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 sequence includes three stakes, and the wager has a carryover of nearly $20,000.  Post time for the fifth is 2:28 p.m.

Gabby’s Selections

• Race 5 – 3, 5, 7, 8, 9
• Race 6 – All
  
• Race 7 – 2, 9
• Race 8 – 2, 7
• Race 9 – 6
• Wager cost: $70 ($0.50 unit)

Gabby says….

“I think the first two legs of this are extremely tough, and so I really spread out in them.  In the first leg, which is the fifth race, there are some interesting horses making their first starts in this maiden special weight event.  I’ve covered all three: #5 Shaka Sign, who ships in for Cal Lynch, #7 Dont Quit Dreaming for top trainer Graham Motion, and #8 Ward Three Art G.  Cal Lynch is so good with first-time starters — 32 percent win rate — and Stew Elliott is in to ride for him.  At the same time, I think Ward Three Art G, who’s 20-1 for trainer John Rigattieri, is real value here.  Rigattieri also does really well with first-timers in maiden special weight races, and he doesn’t push his horses to run fast in the mornings, so this horse’s works might not look great.  But I felt like you couldn’t leave him off the ticket…

“The sixth is the Miracle Wood for three year-olds at a mile, and I really think you can make a case for or against every horse here.  It’s a very, very interesting race.  I think Joint Custody is probably the class of the field, but will he like the distance?  And then you have horses like Fleet Gold Digger, who’s already won beyond a mile — but is he as good as these?  This one’s wide open, so I will hit the ‘all’ button for this race…

“I don’t feel that way about the seventh, the Native Dancer for four and up at 1 1/16 mile.  With three scratches, including the morning line favorite, you’re left with a very different race.  Warrioroftheroses figures to go for the lead, and if Managed Account is up there pushing for it, too, that could set it up for a closer like #2 Indian Jones.  I thought he ran really well two back in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon — where he was beaten less than three lengths — and I’ll toss his last, at seven furlongs.  He’ll be running late, and with the right pace, he could make some noise.  It’s also possible that #9 Managed Account could sit the right trip here, just off the speed and move late for the win, so we’ll include him…

“The eighth is the What a Summer for older fillies and mares at six furlongs.  I’ve got two in here, #2 She’s Ordained and #7 Winning Image.  Winning Image figures to be the speed here, and she’s awfully tough if she can get it her own way.  Still, I thought She’s Ordained ran a great race last out in the Willa on the Move, and she ran down another good frontrunner that day in Five Star Momma.  A repeat of that could be enough to win this one.  A horse I didn’t cover — but one who scares me — is #5 Red’s Round Table.  She was awfully good before getting injured, and her last was not bad…

“The ninth is low-level maiden claiming fillies, and I’m singling #6 Silver Bolt.  She’s winless in four tries, but all were on synthetic at Woodbine.  This will be her first try on conventional dirt, her two works over the Bowie strip were very good, and her granddam, Tropical Punch (by Two Punch) was a stake winner on the dirt who won four of five tries at Laurel…

“Good luck!”

(Featured image, of Ben’s Cat, by Laurie Asseo.)

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