adams of Betting News urges bettors not to ignore #10 Poor Connection and #1 Grogu for trifecta value, noting that the extreme distance often produces upsets if the favorite fades late.
Come On Om Named Best Bet for Opening Turf Sprint
Race 1 is a 6-furlong maiden sprint on the turf. Brad Free of the Daily Racing Form named #4 Come On Om (5-1) his "Best Bet" of the day, writing that the horse "pressed a strong pace first out" and looks hard to beat in this Cal-bred field VSiN. The consensus panel also likes #10 Marla Hooch at the same 5-1 price.
Not everyone agrees on the favorite. Scott Shapiro of Xpressbet points to #1 Rousing Rhythm at 8-1 as a live longshot, arguing the horse has "trained well" and could surprise at first asking on grass. That split opinion makes Race 1 one of the trickier plays on the card.
Thursday Power Outage and Monday Bonus Card Add Unusual Context
Sunday's card does not exist in a vacuum. On Thursday, June 11, a power outage at Santa Anita forced the cancellation of Races 6 through 9 1/ST Post. Management responded by adding a rare bonus race card on Monday, June 15, to make up for the lost action. That makes Monday the official closing day of the 2026 Hollywood Meet.
Saturday's Honeymoon Stakes offered a preview of D'Amato's hot hand. His runner Darya beat stablemate Inbox in a photo finish, giving D'Amato a 1-2 finish Orange County Register. With Gold Phoenix also in his barn for Sunday, D'Amato is set up for a dominant closing weekend.
Other Key Consensus Picks Across the Sunday Card
In Race 2, a 6-furlong dirt Starter Optional Claiming event, the panel leans heavily on #6 Thirty Two Chunk at 2-1 odds. Chris Adams of Betting News notes the horse "chased the eventual winner throughout" last time out and is well-positioned with a favorable outside draw.
Race 5 features a 6-furlong allowance on the turf. Scott Shapiro of Xpressbet taps #5 Can't Sleep at 5-2, pointing to trainer Carla Gaines' strong return-from-layoff numbers as the key angle. Post time for the first race is 1:00 PM PT, with a forecast of 63°F and mostly cloudy skies over Arcadia Equibase.
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