Fair Grounds Race Course Betting Picks – Thursday, January 14, 2021

There is plenty of action at Fair Grounds Race Course for Thursday with a nine-race schedule comprising mostly claiming and maiden races.

Read on for my Fair Grounds Race Course picks and tips for Thursday, January 14, 2021.

This is an allowance optional claiming race for Louisiana-bred four-year-olds and upward running a distance of one mile on turf for a purse of $48,000.

I’m following the morning line’s advice and buying a win ticket on the 8/5 favorite — Ninety One Assault, with Shaun Bridgmohan in the irons. This eight-year-old gelding finished in the money 18 of his 35 career starts, winning eight.

That is, I’m following that advice unless the also-eligible/MTO sleeper at 6/1 joins the match — then my money is on Unrestricted, ridden by Colby Hernandez. This five-year-old gelding moneyed eight of his 11 career starts, winning four.

Speaking of Colby Hernandez, if this race stays on the turf, he’ll be riding the 12/1 Mageez, a horse I believe is a value show wager against this field. This eight-year-old finished in the money 33 times in his 52 career starts, winning ten.

This is an allowance race for four-year-olds and upward running a distance of 1-1/16 miles on turf for a purse of $46,000.

I like the third-favored (5/1) entry here — Victory Boulevard, with Miguel Mena aboard. This four-year-old gelding moneyed eight of his 13 career starts, winning five.

None of the longer-odds entries here look to be capable of crossing the finish line in time for payday, so let’s save our show-ticket money.

This is a maiden special weight race for three-year-old Louisiana-bred fillies running a distance of six furlongs for a purse of $50,000.

I’m sticking with the 3/1 morning line favorite here — Shades of Truth, ridden by Florent Geroux. This filly finished in the money one in her two career starts — a second-place finish in a maiden claiming race at Keeneland; her non-paying finish was a fifth place in a maiden special weight race at Fair Grounds last November.

There are three 20/1 longshots in this ace, but I’m sorry to say that not a single one looks good for a value show ticket. On the other hand, I do, however, see a promising 12/1 contender in Sho Nuff, ridden by Chester Bonnet. This filly has no career starts on record, but she has shown good performance in recent workouts. Show ticket only.

Fair Grounds Race Course gave us some interesting underdogs to consider, and you’ll find more of those along with some surprise moneymakers at the other tracks I reviewed for Thursday: