With weather handicappers predicting thunderstorms Friday, we have a built-in saver should today’s full field of turf maidens be re-scheduled to the main track. First, optimism rule the day.
While Screen Image is 5-2 on the early line, there is a good chance that price might hold since Christophe Clement saddle favorite Lake Parima (2-1) who showed improvement when dropped to this level last out.
But we are going to trust our choice because she is dropping into a claimer for the first time since returning from a 17-month break in March, chasing the pace while wide throughout most recently, understandably tiring late. Check it for yourself on the Tampa Bay Today Video, RACE 8, APRIL 8.
But there are several more reasons to embrace the dropdown; first, the barn is profitable both with returnees in this time frame and in LAY-3 scenarios. Better, however, is that she exits a live race, one producing two next-out winners from three starters. Hot riding Angel Suarez gets the call.
Best yet, trainer Kent Sweezey has entered Drive In (6-1) as Main Track Only. She might not be as fast as some of these but her pattern is forward looking and the price would be fair.
We’ll take either/or to win this, no price restrictions, and key-box exactas with ‘Parima’ and Three Quarter Time (10-1), making claiming debut for Tom Proctor stretching out following two sprints, and add price shot Upstaging (30-1) to the super-exotics money mix.
