Friday's Best Bet: Vindictive unbending in Pimlico Special
Friday’s 12th race from Pimlico is the Grade 3 Pimlico Special for three-year-olds and up traveling a mile and three sixteenths on the main track (Post Time 5:10 p.m. EDT).
Click here for Pimlico Race Course Entries, Results
No. 1 VINDICTIVE (2-1) is a lightly raced, improving four-year-old colt for Todd Pletcher. He is 3-for-4 with a close show finish at a mile and an eighth, and he should appreciate the slightly longer distance of this heat. The stalker earned an improved speed rating in his winning optional claiming return at Aqueduct on a good track as the favorite March 25. Irad Ortiz Jr. booted him home twice last year.
No. 8 First Captain (5-1) was always supposed to be a good one for Shug McGaughey. He won his first three starts last year including the Dwyer (G3). The son of Curlin was a flat 3rd in the restricted Curlin Stakes last summer, and returned with a nice extended sprint score in the optional claiming ranks Feb, 27. He ran last in the Carter (G1) last time and he adds blinkers and stretches out in his third start of the year. Luis Saez hops aboard and he has a trio of bullets in his holster. He was never really a fast work horse before so it looks like blinkers are helping him focus in the mornings.
No. 6 Capocostello (8-1) was outstanding in Panama and appears to be acclimated to this country now. He ran like he needed his stateside bow at Gulfstream Park Jan. 15, and was 2nd to runaway winner Fearless in the Ghostzapper (G2) at nine furlongs April 2. Flavien Prat hops aboard and this is a good distance for the six-year-old horse.
Get my expert Black-Eyed Susan Day stakes picks for May 20 (available now).
Wagers:
No. 1 to win
Exacta 1-8/1-6-8
Trifecta 1-8/ALL/6
Recent best-bet winners
May 5 - Tom's Regret ($6.40), trifecta ($430.80)
May 6 - Olympiad ($3.80), exacta ($12.00)
May 7 - Jackie’s Warrior/Reinvestment Risk/Aloha West trifecta ($47.60)
May 10 - Li'l Jimmi Sue ($5.00), exacta ($11.00)
May 12 - I'm Blushing ($7.20)
May 13 - Teddy's Barino ($4.00), trifecta ($65.80)
May 15 - Arzak/Tap It To Win exacta ($33.10)
May 18 - Thealligatorhunter ($2.80) - dead heat