Maryland racing analyst Gabby Gaudet has thoughts on a Jackpot Pick 5 on this afternoon’s card at Laurel Park!
JACKPOT PICK FIVE
Laurel Park has a 50-cent Jackpot Pick 5 beginning with race 5. The wager has a carryover of $42,764. Post time for the fifth is 2:28 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 5 – 1, 4, 5, 7
- Race 6 – 1, 7
- Race 7 – 1, 8
- Race 8 – 1, 2, 6
- Race 9 – 5, 7
- Wager cost: $48 ($0.50 unit)
Gabby says….
“There are some pretty short-priced favorites in the Pick 5 sequence tomorrow, and I wouldn’t stray too far from some of them. In the fifth race, though, I’m going to go four deep. It’s a maiden special weight race with a 3-5 favorite, #4 Connemara Coast. His numbers tower over the others in here, but I don’t think you can single him. He’s been the beaten favorite three straight times, and he’s finished second in three of four career starts. There are a few ways to look if you think, like I do, that he’s beatable. I like that Trevor McCarthy, the leading rider in the colony, is getting on board #1 Dante’s Victory, and I thought that horse ran pretty well in his debut. #5 Charlie Allnut has a decent — and long — work tab, and Stronach Stables paid $140,000 for him; they obviously are hoping for good things from him. And I’ve included a longshot, too, #7 Master Zeus; he lost by 23 lengths in maiden claiming company, and trainer Juan Vazquez is raising him two levels into maiden special weight company. Has he figured something out? Will the blinkers matter? I wouldn’t put it past him…
“In the sixth, another maiden special weight, this one for fillies around two turns, I love #1 Moonstone Magic and could easily have singled her. I thought she closed nicely in her debut, going 6 furlongs. She looks like a horse who’ll appreciate the added ground she gets today. Plus, the place horse from her debut, Nicki Flash, came back to break her maiden on Friday, and the winner ran an OK third in allowance company. I also added in #7 Toccet to Me Baby; I thought her one route try, in a one-turn mile, was her best race to date, and she might like two turns…
“In the seventh, a starter allowance, I took two: #1 Winning Player and #8 La Mala. I think you can safely toss Winning Player’s debut, which was a mess; I think Juan Vazquez, her trainer, likes her a little bit, and when he dropped her into easier company, she responded with a nine-length win. I’m also including #8 La Mala; whenever Bernie Houghton sends a horse down here, he sends a runner — though I do believe 8-5 is a little short on a horse who broke her maiden in state-bred company…
“The eighth is a first-level allowance for three year-old fillies, and I’m keeping the two shortest prices on the board — #6 Jump Two (7-5) and #2 Bound (5-2) on my ticket. Jump Two has the class, and I thought she ran a great race at long odds in the Marshua, coming in second to Gracer, who then returned to crush stakes horses at Aqueduct. Then Jump Two dusted starter allowance foes at Aqueduct, and even though the speed figure came back light, I thought she ran well. Bound is a horse who’s run pretty well in two tries at Laurel, just missing against similar at this distance in her last race. I’m also including a longshot, #1 Lightnin Fast Girl (15-1). I liked her effort last time, when she ran second to Steady N Love. Granted, she was beaten 20 lengths, but Steady N Love is a pretty hard-hitter, and I’m not sure there’s anything like her in this group…
“I’ve got two horses in the last, a $5,000 lifetime claimer. I really liked #7 Art Class in his last, when he made a huge move to the lead before running out of steam to finish second. I thought the move might have been a little premature, but with a little better timing in this race, he’ll be tough. I’m also throwing in #5 Snappy. He closed a little in his last off a wide trip, and that was on an inside speed-favoring day. The track has been kinder to closers recently, and if he can save a little ground with rider Chelsey Keiser, his closing kick might put him in a good spot…
“Good luck!”
(Featured image, of Ben’s Cat, by Laurie Asseo.)
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