Turf Paradise: Tapadero, Choo Choo Charlie should offer better odds

Two horses with ugly last-race running lines may offer far better value than logical favorite Lee Creek in Monday’s featured eighth race at Turf Paradise.

Tapadero, last of seven when he was claimed for $10,000 in December, and Choo Choo Charlie, beaten nearly 23 lengths when last of eight three weeks ago, both have a license to improve dramatically when they return in a second-level optional $20,000 claimer at 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track.

The 8-year-old Tapadero has figured in the exacta in 27 of 51 lifetime starts, mostly while running for a claiming tag. He is among six of the eight starters Monday entered for the optional $20,000 claiming price, which represents the highest level he has ever raced. Trainer Rob Atras is 3 for 7 with sprinters back following a break of 61 to 180 days. That group includes Elusive Moment, who scored by two lengths March 12 at Turf Paradise while making his first start for Atras and Dark Cloud Racing Stable, the same new owner of Tapadero.

Choo Choo Charlie ran well in back-to-back starts at the same level as Monday’s race, including a runner-up finish when claimed Dec. 16. He returns to a more realistic spot after two failures running for a $30,000 tag. His trainer, Robertino Diodoro, is the runaway leader with 103 winners as Turf Paradise enters the final stretch of its meet.

In addition, two races back Choo Choo Charlie finished just behind two horses who came back to win their next starts. La Mano Nera captured an allowance with an 83 Beyer Speed Figure. Ultimate Question, who outfought Choo Choo Charlie by a neck for third, came back to score for a $12,500 tag with a 77 Beyer.

Lee Creek jumped up in class off a $10,000 claim to beat second-level optional $20,000 claimers by a half-length March 2. But he only defeated three rivals in that field and his trainer, Bill Brashers, is a combined 1 for 11 with last-out winners second time off the claim and last-out winners making their second start off a layoff.

Among the others, Artic Fire missed by a nose against comparable opposition to Monday’s field on New Year’s Day after completing a 2013 campaign in which he won 5 of 10 starts, and Game Seven rallied from 16 lengths back to come up a half-length short at the same distance and level as Monday’s race.