King: Thistledown pick four play for Saturday, June 25
With two stakes in a pick four sequence Saturday at Thistledown that is anchored by the $500,000 Ohio Derby, the wager – which can be played in 50-cent tickets – is an attractive bet. Here is how I see the Ohio Derby pick four, which covers races 5-8.
Race 5
Candy Bites (1A), an astute claim for $20,000 last September at Thistledown, has won 3 of 4 starts, including a stakes, for his new connections and looks to be in another class than these. He also is the fastest and 10 for 22 over his career when racing six furlongs. Sprinkle in tactical speed and an outside draw that will allow his rider to place him on the lead or in a comfortable pressing position, and he is a single.
Race 6
Budget-minded players may opt to go for another single in this leg, where Night Invader (3) is the most likely winner after winning and running second in a pair of races this year in similar starter allowances. He is consistent and proven over the Thistledown strip.
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But with Night Invader coming out of a surprisingly slow race, my tickets also will include a couple others: Perry M (1) and Woelf Den (7). Perry M comes off a sharp $10,000 claiming win at Mountaineer, while Woelf Den is turned back in distance to a sprint after showing speed and fading in routes.
Race 7
Three fillies and mares in this Ohio-bred stakes stand above the crowd: Bold Cait (3), Needmore Flattery (6), and Justalittlesmoke (5). All are fast, consistent, proven at Thistledown, and stakes winners at the 1 1/16-mile distance.
Race 8
Now comes the Ohio Derby, where Mo Tom (8) is likely to go off as a clear-cut favorite. And though I will use him, I don’t see him as being a sure thing. He isn’t particularly fast on speed figures for a horse that will be a short price.
I will use three other horses, all of whom exit the Peter Pan Stakes. They include Adventist (3), who I also like as a win play, Wild About Deb (6), and Decorated Soldier (10).
The tickets
A 50-cent pick four ticket of 1 with 1,3,7 with 3,5,6 with 3,6,8,10 can be played for $18.