By Joe Quillen
Horseshoe Indianapolis Race 8 – Caesars Handicap
Happy Hump Day everyone, and I think I had the question answered that I was asking over the last month or two when I knew Tampa Bay Downs’ meet was quickly coming to a close. What would be our Wednesday track, or at the very least, what I should expect that track to be when it was time to start my Wednesday article. It appears that Horseshoe Indianapolis, the track formerly known as Indiana Grand and originally Indiana Downs, will be our Wednesday track.
Now there are going to be some curveballs here and there, but even last week, when I was taking a few days off while I was doing some Bleacher Brothers work out of town, I noticed last Wednesday’s race would have been Horseshoe Indy as well. Now that I have a Wednesday back home, we have the featured race on the Horseshoe Indianapolis card as we will look at the Caesar’s Handicap, which is a race for three-year-olds going one mile on the turf.
On Tuesday, the races on that card were taken off the turf as it was sloppy and rainy. Rain is in the forecast in Shelbyville, so I’m wondering if they will take this race off the turf. There is no grade on this race, so they could just take it off the turf and take the bullet for doing so. If this race goes off the turf, I will try to give an alternate pick on my Twitter @JoeQuills.
The 7 Twirling Point (5/2 morning line) and his favored here and overcame the slow start on the synthetic at Turfway in the Rushaway Stakes to finish third by half a length. He is bred for the turf, especially on the dam’s side as the dam Kitten’s Point is by Kitten’s Joy who is a top turf sire.
You can toss that debut at Kentucky Downs. That’s a quirky European style track where many great turf horses just don’t run well there. He ran okay in a stakes at Santa Anita and went gate to wire in an optional claimer two months later.
The 2 First World War (5/1 ML) is technically second race off of the layoff and had all kinds of trouble in the Transylvania at Keeneland. He was wide all the way around the track and had to check exiting the first turn. A cleaner trip without a wide trip and trouble free might be what the doctor orders here.
The 8 Depiction (20/1 ML) might be an interesting play here and probably will be less than the 20/1 odds we see on the morning line. He had trouble last time out at the beginning of the race and might be worth a shot at a price. How big of a price will have to wait until the race goes off. He will be closing, but how effective will the closers be on soft turf?
The 4 Debt Paid (15/1 ML) might be another longshot play here in this race. He won an optional claimer two races back at the Fair Grounds and some will say he bounced. I think he will be better suited going a route (a race at a mile or longer in length) on the turf. He could be flying as well.
I think the 3 Molly’s Town (10/1 ML), though she has never run on the turf, and the 7 Twirling Point could be dueling on the lead here. This will set this up nicely for Depiction, Debt Paid and First World War. I think First World War gets first shot to pass the leaders and will win this race. I’ll call this 2-8-4-7 and my play is $20 to win on the 2.
Good luck everyone! Also, check my show out “Also Eligible” on Saturday mornings at 10 am Eastern/7 am Pacific as AJ Johnson and I discuss the big races, the latest news in horse racing and much more!