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 Gaudet’s got some thoughts on a Pick 4 play.
The first Sunday of the Laurel Park fall meet is upon us, and with the first rains in a dog’s age having pelted central Maryland yesterday, two of today’s grass races — the fifth and sixth — have been taken off the turf.
Nonetheless, Maryland racing analyst Gabby Gaudet has some thoughts on a Pick 4.
- Race 7 – 1, 3
- Race 8 – 1, 2, 6
- Race 9 – 8, 11
- Race 10 – 7
- Ticket cost (0.50 unit) $6.00
GABBY’S RACING NOTES
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- Race 7 — ($40,000 maiden claimer for 2yo fillies going 6 furlongs on the main track) This isn’t the greatest field ever assembled, but a couple who’ve run already showed some promise. #1 J Z’s Diva rallied nicely against similar in her debut after getting pinched back at the start and being last early. One of her rivals returned with a win. We’ll put a line through the Timonium race, and I think if she can break alertly and not be too far back in the early going, she’ll have a chance late… #3 If the Crown Fits ran second in #1’s debut race and showed good early foot before fading a bit. She’s the only runner here to have shown speed in a race…
- Race 8 — (Maiden special weight going one mile on the turf for 2yo fillies) I like a couple of these who have started already: #1 Don’s Girl, whose two promising turf tries both came in sprints and who may appreciate the added ground; and #2 Sittin’ n’ Sippin, who was a good second last out in her first turf try, at Delaware Park. That race has produced a next-out winner, and the winner of the race, Finn’s Girl, returned to be third in a stake at Saratoga. It’s true that trainer Michael Matz doesn’t have a great record with firsters, but #6 Majestic Trick was a $135,000 auction purchase, sports a long and promising work tab, and is a half-sibling to a couple of pretty good turf horses in Love Cove and Half Heaven, each of whom won multiple stakes and earned well in excess of $200,000…
- Race 9 — (First level allowance for 3yo and up going 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf) There’s a common theme with the two horses I picked in here: both have run 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf just once, and both won in that lone try. #8 Holiday Touch broke his maiden last out in a similar turf sprint — but that was down at the Fair Grounds in February. That was a pretty productive race — all six to run back ran first, second, or third in their returns — and trainer Michael Stidham has had good success bringing horses back off long layoffs. #11 Mr Lightning Boy is in good form right now and really took to the turf in his first time on it, two back.
- Race 10 — (Maiden special weight for 3yo and up going 6 furlongs on the main track) This is a pretty contentious group, so my single here’s a bit risky, but I really like #7 Lostinthestars from trainer Hamilton Smith. He didn’t show much in his debut going a route of ground on the turf after being hard to load. He was scheduled to run August 7 at Laurel and, in fact, was taking pretty solid betting action throughout the wagering but then was a gate scratch. Smith entered him at Delaware in September but scratched, as well. He’s been working well, and I think he’ll be ready to deliver a good effort here.
Good luck!
