Wednesday's Best Bet: Tashkent puts it all together at Canterbury

Wednesday’s fifth race from Canterbury Park is an optional claiming event for 3-year-olds and up traveling one mile on the main track (Post time 8:10 p.m. EDT).

Click here for Canterbury Park entries and results.

No. 1 Tashkent (7-2) stalked strong fractions led, and was clearly second best at this course and distance June 15. He was in good form late last year, tailed off over the winter and ran well in his last three starts. This race appears to be lacking front-end speed and he should be in the thick of things throughout from the advantageous inside post. 

No. 4 River Rose (9-2) moves from all-weather to conventional dirt and has not won in quite some time. He probably is most effective on turf, but his early-pressing speed should serve him well and he has a recently hot trainer in his corner. 

No. 6 T Bones Trick (2-1) got a dream setup from the inside post in a short field when defeating my top choice by a length June 15. He is 2-for-2 at Canterbury and does some of his best work at one mile, but he might be in trouble this time if the expected tepid pace scenario plays out in real time. 

No. 7 Zoe’s Delight (6-1) won a pair of local flat mile starts last year. He was below par in both starts this year but did show some signs of life when making a wide middle move June 4. His trainer excels with his third-after-a-layoff runners, and he fits with these on his best day. 

Wagers: 

No. 1 to Win

Exacta 1-4-7/6

Trifecta 1-4/1-4-6-7/1-4-6-7 

Recent best-bet winners

June 1 - Nice Ace/Ribbons and Medals/Press Snooze trifecta ($23.80)
June 3 - Buy Land and See ($2.80)
June 9 - Two of a Kind ($6.50)
June 10 - Loft ($7.40)
June 13 - Easy Day/Appealing Future/Big City Bob trifecta ($93.80)
June 17 - Redline ($6.00)
June 18 - Private Mission ($4.80), trifecta ($46.80)
June 21 - Grounded/Nice Ace/Patriot Drive trifecta ($85.40)
June 22 - Mr Dumas ($6.80)
June 25 - Bout Time ($6.00), exacta ($14.40)
Tuesday - Derby House ($4.40)