TAMPA BAY DOWNS FRIDAY, FEB. 1, 2019
Four winners last week! Four in a row to be precise, races 1 through 4. Things are finally coming together. Let it ride!
RACE 1: CLAIMING $8,000N2L, FIVE AND A HALF FURLONGS, DIRT, FILLIES AND MARES FOUR YEARS OLD AND UP
I’m going with #2. EXCLUSIVE EXPRESS. Trainer Gerald Bennett is having a great meet and so is jockey Pablo Morales who will be riding this filly. Bennett is batting .22 with horses that won their last start and went on to win again. He’s also batting .20 in claiming races as well. Great trainer, great jock, great horse. Go for it.
RACE 2: OC$12K/SAL$8K, SEVEN FURLONGS, DIRT, FOUR-YEAR-OLDS AND UP
This is a coin toss between #1. SMALL FORTUNE and #3. TIGER BLOOD. I’m going to go with the latter on this one. Main reason being Samy Camacho is riding this gelding and he’ll know what to do not to lose a second time.
RACE 3: CLAIMING $25,000N3L, MILE AND ONE-SIXTEENTH, TURF, FOUR-YEAR-OLDS AND UP
I like #6. HEY BIG GUY. This was a tough race to handicap, but I’m going with this colt because three back he came in show against $50,000 Alw company at Gulfstream. So he’s done well against better horses. This is a big class drop for him. Plus, Antonia Gallardo gets the mount and he’s the second best jockey at TAM right now. Looks good.
RACE 4: CLAIMING $8,000N3L, SEVEN FURLONGS, DIRT, FOUR-YEAR-OLDS AND UP
I like #6. SPACE SHUTTLE. There are a lot of horse who could win this race but I’m sticking with this one. Trainer Victor Carassco is having a great meet and he’s batting .29 with horses that won their last race out. That’s a good percentage play. I’m gonna give that a shot.
RACE 5: MAIDEN $16,000, ONE MILE, TURF, FILLIES AND MARES FOUR-YEAR-OLD AND UP
My heart wants to go with #6. BOURBON TRACE. The poor 8-year-old mare is 0-for-50 and still hasn’t broken her maiden. Sadly for her, there are other fillies and mares more poised to win in this race. #4. HOXIE will be ridden by Samy Camacho. Filly almost won three back, so she’s got that going for her too.
RACE 6: CLAIMING $8,000, ONE MILE AND FORTY YARDS, DIRT, FOUR-YEAR-OLDS AND UP
I’m going with #2. SPRING UP. This gelding has won his last two races with jockey Raul Mena, is owned and trained by Anthony Rini and he has some great stats to consider, most notably 2 sprints/route (3 .67 AVG. ROI $3.47). That’s pretty good. Also going from sprint to route here. Rini is 23 .17 AVG. ROI $0.66) at that angle. Something to consider.
RACE 7: CLAIMING $20,000, ONE MILE, TURF, THREE-YEAR-OLDS
#2. BUNSTER looks like the horse to beat in this race. Colt won last time out and trainer David Fisher is batting .17 with a win last time out. Fisher is also a turf specialist trainer (10 .30 AVG. ROI $7.68). Should go off at nice odds too. Colt also won last time out at odds of 26-1 too.
RACE 8: CLAIMING $16,000N2L, SEVEN FURLONGS, DIRT, FOUR-YEAR-OLDS AND UP
#2. YONDERING looks like the one to beat. Faced better horses on the Kentucky circuit and won three back at Churchill Downs. Has respectable Beyers among all the others in the field: Solid 60s. Great jockey-trainer-owner combo too. Trainer Ian Wilkes is 2-for-10 with Whitham Throughbreds with a 60% ITM. Does need a pace meltdown to win from behind. Me thinks this is the time the gelding will win.
RACE 9: MAIDEN CLAIMING $16,000, SEVEN FURLONGS, DIRT, THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLIES
I’m going with #9. PIPPAS POPPY. Trainer Darien Rodriguez is a maiden specialist: Bats .24 with maidens 2nd time start; turf-to-dirt .56 and .20 with first time blinkers. Rodriguez has won twice for filly’s owners and his go-to jockey is Pablo Morales as well. Safe bet here.
As always, I skip the last race. Good luck, stay warm and pass on races if you have to. You don’t need to bet every race. 🙂