Friday's Best Bet: Owendale a strong favorite in Pimlico Special

Friday’s 11th race from Pimlico is the Grade 3 Pimlico Special for 3-year-olds and up traveling a mile and three sixteenths on the main track (Post Time 6:23 p.m. ET).

Click here for Pimlico Race Course Entries, Results

#8 OWENDALE (8-5) is one of the better handicap horses in the country but he just keeps hooking tough company and getting no pace help. This looks like another paceless affair but there are no horses like By My Standards and Tom’s D’Etat in this race, and he might win this on pure class.

#5 Tenfold (5-1) just seems to like this oval but he probably won’t get much pace to chase. He was a close 3rd in the Preakness (G1) in 2018, and returned to Old Hilltop and won the 2019 Pimlico Special (G3). He is very inconsistent and has not won since capturing this event last year, but the horse for course angle makes him an interesting contender.

#4 Someday Jones (9-2) is a solid Mid-Atlantic stakes router with tactical speed. The fairly consistent 7-year-old horse should sit a good trip but one or two of these might be a bit better.

#3 Plus Que Parfait (12-1) put blinkers back on and finished an okay 2nd behind romping winner Sleepy Eyes Todd in the Charles Town Classic (G2) Aug. 28. There were several things to like about his effort that day. He got no pace to chase and stalked wide from an outer post while clearly best of the rest over the speed conducive bullring oval. He has not won since the 2019 UAE Derby (G2) but that last effort was his best in quite some time. He should be close to slow fractions from an advantageous inner post, and aggressive pilot Martin Garcia might just try to go on with it early.

Wagers:

Superfecta Key 8/3-4-5

Superfecta 8/3-4-5/3-4-5/ALL

Superfecta 8/3-4-5/ALL/3-4-5

Superfecta 8/ALL/3-4-5/3-4-5

Recent Best Bet Winners

Sept 23 - Shoe Game/Semi Sweet Exacta ($76.00)
Sept 25 - BIG RUNNUER ($5.00), Exacta ($14.80)
Sept 26 - MUCHO UNUSUAL ($8.80)
Sept 30 - Kaylasaurus/Sunny Dale Exacta ($23.40)

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