What’s the point of having friends and loyal readers if you can’t share your handicapping struggles with them, right? Here’s my dilemma.
I’ve got two Horses to Watch sitting on a big race ready to win, but they’re in the same race, Wednesday’s finale.
Kodiak Brown (9-2) won like a good thing to win his season’s debut here in early December for a new barn, John Campo Jr., showing a tremendous turn of late foot to win going away and galloping out strongly. Surely he would repeat if not pitched too high next out.
Well, his race was rained off the turf and came back last out with a big forward move, the race we were expecting but it was good enough to be only second best.
The other runner is Armando’s Team (6-1) who finished like a wild horse to win his first start after entering the Jose Delgado barn and paired-up that effort next time out but the added sixteenth flattened out his kick somewhat at the finish though he ran on gamely.
We’re banking on the mini-turnback to his winning distance, a better draw, and his trainer is five for his last 12 when hooking up with Samy Camacho. But check out that race on the Tampa Bay Today video that caught our eye and see what you think. TAMPA BAY DOWNS, DEC. 23, RACE 7.
Unfortunately for both, this is a very salty group of N3L $16,000 claimers, so we’re going to play this one with a little abandon. First and foremost, a win bet on Armando’s Team at 4-1 or greater. Also key-boxing exactas and trifecta’s including ‘Kodiak’ and two faster rivals, Benny Feliciano’s Obiwan (7-2) and Arnaud Delacour’s Regal Speaker (4-1).
