By Joe Quillen
Tuesday 3/19 – Will Rogers Race 7 (Welder Stakes)
We had back to Will Rogers Downs for the Tuesday Quills Picks Winners where once again, they do have a three-year-old stakes race here, and today, it is the Welder Stakes going 6 furlongs on the main track. Post time is scheduled for 4:57 pm Eastern Time.
We do have one cross-entry here in the program as the 9 Elusive Power (20/1 morning line) is also entered in Wednesday’s second race at Will Rogers Downs, which would probably be a much easier race to win. This maiden would not be facing winners tomorrow like he would here today. He’d be facing fellow horses who never won a race. I expect this horse to be scratched for tomorrow’s race, but as you know from reading these articles, I tend to be wrong from time to time.
The 5 Lake Bee (5/2 ML) is the favorite in this race, and he comes in from Sam Houston where he was facing optional claimers going five and a half furlongs the last two times out. She returns to Oklahoma after running his first six races of his career at Remington Park where he was very competitive. He can be very tactical and can sit behind a couple of leaders and be ready to pounce in the stretch.
The 4 Power Slam (3/1 ML) does appear to be a hose that threw in the towel the last two times out, but those races are at Oaklawn, where there are much tougher horses in general than what is on the ground at Will Rogers. If he runs like he did in his first five races, then he might have a date with the photographer in the winner’s circle.
The 1 Chasin Jason is 2 for 2 lifetime and returns from a four-month layoff after he went gate to wire in a state bred stakes going a mile at Remington. He did win his debut going six and a half furlongs, but he might have to gun to the lead here. If he does, he might have company in the 7 Norway Beach and the 8 Legacy Account (both 8/1 ML) have shown that they will go for the lead.
This scenario will also set things up nicely for the 6 Okie Smoke (9/2 ML) who won two weeks ago at Will Rogers Downs in an allowance race. This race is the second off a layoff and the potential pace scenario looks very promising for this gelding.
With the way this race looks, I am going to take Okie Smoke to fly home in the lane to win this race over Lake Bee. I’m calling this 6-5-4-1 and my play is $20 to win on the 6. Good luck everyone!
QPW Update Desk
The unofficial horse of Bleacher Brothers Uncle Ernie was able to go out to an uncontested lead and won the 9th race at Parx on Monday afternoon, paying $8.80 to win. AJ, Play Action Real and myself talked about the race near the end of the first hour of the Bleacher Brothers Show last night.
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