DRF's Horse Racing Playbook for Wednesday, April 22, 2020
With most other North American sports being shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, we hope the sport of horse racing can entertain you during these trying times. Daily Racing Form has served as the most trusted source of news and information about the sport since 1894, and moving forward we have decided to provide a free daily playbook – something that both hardcore horseplayers and casual observers can reference to get informed of each day’s action.
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1 p.m. Eastern Tampa Bay Downs 2nd race – ITSGOTTABEMYWAY (#5, 12-1) grabbed the show with a mild run in the lane, but that was a better effort than the running line may indicate as she was behind some slow splits there. Turf Beyers are steady and are not that far off the figures posted by morning-line favorite Pioneerof New York, and she will be a much better price than that runner. – Kenny Peck
1:30 p.m. Eastern Tampa Bay Downs 3rd race – MOONLIT SEA (#1, 15-1) is a stone closer reliant on pace, but she should get at least some help from the front-runners in this sprint, which marks her first start since early January. She was against the race flow in each of her last two starts on the main track yet ran well in defeat, deceptively so in her latest, when she made a middle move before flattening out late. – Kenny Peck
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2:30 p.m. Eastern Tampa Bay Downs 5th race – CAVE RUN (#7, 8-1) takes an important class drop in this sprint, coming out of an optional claimer for nonwinners of two races other than maiden, claiming, or starter and now facing one “other than.” He also was in a tough spot in terms of pace, as that sprint was light on speed and he didn't break well to make matters worse, and he has lots of upside here facing lesser and with a better setup likely. – Kenny Peck
3:30 p.m. Eastern Tampa Bay Downs 7th race – LAND MARK DEAL (#3, 12-1) is the first starter out of the dam, who posted her lone win on the turf, but this gelding has shown some speed in the mornings, and trainer James Gulick is more than capable with firsters, with 7 of 18 debuting runners hitting the board over the past five years, including three wins; should offer some value, too. – Kenny Peck
5:27 p.m. Eastern Fonner Park 2nd race – EMMA’S LOGIC (#4, 8-1) looks after that improved most recent start like he could be headed back to his best Delta Downs form, which is good enough to win this. – Marcus Hersh
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6:15 p.m. Eastern Will Rogers Downs 9th race – VALLESTINA (#10, 3-1) found compromising traffic last time out, costing her a couple placings, and meets an easier group of N1X allowance foes over a more suitable sprint distance now. – Marcus Hersh
8:09 p.m. Fonner Park 8th race – ALEX OF ICE (#3, 9-2) with a quietly lively April 1 local drill, hinting he is getting over the Fonner surface all right. That’s the key to everything; if his most recent form pattern holds at the new venue, he wins this. Do demand a fair price, however, as he could be bet down. – Marcus Hersh