$125k Whimsical

by Tom Quigley

$125,000 Whimsical (G3)

Woodbine

Race 8 (Saturday, April 20, 2019: 4:51 p.m./ET; 1:51 p.m./PT)

Six furlongs (fillies and mares, four-years-old and up)

Woodbine begins its seven month, 2019 thoroughbred meet this Saturday with a solid 10-race Opening Day program. Let’s dig deep into Woodbine’s feature race of the day and go for the big bucks:

#1 ALNILAH has one published workout since a poor effort in November over this synthetic surface. Whether she will be fit enough to run her best race is a concern. Before her last start, she won a pair of allowance races over this track. She has shown speed in the past and may show some early zip in her first start of 2019.

#2 ZESTINA is another coming off a layoff, but with a much more consistent workout tab. Daughter of SILENT NAME is a consistent gal, having hit the board in all nine lifetime starts. That said, she is just one-for-five on synthetic, but her consistency makes her a legit contender for an in the money placing.

#3 TARAWA won a number of allowance races at Remington in the fall before a poor effort at astronomical odds (107/1) last December sprinting against stakes company on the turf. This will be her first try over a synthetic surface. She also makes her first start for trainer Justin Nixon, who is two-for-six (33%) when freshening up runners between 61-180 days.

#4 SLY BEAUTY won the Star Shoot Stakes over this track in May of last year and makes her second start off a nine month vacation for top trainer Mark Casse while taking her customary blinkers off. In her first start off the break, she ran third in a second level allowance race at Gulfstream Park. We know this filly likes this synthetic surface and unlike the three rivals to her inside, she has a race under her belt. Very live.

#5 SHAKOPEE TOWN makes her first start for the Kevin Attard barn. After a Louisiana-bred allowance victory on dirt at the Fair Grounds in February, this gal ran second over a sloppy track against open allowance company. All four career wins have come at this six-furlong distance and she, like #3 TARAWA, makes her career debut over a synthetic surface while posting a bullet half-mile work in a sizzling 46 and change heading into this race.

#6 MAGIC SPELL hasn’t been seen since an allowance victory over #1 ALNILAH in October. The daughter of MAJESTICPERFECTION is two-for-three over Woodbine’s synthetic surface. Trainer Gail Fox hits at 12% with runners making their first start off a layoff longer than six months.  

SELECTIONS

1. #4 SLY BEAUTY – Mark Casse has an ace in his hand.

2. #5 SHAKOPEE TOWN – Has recency on her side.

3. #2 ZESTINA – Too consistent to ignore.

LONGSHOT VALUE PLAY- #6 MAGIC SPELL – Two for three over this track.

WAGERING STRATEGY

I’ll key my top pick over my other three selections for both exacta and trifecta wagers. I’ll also play a $5 reverse saver exacta.

BANKROLL PLAY ($50 Budget)

$5 Exacta: #4 SLY BEAUTY over #2 ZESTINA and #5 SHAKOPEE TOWN and #6 MAGIC SPELL ($15).

$5 Trifecta: #4 SLY BEAUTY over #2 ZESTINA and #5 SHAKOPEE TOWN and #6 MAGIC SPELL ($30).

$5 Exacta: #5 SHAKOPEE TOWN over #4 SLY BEAUTY.

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