Orseno has fingerprints on three late pick five races; sequence features $63,841 carryover

Trainer Joe Orseno could have a big say in Wednesday’s late pick five at Tampa Bay Downs, one that begins the day with a $63,841 carryover after the wager went unsolved last Saturday.

Orseno has runners in three of the five legs of the wager and believes all three have strong chances to win.

The late pick five, which has a 50-cent minimum denomination, requires bettors to select the winners of the final five races (5 through 9) on Wednesday’s nine-race card.

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Here’s a look at the sequence that begins with race 5 (2:20 p.m. approximate post).

Race 5: A $32,000 claimer on turf for 2-year-olds drew a field of 10, topped by the Jose D’Angelo-trained Deep Star, who won a $35,000 claimer over Gulfstream’s Tapeta surface on Sept. 7 but hasn’t run since.

Deep Star showed a strong turn of foot over the Tapeta, and D’Angelo has won with his last three starters at the meet.

Orseno sends out Justin Smiles in this spot. Justin Smiles finished fourth behind Deep Star in that Sept. 7 race but came back two starts later to win a maiden $25,000 claimer at Gulfstream.

“I expect him to run a big race,” Orseno said. “It’s a later-maturing family, and he’s the first one to win as a 2-year-old. He’s getting better and better. Everything he’s been doing in the morning shows me he’s going forward. He’s training great, and I think he’s ready for the next step.”

Distinct was a debut winner for maiden $16,000 as the 6-5 favorite on Nov. 26 at Tampa and was claimed out of the race by Jose Gallegos, who already has three wins at meet.

Mo Dodgy, who won a maiden auction race sprinting on turf, takes a significant class drop for Kevin Rice.

Race 6: Orseno sends out Win Bet Only in this seven-furlong maiden event for 2-year-old fillies.

Win Bet Only has run in stakes in two of her last three starts. She has finished second in her last two maiden tries.

“We put in the Florida-bred race at Gulfstream. It didn’t go, so we sent her up there since we have a barn there,” Orseno said. “She’s been very consistent. She just wants to go longer. Seven furlongs should be a good spot for her.”

Five runners come out of the same Dec. 6 maiden race won by firster Lightscape.

Permian Basin was off slowly and wide but fought on to finish second at 19-1 with blinkers added in that race. Duchess Eleanor had a cleaner trip than Permian Basin when third in that race.

My Angel Marie was stopped cold in upper stretch when trying to rally along the rail and should offer value Wednesday. Trainer Jon Arnett is off to a surprising 0-for-28 start at meet.

The Graham Motion-trained firster Responsibly also is worth considering if the bankroll allows.

Race 7: Brooklyn Styles will likely be a single on many tickets in this one-mile turf race for 2-year-olds, as he got stymied in traffic around the far turn before rallying to finish second when beaten as the 1-5 favorite. He gets a switch to leading rider Samuel Marin and goes out for trainer Miguel Clement who is 4 for 7 at the meet

Lesotho Promise, third in that race, did show improvement with blinkers added for Motion.

Race 8: Kathleen O’Connell is not going to go the whole meet without a win, right?

Perhaps she gets the first one in this maiden $25,000 claimer with Willing One, who, after finishing sixth on debut at Delaware Park, ran third with blinkers added for maiden $16,000 here Nov. 26. O’Connell, last year’s leading trainer at Tampa, is 0 for 25 this meet and recently had her barn quarantined due to a case of equine herpesvirus. That quarantine was lifted Monday, so perhaps that’s a sign that a change in fortune is coming.

They Call Me Sue, Judy Chop, Union Cait, and Giggity are others that belong on a ticket. Subate, trained by red-hot Juan Avila, could be dangerous if he draws in from also-eligible list.

Race 9: Orseno expects Trackster to bounce back from a disappointing eighth-place finish at Tampa in his last start. His race two back makes him a contender in this $16,000 claimer on turf.

“He disappointed me last time, but he came out of the race well,” Orseno said. “I made some little minor changes and I think he should run well.”

Standpoint’s last three starts on turf have been solid, including a runner-up finish behind next-out winner Post Command for this same $16,000 claiming tag for which he is running Wednesday.

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