By Joe Quillen
Eclipse Day Races at Horseshoe Indianapolis (Races 5 & 6)
Those that know me know that I like a good laugh and a fun promotion. I got a good laugh in the lead up to today’s races that Horseshoe Indianapolis, the racetrack formerly known as Indiana Grand and originally Indiana Downs, thought it would be a good idea to open their season the day of a rare event of a solar eclipse that will go directly over the Indianapolis metro era.
Horseshoe Indy is not the only track that will experience a total solar eclipse. Mahoning Valley is on the edge of the total solar eclipse. Parx will be in the 80 to 90% range, where they have a mandatory pick-5 payout today which I am passing for some fun handicapping. Will Rogers is in the 95% range of totality. Even harness tracks running today will be affected.
But Horseshoe Indianapolis from what I can tell is having the most fun with the eclipse today. They have two overnight handicaps for Indiana breds whose names have eclipse like names.
First race is the Total Eclipse of the Heart Overnight Handicap for fillies and mares three years old and up sprinting five and a half furlongs. Post time is set for 1:54 pm Eastern time where an overflow field of 13 (12 plus one also eligible) are entered.
Favored in this race is the 12 Carimba (2/1 morning line) who finished no worse than second in her two dirt races last year at Indy and returns to the races after a three-month break. She is a horse that is a speed demon who will get to the front here. Throw that last race out in January. She never got to the lead in a race that was taken off the turf. She will be very tough today.
There are horses that are going to go for the lead, but the question is whether or not they can get the lead. The 3 Ardis (12/1 ML) looks like she will try, the 8 Speedy Delivery (8/1 ML) will try to live up to her name, and the 9 Ace Reporter (7/2 ML) will try to be there as well. The question is whether or not Carimba is rusty off the layoff. But most of these fillies are coming off layoffs as well.
The 10 Ekati Flatter (10/1 ML) is 5 for 11 lifetime on the dirt at Horseshoe Indianapolis and may be able to stalk behind the 12 here. The 2 Get N Tipsy (15/1 ML) has a closing kick but she might be better on the turf than today’s dirt race. The 1 Tizzy Jojo (20/1 ML) does look like she could ride the rail to a nice finish as well.
I’ll stick with the favorite here and call it 12-10-2-1, and I’ll go $10 to win on the 12.
The second race is the sixth, and it is the open version of the fifth race, named the Dark Side of the Moon Overnight Handicap. Post time for the final thoroughbred race on the card is 2:22 pm Eastern time, and unfortunately, the seventh race was NOT named the Coming Out of the Dark race.
There are 14 horses entered in this race, and just like the fifth race, there will be up to 12 runners in the gate. The 11 Classic Max is the 3/1 morning line favorite for this race, working well after he bore out last November at Horseshoe Indy. He appears to need things his own way on the front end.
There is some speed in this race from horses that I didn’t mention as well. The 3 Tay (15/1 ML) does look forwardly placed, as is the 10 Molly’s Town (12/1).
The 12 Run Away Rojo (7/2 ML) will be right outside of the morning line favorite and looks like this is a prep race for the season as he is more of a route runner than a five-and-a-half-furlong horse like all six thoroughbred races are today at Indy.
The 9 Manuelto (6/1 ML) comes into this race as one of the few horses that is not coming off of a layoff, at least in Daily Racing Formterms. He may have been too far off the class scale in his last two races and returns from wintering at Oaklawn Park. If the mud was the issue the last two races along with the class of horses at Oaklawn, he could get back into his closing form here.
Another candidate that could close here is the 4 Mr Chaos (8/1 ML). He took the winter off and returns here after closing in October before the break. She has a nice workout on March 23 that could be a good sign for him today.
The 1 Chipofftheoldblock (12/1 ML) also wintered at Oaklawn and is the second race back from a 10-week layoff. I don’t think he will get the lead, but he might be in good position if he is ready here today.
I will take the 9 here closing to win this race. I will call this 9-12-11-4 and my play is $10 to win on the 9.
Finally, since I looked at back-to-back races, I might as well go with the daily double for the fifth and sixth races. If one horse scratches, I will not make a backup wager for it. I’ll go with a $20 ice cold double 12 with 9.
Good luck everyone, and make sure that if you are going to look at the sun wherever you are today, please be careful!
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