By Joe Quillen
Today’s Picks
First, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving out there wherever you are, and hopefully you got the Black Friday deal that you were looking for online or in the brick-and-mortar stores. Also, I hope that you all recovered from all the turkey, or whatever you had for yesterday’s feast.
Also thanks to everyone that reached out to wish me your love and condolences. It really meant a lot to everyone, whether it was on Facebook, on Twitter, a phone call or text message. I appreciate everyone taking the time to offer me their kind thoughts.
Before I get to my picks for Black Friday, I do want to recap the two races in case there is anyone out there that really want to hold my record against me. I am 0 for 2 so going into my Thanksgiving Day pick. I feel like I read both races very well, but my horses just did not win.
On November 11, Verstappen finished third in the Grade 3 Red Smith, but I did get the dueling leaders up front like I thought I would, but Verstappen couldn’t hold of Soldier Rising who came from well out of it to finish runner up to 10/1 winner Master Piece who I did not foresee closing like he did in the mile and three-eighths race.
The next day was the filly and mare equivalent to the Red Smith, the Grade 3 Long Island Stakes, going the same distance of a mile and three-eighths. I didn’t read this as well as the Saturday race, but Vergara and Whatlovelookslike were on the lead and were passed by the favored R Calli Kim who won the race over Rhombique, who said “race filler this” to me.
So the $10 win bet from two Saturdays ago and the $10 exacta box both did not hit. But I still have confidence that this is not a totally futile exercise. I might be down a mythical $30 right now going into my Thanksgiving Day pick.
For Black Friday, the DRF Race of the Day stays at Del Mar. The featured race is the Grace 2 Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes going a mile and a half on the turf. We have 8 horses going here on Friday, with an estimated post time of 6:28 pm ET/3:28 PT.
If there is one thing that is dangerous in horse racing no matter the distance, it is lone speed. It appears that the 6 Balladeer is just that in the Friday feature. If this colt is loose and unpressured on the lead, this could be a race where everyone is running for second. The only horse I could foresee going for the lead to challenge Balladeer is the 5 Astronaut, but I am wondering if this horse’s better days are behind him. His 6-year-old season has been a disaster as he finished tenth of twelve at Gulfstream in March, and dead last of eight last out in early October at Aqueduct.
The 3 Lukka is the wild card in this race, as there is not much on the past performances on the ridgling. The distance probably won’t be the issue, but the class might be.
The 1 Francesco Clemente ran well at Aqueduct last month winning an allowance race at 11 furlongs. The 7 Eastern Ocean appears to be a stalker might cause problems at a price, and the 8 Speaking Scout is the actual morning line favorite at 5/2 odds and could be the horse to steal this race from me.
I’ll say that the Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes will end up 6-8-7-1, and my mythical wager will be a $10 win wager on the 6. Good luck everyone and be on the lookout for Saturday’s race coming from Aqueduct.
