After a quick trip out to the west coast, we head back home to Parx where today we have what I think is the first of the first races that I have seen for three-year-olds and upward. Though this field of seven are all older horses, the condition of this race is for three-year-olds or for four-year-olds and up which have never won two races.
I must say this is an interesting condition in this race, though this race did end up being a claiming race for four-year-olds and up. We have seven horses entered in this six-and-a-half-furlong sprint.
Parx Race 8 – Claiming $12,500
Favored in today’s race is the 2 Amazing Woo (3/1 morning line). He was last seen at Gulfstream Park last time out in an $8k claiming race at Gulfstream and was near the lead and chased the top two in the stretch. He comes north to Parx and under a new trainer who wins 23% of the time with horses running for him for the first time.
This time of year, we start seeing horses in South Florida coming up north and they tend to run well at the Northeastern tracks, especially this time of year. The morning line favoritism may be a result of that theory today.
The 6 Whoosh (5/1 ML) is fittingly named as he is the stone cold closer of this septet. He will lay back and pick up the pieces at the end. Last time out, he may have been too far back as he finished third. It took him 25 tries to win, but the light bulb might have turned on in early October. He has not finished worse than third with a win, five seconds and a third.
The 7 Stay Funny (9/2 ML) is the speed in this race, but he has a bad habit of not being there at the end. He is usually on the lead or dueling for it and always weakens in the stretch. But he could be lone speed here, which could be very dangerous.
The 4 Four Eyes (4/1 ML) may try to force the pace here with the speed on the outside. But is he fast enough to keep up with the outside horse here today or not?
Joe’s Pick
I want to say take the speed horse on the outside and forget about it. However, there is a very bad pattern here of Stay Funny tiring in the stretch. Whoosh has been the most consistent horse lately, even if that maiden breaker in try number 25 is in there. Like I said, sometimes the light bulb just turns on out of nowhere.
Whoosh has shown the ability to close time and time again since early October and I think he does it again today. Let’s call this 6-2-4-7 and my play is $20 to win on the 6. Best of luck everyone and I’ll see you in the winner’s circle!