Friday's Best Bet: Classier can burst away in Fire Plug
Friday’s ninth race at Laurel Park is the $100,000 Fire Plug Stakes for 4-year-olds and up dashing 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track. The scheduled post time is 4:20 p.m. EST.
Click here for Laurel Park entries and results.
No. 4 Classier (8-1) has been freshened for this and should work out a decent tactical trip. He is 4-for-6 at Laurel and 2-for-2 at this distance, and he might be the value play.
No. 6 Frat Pack (9-2) fired trifecta shots in all five starts for Chad Brown. Whitworth Beckman is his new trainer and the early-pressing type owns competitive speed ratings.
No. 5 Super Chow (7-2) earned a quality speed rating in a neck defeat as the 1-2 favorite at Gulfstream Park on Dec. 24. This is his first local attempt and he should impact the pace.
No. 10 Murray (4-1) was excellent in his 2021 bow for Bob Baffert and he struggled after that. Brittany Russell took over the training duties last September, and he was part of the exacta in his last four starts. He stalked the pace and kicked clear in a local six panel optional-claiming race on Nov. 2, and was clearly second best as the beaten favorite at one mile on Dec. 31.
Wagers
No. 4 to win
Exacta box 4-6
Trifecta 4-6/4-5-6-10/4-5-6-10
Recent Best Bet winners
Jan. 1 – Otello ($5.40), trifecta ($100.00)
Jan. 4 – Dr. Ray D. ($7.00), exacta ($15.40), trifecta ($28.60)
Jan. 5 – Virat ($7.40), trifecta ($72.20)
Jan. 6 – Comparative/Saddle Up Jessie/Evidencias trifecta ($45.40)
Jan. 9 – In Spades ($7.80)
Jan. 12 – Crimson Rose/Nokie exacta ($10.80), trifecta ($56.40)
Jan. 14 – My Mane Squeeze/Bernietakescharge/
Saturday – Saudi Crown/Red Route One exacta ($12.00)