(Edited Santa Anita Park report)

ARCADIA, Calif. – Some six hours after entering heavily favored Lookin At Lucky in Saturday’s Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, Bob Baffert took Wednesday’s Santa Anita feature with a horse named Never in a finish so close the trainer said just afterward that he would have been willing to “split” the purse and accept a dead heat.

But the photo in the one mile allowance event with a $49,664 purse revealed that Fog City Stable’s Never had nipped pacesetter and 13-10 favorite Good Measure by the closest of margins while running the distance in 1:35.76.

The 5-2 second choice ridden by Martin Garcia, Never rallied steadily on the far outside to get the better of a nose bob after Good Measure had led authoritatively for all but the last few strides under jockey Victor Espinoza.

“I thought we got beat,” Baffert said after the tote board revealed the result. “It must have been a pretty tight photo.”

Garcia, who would have had a closer view, held a different opinion. “It was close,” he said, “but I thought we won. My horse didn’t want to go by the other horse, but I kept pushing, and we finally got the job done.”

The first two hit the wire 2¼ lengths ahead of third place Kabob, with Joe Talamo aboard, in the field of seven.

For Never, the victory ended a four-race losing streak after the 4-year-old son of Vindication had broken his maiden going one mile in a $50,000 claimer at Santa Anita last Oct. 29.

He paid $7.80, $3.40 and $2.40. Favored Good Measure returned $2.80 and $2.40 while Kabob, at 16-1, paid $4.40 to show.

The winning purse of $28,800 increased the career earnings of Never to $61,120 from a record of 2-2-3 in 10 races.

Racing continues on Thursday at Santa Anita with an eight-race program that commences at 1 p.m.

PICK SIX CARRYOVER OF $74,482 INTO THURSDAY, SANTA ANITA POOL COULD REACH $500,000

Chalk took a backseat on the final day of March, as nobody connected the dots in Santa Anita’s Pick Six on Wednesday, resulting in a carryover into Thursday of $74,482 and the possibility of a total Pick Six pool of $500,000 on Thursday.

The Pick Six began in race three, at 6½ furlongs down Santa Anita’s downhill turf course and it produced a modest upset, as Really Uptown, with Rafael Bejarano up, paid $9.40 to win.  Trained by Jenny Green, the 3-year-old California-bred colt by Swiss Yodeler is owned by Kendall Mann.

Race four went to Allie Wolff, who paid $8.60 to win under Joe Talamo.  Owned by Roddy Valente, the 4-year-old Kentucky-bred filly by Smart Strike is trained by Bill Spawr.

The fifth race went to Uncle Don, who won in very impressive fashion under Joel Rosario and paid $9.40 to win.  A 5-year-old California-bred gelding by Lemon Drop Kid, Uncle Don is owned by Ocampo and Rodriguez.

Chantal Sutherland, aboard Chase the Fever, prevailed in a tight finish over first-timer Mulberry Lane
in race six, paying $11.60 to win.  A 5-year-old California-bred mare by Unusual Heat, Chase the Fever is owned by her trainer, Barry Abrams.

The tightest photograph of the day took place in race seven, as Never and Martin Garcia prevailed by the thinnest of margins over Good Measure and Victor Espinoza, returning $7.80 to win.  A 4-year-old Kentucky-bred colt by Vindication, Never is owned by Fog City Stable and conditioned by Bob Baffert.

Wednesday’s Pick Six was “live” to three horses going into the eighth race, but Butch Marino, at odds of 19-1, stormed home under Matt Garcia, paying $41.40 to win, creating the carryover to Thursday.  Butch Marino, a 3-year-old California-bred filly by Marino Marini, is owned by Abrams or Madeline Auerbach and is trained by Barry Abrams.

Santa Anita offers an eight-race card on Thursday, with first post at 1 p.m.  The Pick Six will cover races three through eight.