Live racing returns to Pimlico for the first time since May with a nine-race afternoon card this Friday. A pair of $48,000 allowance races, one on the dirt and one on the turf, are part of the 50-cent Late Pick 4 sequence that looks this way:
PIM 6th race (3:25 EST) -- CARIBBEAN will take some catching despite carrying co-high weight of 126 pounds at 1-1/8 miles. He chased speedy Uncle Irish (15/3-3-3, $165k) and tired at one mile last out before the winner passed by both of them and the third-place finisher, Iywaan, came back to win for the fifth time in his last seven starts. CARIBBEAN worked two bullets since that race and is today’s solo play.
PIM 7th race (3:58 EST) -- Going five-deep in this leg of the Pick 4 as a field of 12 Maryland bred or sired horses go one mile on the turf. CONSULTANT, the top pick, enters the barn of Bob Klesaris, who won first-off-the-claim at Belmont and Saratoga from the last six turf horses he claimed. Consultant, whose dam was a turf stakes winner, raced wide on both turns and dueled to stretch lead before a pair of deep closing longshots caught him last out. KOBE TOUGH switches jockeys for the sixth consecutive start and could take some catching in his first long-distance test after facing the likes of $314k turf earner Strike Me Down and Dancing Buck (4-9, $237k on turf). SUE LOVES BARBADOS set the pace in a turf-to-dirt race at this distance and has since rallied for two seconds and a third sprinting on the lawn. BENNY HAVENS rallied 4-wide to engage repeat winner POWER BACK but hung late when they met at Laurel in a longer grass route this summer.
PIM 8th race (4:31 EST) -- DREAM BIG DREAMS tries to bounce back as a first-time gelding after a dull comeback try as the beaten favorite. He could be the one to beat but is too risky to solo on the Pick 4 ticket. Similarly, SEVEN ON THE ROCKS will take some catching as he tries to carry over his solid main-track sprint form; however, he hasn’t gone beyond 7F in the last 3 years. If neither wins, WELLING could upstage a series of in-the-money finishes, BADGER TOOTH could three-peat, or VINNY could return a quick claim dividend off a lifetime-best romp against lesser. Go five-deep in this leg also.
PIM 9th race (5:04 EST) -- LITTLE MS SCARLET finished no better than fifth, beaten a combined 60 lengths on the turf when she was a maiden. But she merits a longer look off her recent form. She rallied to foil 3-to-5 favorite Brunella’s three-peat attempt two starts ago and rallied again to finish third against hard-hitting Wedontbelieveher (8-32, $213k), who was in the midst of a 4-for-5 winning streak. WILLOW MOON set a fast pace and tired in the final 1/8th at this distance, but she did so at the expense of Woodbine invader Afandi, who came back with a repeat victory and has won five consecutive grass sprints at 5 or 5-1/2F. TIZ SUSAN ANN raced extremely wide throughout and trailed until early stretch before gaining ground late and finishing 2 lengths behind the aforementioned Afandi. If she can stay in closer contact, she could mount a contending rally with a better post.
Suggested 50-cent Ticket
PIM 6th Race: 4
PIM 7th Race: 3, 7, 8, 9, 10
PIM 8th Race: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6
PIM 9th Race: 2, 4, 6
COST: $37.50
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