Today’s fifth race begins the Late Pick 5 and it looks like a “free square” for horizontal players. XY Speed, believe it or not, is deserving of 3-5 status on the early line.
His Thoro-Graph figures are superior, lay over the field, gets huge class relief dropping out of the Turf Dash, he’s 7-for-12 on Tampa turf and had a best of the week among his peers bullet move.
But we feel like gambling in this spot, using the favorite defensively. Dennis Ward has two entered here; venerable 11-year-old Fox Rox (7-2), a 7-time winner at the trip and suitably placed at this level, and the less fancied Hard Count (15-1).
We fancy the less fancied.
Hard Count drops out of the same event but didn’t have any chance to get involved, He saved no ground at any point of the turf sprint while racing in the back of the pack.
Pardon us if we’re not taking that effort seriously enough, if at all. Hard Count has back figures that give him a punchers chance in this lineup
Watch the replay and decide for yourself: Tampa Bay Downs, FEB 19, Race 10. Stable rider Pablo Morales chooses Fox Rox and Hector Diaz knows how to get late run out of his turf mounts and will get that chance here.
If we’re in tune, we will get paid. Taking Hard Count to win at 10-1 or greater and a three-horse exacta box with the favorite and the stablemate.
