TAMPA BAY TODAY – NOV 22

Excited to be looking at Tampa Bay past performance lines for the first time since last spring. For me, the meet is all about grass racing over one of the best turf courses in America.

And I’m not being hyperbolic–just one man’s opinion. Of course there are exceptions but on balance, the course plays fair every day:

If your horse has speed and it’s best, it wins; if it runs late, the slingshot effect is often devastating over the Oldsmar course.

Today’s 7th race for fillies and mares, 16K, N2L lifers, is typically competitive; actually it’s over contentious. If I win, I want to get paid. I’ve narrowed my choices to three, paring down from six:

Never So Lucky (8-1), Ritaan (10-1, and Baby Luck (9-2). At the moment, we’re feeling lucky.

Never So Lucky, for a low level claimer, has been everywhere: She trained in Saratoga in August but raced at Meadowlands and Gulfstream subsequently, now makes her Tampa debut for Jose Delgado, who wins with shippers at a 20% rate.

After finishing first and second in New Jersey, she tried SoFla Tapeta and was never in the hunt, but finished sneaky well late, giving her bottom for her turf return 17 days later.

Drawn in post 4 will help, given that she raced wide every step in her NJ finale and was still plugging away at the wire for place despite the wide journey. Samy Camacho can only enhance her chances.

Hence, we’re taking Never So Lucky to win at 9-2 or greater and a three filly exacta box.