Maryland racing analyst Gabby Gaudet has thoughts on a Pick 3 and a pair of longshots on this afternoon’s card at Pimlico!
PICK THREE
Pimlico has a 50-cent Pick 3 beginning with race 7, . Post time for the seventh is 3:58 p.m.
MJC analyst Gabby Gaudet will share her longshot and exotic plays with The Racing Biz each Saturday. Photo courtesy of the Maryland Jockey Club.
Gabby’s Selections
- Race 7 — 2, 4, 7, 10, 11
- Race 8 – 3, 5, 6
- Race 9 — 2, 6, 10
- Wager cost: $22.50 ($0.50 unit)
Gabby says….
“Assuming the seventh stays on the grass, I see it as a wide-open race. I’ve taken five in this $25,000, never-won-two claimer going 1 1/16 miles. #2 Exchange Student is clearly better on the turf — though she did break her maiden on the dirt. I think she might have been best in her last race but had a troubled trip. A clean trip today might be the answer. You have to respect #4 This Is Nice in this spot; she’s certainly faced tougher than these, even though I’m not sure why they’re taking the blinkers off her. #7 Tiara Gold is a lightly raced horse who just broke her maiden with a game effort. She’s a three year-old against older horses, and she’ll have to step it up to win here — but with only three races to date, she can certainly improve. #10 Sky Given‘s last try on the turf was a good one, and she lost to a good filly in Swoop. You could argue that she has a class advantage here. #11 Glittering is an easy case to make: Jonathan Sheppard and Alex Cintron teaming up and going long on the turf. Her last wasn’t great, but I think she’s getting class relief in her first off a layoff.
“The eighth is the Geisha Stakes for Maryland-bred fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles on the main track. I really like #3 Steady N Love in this spot. Her last was a real surprise, but I think she’s the kind of filly who needs tougher company so she has to really focus on her job. Last time, I think she made the lead and then just started getting distracted, so I think having to work harder here against better horses will actually help. Trainer Larry Murray always spots his horses well, in my opinion, and I think that’s the case with #5 Addison Run here. The negatives are that the horse who beat her last out, La Grey Zuliana, just ran an OK race here the other day, and that there won’t be much of a price on her. But she’s lightly raced, still improving, and beat one of the other main contenders in her last race. That contender is #6 Brenda’s Way, who I thought ran really well in her last race, which was her first around two turns. She made the lead, got passed, but then fought back and actually closed the gap a little bit. She could give a good effort in this spot.
“The ninth is a first-level allowance going five furlongs on the turf, and I have three of them. I’m not sure about 5-2 on #2 Show Some Lovin, but he’s had some good efforts sprinting on the turf. He fits here. I thought #6 Bowman’s Boy needed a race last time out, and he closed willingly enough. I would expect some improvement here, and that would put him right there. #10 Bert B Don had a solid year last year sprinting on the turf. He’s the type of horse who needs some things to go his way, but I think he’s in a good spot to make that happen on the far outside.”
LONGSHOT PLAYS
- RACE 5 — #2 Milwaukee Woman (8-1) — I like this horse in this spot, a 1 1/16 mile turf maiden race. I think she wants to go longer, wants two turns. Last time out, she almost beat Dixie Traveler, who’s a very nice horse. Her dam, Wedded Woman, was 2-for-7 going long on the turf, and she’s also a half to a mare that’s 2-for-5 on the turf, plus this filly ran her best race going two turns on synthetic.
- RACE 6 — #8 Handsome Harley (20-1) — He’s a really good-looking horse that I’ve really liked. I think one of these days he’s going to pop a big race, and I think it could be in this spot. I think he wants to go longer than he has, and this will be his first try around two turns. In his last, he ran third behind two pretty solid horses — Ground Control and Woelf Den. Plus, Handsome Harley is getting blinkers for the first time and first-time Lasix.
- The other horse — not a longshot — but to give a look to in the sixth is #7 Tooth N Claw, who had an absolutely horrendous trip last time out. He’s run really good races his last couple, we can toss the last one out, and a return to earlier efforts might get it done.
“Good luck!”
(Featured image, of Ben’s Cat, by Laurie Asseo.)
