Brad Free's cross-country plays for Friday, April 24, 2020

A pair of double-digit longshots and a trio of lower-odds nuggets furnish the action Friday at Oaklawn Park, Tampa Bay Downs, and Gulfstream Park. Diving in:

Oaklawn Park, Race 2 (2:35 p.m. ET) – A $12.5K claiming winner fits in a $12.5K claiming starter. Jose the E F Five (7) returns to the level she crushed two back. Trainer Kim Puhl does super second start off the claim and is on a 4-for-15 roll the past three weeks at Oaklawn with winners that paid $42, $14.80, $36.20, and $30. Jose the E F Five is listed at 10-1.

Tampa Bay Downs, Race 7 (3:26 p.m. ET) – Taking a shot in this $8K claiming sprint, nonwinners of three. Water Patrol (6) was given a race in her comeback, she ran well under similar conditions last summer at Canterbury Park. Expect the gelding to improve second start back and at least outrun his 12-1 morning line.

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Gulfstream Park, Race 6 (3:43 p.m. ET) – A lightly raced 3-year-old facing older fillies and mares that are stuck and not getting any better, Simple Story (2) is the “cross-country cinch” for Friday. Relatively fast on numbers, Simple Story is second choice on the early line at 5-2.

Oaklawn Park, Race 6 (4:36 p.m. ET) – Returning to the class level at which she scored a sharp win three starts back, $6,250 claiming pro Kalliste Rose (1) only needs to overcome the inside post to score her fourth come-from-behind victory in her last six starts. She is listed at 5-1.

Oaklawn Park, Race 10 (6:38 p.m. ET) – Big Returns (13) perhaps benefitted from the mud winning at this N1X/optional-claiming level last out. But he also has won on fast and enters with the highest last-out figure. He would get pace to run at if he draws in. He is listed at 5-1.