No favorites won in the Late Pick 4 sequence at Tampa Bay Downs the last two Fridays and only one winner paid less than $10. The result: Payouts of $5,150 and $1,806 for a 50-cent wager. Will the trend continue this Friday? Here’s a closer look at the action:
TAM 6th race (3:18 p.m. EST) -- I’M STILL BRAVE couldn’t keep pace with class-dropping favorite Skyhooper at 7F, or with recent three-peat winner Callihoo at 6-1/2F in the race prior. But if he breaks alertly from the rail, he could be the target on the cutback to 5-1/2F. VICTORY LINE also has speed and, at worst, should get good forward position from post 11. He bumped a rival at the break in his first start in 10 months, dueled on the backstretch and faded in the lane in a race that produced two next-out turf winners. Expect one of them to break the trend of longshot Pick 4 winners.
TAM 7th race (3:48 p.m. EST) -- WALLY WORLD will be undervalued in his seasonal debut for trainer Chad Brown, but he can’t be ignored. He was among three winners to exit his debut race, then overcame early trouble to rally for second behind multiple graded stakes-placed Spirit Prince in the $120,000 Central Park Stakes at Aqueduct. The same holds true for FULL NELSON, who won 3 of his last 4 starts by a combined 12-1/2 lengths but benefited from a snails-like pace to win an allowance route in his turf debut. Going to hit the ‘ALL’ button in this leg, hoping for that longshot.
TAM 8h race (4:20 p.m. EST) -- GABBYSONHOLIDAY sustained a bid from the far turn to the finish to break his maiden in style at age 5. His winning time was only one-fifth of a second slower than a Maiden Special Weight race on the same card. HOLLYWOOD CLOSEUP sheds 9 pounds on the stretch-out in distance and should sit a good stalking trip at a good price. FROSTY THE SOLDIER ran second twice at 1-mile 40-yards and picks up leading rider Samy Camacho. He was passed by next-out repeater Village Preacher and winning favorite Ghoststryder, respectively.
TAM 9th race (4:55 p.m. EST) -- CADENCIA tries to recapture her form from last summer in New York off a seven-month layoff. She romped in a 6F starter allowance on the Aqueduct turf, blew a long lead in a one-mile allowance on the Belmont lawn and suffered another photo-finish setback in a 5-1/2F allowance at Saratoga. She averaged an 86 Beyer in those three starts, clearly earning favoritism – and Pick 4 solo status – off a :47.4 bullet workout February 1.
Suggested 50-Cent Ticket
TAM 6th Race: 1, 11
TAM 7th Race: ALL
TAM 8th Race: 3, 7, 9
TAM 9th Race: 7
Cost for 50-cent ticket: $27
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