By Joe Quillen
Wednesday 1/10/24 – Tampa Bay Downs Race 9
We had to some drier land today and we’ll take a look at the finale of Wednesday’s Tampa Bay Downs card for today’s QPW. Fillies and mares who are four years old and up are going seven furlongs on the main track here.
As I put on my weather hat here, I just wanted to let you know that there was some rain in the forecast for Tuesday evening when I started to write this article, and if you are planning on playing any of the other races on the Wednesday card, the lone turf race in race 5 has been already declared off the turf on the Tampa Bay Downs Twitter account (I refuse to call it X) while I was watching FanDuel TV while working. There is an update on the Monday and Tuesday races at the end of today’s article.
Thankfully, I don’t have to worry about guessing who would probably be scratched if this was a surface change from the turf to the dirt since this was planned for the dirt. Looks like there is plenty of time for the dirt to dry out before today’s Quills Picks Winners race, which has an estimated post time of 4:30 pm Eastern Time.
A full field of twelve is entered for the finale. I think there is enough time for the dirt course to dry out, so I am handicapping this, unlike yesterday’s QPW where I knew it would be sloppy, as a dry track though I don’t know how quickly the Tampa Bay Downs main track dries out.
The 1 Athena’s Wisdom (3/1 morning line favorite) draws the rail for the finale today. She finished second last time out about two weeks ago and looks like she will be on the lead.
The 5 Tiz Herself has been near the front the last few times out in races going two turns. This mare has 7 wins in 14 races at Tampa, and looks like she can rate a little bit.
The 9 Ritabook finished two lengths behind Athena’s Wisdom in that same race on December 20, and is usually at or near the lead. She is third race off the layoff and should be on the outside ready to pounce.
The horse that caught my eye is the 3 Glitter Bay (20/1 ML). She’s second race off a layoff, which was smartly given after she won a race going two miles and seventy yards (yes, you read that right…TWO MILES!). Her other two wins in 2023 were at today’s distance of seven furlongs.
If yesterday wasn’t swinging for the fences, today definitely is. I’m going with the longshot Glitter Bay in an absolute shocker here. I’ll call it 3-5-1-9 in the finale on Wednesday at Tampa. Good luck everyone!
QPW Update Desk
- Monday’s race at Parx (Race 6) – The QPW selection Large was way back at the start of the race, passed horses on the field and passed Gimmebackmybullets on the inside, but could not hold off Bullet Butch in the stretch.
- Tuesday’s race at Parx (Race 6) – The QPW did not hit that numerical superfecta box that Joe talks about from time to time (1,2,4,8), but Shetalkstomuch didn’t stop running and passed Denali Rae on the outside, giving the QPW followers a $19.60 winner, and if you played it like I suggested in the article, you got $196 back!
- So far in the first 9 days, the QPW is ahead $316 in the first week and change of 2024, and for every dollar that was wagered, you’re seeing a return of investment of just under three bucks ($2.93 to be exact). Not bad considering how cold I was at the beginning of this little portion of Bleacher Brothers which saw a few winners to end 2023, as it did take a few days to get a winner or two under our belts.
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