By Joe Quillen
Thursday 3/7/24 – Oaklawn Race 8
If someone was to diagnose me right now, someone may say that I have a case of seconditis. I know, what are you saying? If you are a loyal follower of Quills Picks Winners, my selections have finished in the runnerup position a little too much the last few days.
Monday at Mahoning Valley, my selection finished second to a very heavy favorite. Tuesday at Parx, I had a heavy favorite, and he was weaving around the track in the final furlong while a 10/1 shot won. Yesterday at Tampa Bay Downs, after reading the race as well as I could, my horse was nosed out for the win by the favorite. Handicapping can be a cruel game, but sometimes you have to plow through to get back on track.
Granted, I will always tell you bet within your means. My plays are my suggestions, and sometimes you get in this ebbs and flows. For every high, there is a low. It’s time that we get back on the winning way here.
We head to Oaklawn today for their eighth race, which is a one-mile allowance race. We have an overflow field of 14 older fillies and mares entered for this race, which will go to the post at approximately 5:22 pm Eastern time. Rain is in the forecast and looks like it will be an all day event, so prepare for a sloppy track.
Favored in today’s race is the 3 American Band (5/2 morning line). She won last time out in a claiming race and will be going two turns for the first time in her career. She has speed, but she has shown in her last few six-furlong races that she doesn’t necessarily need the lead. But the question is can she handle going two turns.
The 10 Xylophone (5/1 ML) just missed last time out first race off of a layoff. She loves the off tracks, having won her last 2 races in the mud or slop. She loves the one mile distance (2 wins and 3 seconds in 6 tries) and loves wet surfaces (2 wins and 2 seconds in 4 races). She is still running well now as a six-year-old and should be closing in a race where some horses are looking to stretch sprinters out to this one mile race with the configuration of the track and the short stretch to the finish line.
The 14 Lacie Be Good (4/1 ML) needs to draw in off of the also eligible list, and usually I’d just pass over these entrants. But with rain in the forecast, I am sure that at least one of the entrants from the main body of the field where she has a chance to run. If she does draw in, she is riding a four race winning streak, all at Delta Downs. Horses that go from Delta to Oaklawn transition well from Delta’s sand based track. If she gets in, she’s worthy of your money if you want to go this route.
The 9 Insensitive (7/2 ML) was runner up facing winners for the first time last time out on the slop at Oaklawn. She will have 110 fewer yards to run in this race and she will contribute to what looks like a great finish.
I will try to break out of my case of seconditis today at Oaklawn with the 10 Xylophone. I’ll call this race 10-14-9-3. My play is $20 to win on the 10. Good luck everyone and keep a lookout for my Twitter in the event my top pick is scratched.
Quills Update Desk
Larry Lederman, the track announcer at Atlantic City Race Course, Garden State Park, Freehold Raceway and the Meadowlands, as well as the horse racing scene in the movie A Bronx Tale, who always had a creative line or two with his quick wit and sense of humor, passed away Tuesday at the age of 67.
Follow Joe on Twitter/Instagram/Threads @JoeQuills. Check out the Bleacher Brothers Show from 8 to 10 pm Eastern Time on the Tony Bruno Sports Network app! Also check Joe’s sports stream podcast on Twitch every Tuesday and Thursday at 10 pm ET, and his YouTube channel where you can catch the show on demand.
