Friday plays: Springboard Mile Pick 3 looks wide open

With the $400,000 Remington Springboard Mile for 2-year-olds scheduled for Friday at Remington Park, the track offers four undercard races to accompany the featured race for aspiring Derby candidates. 

Here are selections for the open stakes sequence ending in the Springboard Mile and a suggested Pick 3. The other two races in this pick 3 sequence are the $100,000 She's All In Stakes and $100,000 Trapeze Stakes.

Remington Park Race 10: She's All In Stakes

On paper, Paige Anne holds the pace advantage as the expected pacesetter in a race that lacks speed. She can press or stalk too.

Paige Anne is no stranger to this racetrack. Last year, she contested the lead in the Remington Park Oaks (G3) before finishing second to Envoutante. Her main highlight this season is a third-place finish in the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (G1) at Del Mar.

But she lacks wins. The last time Paige Anne hit the wire first was in January 2020, when she won an optional claimer at Golden Gate Fields.

The second best option is Marion Francis, who won an allowance optional claiming race at Keeneland on Oct. 21 by a neck over Shesa Mystery. In Marion Francis’ two races before the Keeneland win, she ran third in both the Cathryn Sophia Stakes and the Plum Pretty Stakes at Parx Racing.

She’s All Wolfe is the third preference on this list. She ran a good second by a nose to Lady Orchid in a local Oklahoma-bred allowance race on Nov. 27. She is capable of performing well outside of state-breds too, as her second by a head to Quick Quick Quick in a local Nov. 4 optional claimer shows.  

If the pace does heat up, then Content might surprise bettors. She was closing nicely when third in a local one-mile allowance race on Nov. 13.

Top selection: No. 5 Paige Anne (5-1)

Contender: No. 7 Marion Francis (9/5), No. 4 She’s All Wolfe (6-1)

Live long shot: No. 8 Content (15-1)

Bets

Pick 3: 4,5,7 / 3,6,7,9 / 1,2,5,9

Pick 3 (for lesser money): 8 / 3,6,7,9 / 1,2,5,9

For a $1 base, the first ticket would cost $48.

For a 50 cent base, the second ticket would cost $8.

The two tickets cost $56 together, although scratches might cut it down. 

Remington Park Race 11: Trapeze Stakes

Park On the Nile is the top contender after an impressive 7 1/4-length maiden win in pacesetting fashion at Churchill Downs on Nov. 27. Given she won that race at the 1 1/16-mile distance, she owns important two-turn routing experience as well. She might slip away.  

Golden Sights broke her maiden by 5 1/2 lengths over slop at Keeneland on Oct. 15 in her fourth career start. She now makes her first start for trainer Brad Cox and could step forward in her first race in roughly two months.

Also think about Hits Pricey Legacy, who overpowered the field by 5 1/4 lengths in the one-mile Slide Show Stakes for Oklahoma-breds only on Nov. 12. Trainer C.R. Trout knows how to win big races with the right horse. 

For a long shot, also include Point Two.

Point Two broke her maiden at first asking in a 5 1/2-furlong sprint on Aug. 2 at Prairie Meadows. She then ran second in a local 5 1/2-furlong optional claiming race and third in the 6 1/2-furlong E. L. Gaylord Memorial Stakes.  

After those three sprint races, Point Two made her two-turn debut in a local turf allowance on Nov. 12 and won by one length.

Based on pedigree, she is supposed to enjoy routing. Point Two’s dam Bobbin Robin is a half to the graded stakes winning router Swift Temper.

Top selection: No. 6 Park On the Nile (3-1)

Contenders: No. 7 Hits Pricey Legacy (8-1), No. 9 Golden Sights (7/2)

Live long shot: No. 3 Point Two (12-1)

Remington Park Race 12: Springboard Mile

The race looks competitive. Señor Buscador was a great selection on this blog last year, but this race lacks the same kind of closing standout.

Classic Moment deserves consideration off his maiden win on Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs. He won by half a length over Cyberknife, the second-time starter trained by Brad Cox who started as the 2-5 favorite.

Concept broke his maiden in the local six-furlong Kip Deville Stakes before flopping as the 6-5 favorite in the seven-furlong Clever Trevor. At first glance, his stamina is in question after fading. But the pace was probably too fast, even though 22.11 and 45.23 fractions do not seem fast at first.

Make It Big won both of his races at Gulfstream Park, including the Ocala Stud Juvenile Sprint Stakes restricted to Florida-breds. Although he beat state-breds, it is notable how the runner-up Lightening Larry went on to finish second in the Inaugural Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.

Osbourne broke his maiden by a grinding 1 3/4 lengths in a seven-furlong race at Churchill Downs on Nov. 17. The stretchout to one mile may help.

Top selection: No. 5 Classic Moment (4-1)

Contenders: No. 1 Concept (5-1), No. 2 Make It Big (7/2)

Best value: No. 9 Osbourne (6-1)