Santa Anita Horse Racing Picks for Sunday 6/18/23 (Closing Day of Hollywood Meet)

The rebranded spring portion of the Santa Anita six-month racing season started on Friday, April 21 with a new moniker – the “Hollywood Meet." Sunday, June 18 is closing day with 12 races, including a Grade 3 stakes.

Post time at "The Great Race Place" is 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. local time. Full race fields plus a Rainbow Pick Six Jackpot mandatory payout pool could exceed $3 million starting in Race 7.

As always, check the program for scratches and changes and monitor the weather and track conditions.

(I will reference Equibase's Speed Figure in selected races, which tells you how fast a horse has been running in each of its races after adjusting for track, distances, and conditions).

Santa Anita Betting

According to numberFire horse racing projections and Guaranteed Tip Sheet, these are some of the best bets to make at FanDuel Racing today.

The May 27 card at Santa Anita produced a pair of stakes race winners on these pages. Did you also follow FanDuel Racing picks and cash at Santa Anita and top pick Pequena Tormenta, an 11-length winner? The April 22 card at Santa Anita went 3-for-3 on winners including a pair of stakes races, plus two more winners on May 12 including an Exacta score.

FanDuel Racing's May 19 picks at Pimlico went 3-for-3 and produced an 11/1 winner on Taxed in the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes that also paid $190 on a $2 exacta bet.

Mobile betting on horse racing is easy with the best-in-class experience at FanDuel.

1. Queen Ofthe Temple and Buzz of New York, Race 1

FanDuel Racing Odds: 8/5 and 9/5
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Closing day begins in Race 1 with the $100,000 Possibly Perfect Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/4 miles on the downhill turf. There is low payoff potential with the three favorites at less than 2/1 odds - Queen Ofthe Temple (8/5), Neige Blanche (9/5) and Buzz of New York (9/5). That's the order of finish projected by numberFire's data.

Queen Ofthe Temple finished second and a neck in front of Buzz of New York in a Grade 3 here in March at the same turf distance. Queen won last time out at 1 1/2 miles and the 5-year-old mare has fired in all three starts this meet.

2. Offlee Naughty and Duvet Day, Race 5

FanDuel Racing Odds: 4/5 and 5/1
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Race 5 is the $100,000 Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano Stakes at 1 3/4 miles on the downhill turf. The favorite Offlee Naughty (4/5) with top turf jockey Umberto Rispoli is the top win contender according to numberFire and Guaranteed Tip Sheet.

Marathon specialist Offlee Naughty overcame a tough trip to win his second graded race of the meet going away last time out. Opry (3/1) finished fourth last time out behind Offlee Naughty. He is virtually certain to make an uncontested lead in this turf marathon that frontrunners have done well in recently.

The filly Duvet Day (5/1) will be rallying late with the top jockey Juan Hernandez riding. She excels at marathon distances and skipped the 1 1/4 mile females-only Possibly Perfect Stakes (Race 1) to go a mile and 1 3/4 miles against males.

3. Flying Drummer and Oviatt Class, Race 10

FanDuel Racing Odds: 5/2 and 4/1
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Race 10 is an Allowance race and 10 runners are lined up to go 1 mile. Flying Drummer (5/2) is a GTS best bet and top win contender of numberFire, along with Manitowish (4/1) with leading jockey Ramon Vazquez riding.

Flying Drummer should be tough to deny at the same entry-level condition after finishing second by a neck last month in his 2023 debut. Top jockey Juan Hernandez rides again for leading trainer Bob Baffert after the Drummer was flying last race with his top speed figure (105).

Oviatt Class (4/1) has Umberto Rispoli riding and is likely to improve in his second start back. He was a graded-placed juvenile in 2021.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.