Peck: Mahoning Valley pick five play for Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020

Daily Racing Form handicapper Kenny Peck provides his late pick five play for Best of Ohio Day on Saturday at Mahoning Valley.

RACE 6: WEEKEND BUZZ showed a decent late kick in that solid runner-up effort in the Loyalty Stakes last time out, and he may appreciate the extra ground in this Juvenile Stakes. A fast pace should also help his cause, and it also figures to benefit BUCKEYE MAGIC, who could be the main danger in the lane. The one to beat, however, is UPTOWN, who will be tough if he’s able to take back off the speeds and make a run in the lane. HISTORICALLY was an easy winner in a sharp effort versus open maiden-special company in his latest, and he’s another who should appreciate the expected pace scenario.

RACE 7: There seems to be enough speed in this John W. Galbreath Stakes to set up a closer, and that includes BALLROOM BLITZ and SOMUCHSUGAR, who were a half-length apart in a July 14 maiden sprint. Of course, those runners will need every pace edge and clean trips to beat ALEXANDRIA if the 6-5 morning-line favorite runs to her last couple of Beyers; she could be vulnerable, however, if she is unable to rate off the pace and make a late bid, as she figures to have trouble lasting if she’s involved in the early pace battle.

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RACE 8: MO DONT NO was no threat in the Grade 2 Phoenix last time out, but he is back in with statebreds and looms very tough to beat over this racetrack, where he has won 4 of 6 starts, with two seconds. He has mostly routed this year, but this may well be his best distance, and with a fair amount of speed in this field he should be nicely set up to run them all down on the wire.

RACE 9: MOONLIT MISSION was second in a sprint last time, but she’s back at nine furlongs for this Best of Ohio Distaff and she showed two back that this nine-furlong distance is not an issue at all. REAL FANCY has not tried this particular distance, but she is proven at two turns and may well improve with slightly more ground; game score against optional claimers at Presque Isle Downs last time makes her a contender with these. DRILLIT has only gone two turns twice this year, once against statebreds stakes company four back, but she lost all chance there due to a tumultuous trip; the other try is what makes her appealing today, as that 12-length score came at the expense of this race’s morning-line favorite, Moonlight Mission.

RACE 10: WICKED WARRIOR is easy to like on the strength of his best Beyers and his recent form as he comes off three straight open-length victories that produced the best recent figures in this field. But the 1 1/4-mile distance of this Best of Ohio Endurance Stakes does present a new challenge for him, and I WANNA WIN did run a solid second going 10 furlongs three back. The latter is in the best form of his career and gets back to routing after a sprint try in his latest. FOREWARNED won this race last year, so there’s no question as to his ability to handle the distance; he faced some tough graded stakes fields in his last two.

THE PLAY: 1, 3, 5, 6 / 3, 5, 6 / 4 / 3, 4, 5 / 6, 8, 10 ($54 Ticket).