Fair Grounds Race Course Picks – Friday, January 8, 2021

The three richest races at Fair Grounds Race Course for Friday are all turf runs, mostly at mile-plus distances.

I review those turf races at Fair Grounds here but remember that you can find their entire nine-race card — including horses, jockeys, morning-line odds, and betting options — at one of our best horse racing betting sites.

Read on for my Fair Grounds Race Course picks and tips for Friday, January 8, 2021.

This is an allowance optional claiming race for Louisiana-bred four-year-olds and upward running a distance of about one mile on turf for a purse of $47,000.

I’m sticking with the 3/1 morning line favorite in this race — Extra Mile, with Colby Hernandez in the irons. This four-year-old gelding moneyed all three of his career starts, winning two.

None of the longer-odds entries in this field show any indication that they intend to do anything but follow the other horses, so keep your long money in your pocket.

This is an allowance optional claiming race for fillies and mares four years old and upward running a distance of about 5-1/2 furlongs on turf for a purse of $47,000.

I’m calling this race for the third-favored (9/2) entry — Sterling Miss, with Jack Gilligan aboard. This six-year-old mare is a statistics stand out in this field, with 15 money finishes in 23 career starts, eight of those wins.

The longest odds in this race are 10/1, and I don’t see a money finish there, not against this field.

This is a maiden special weight race for fillies and mares four years old and upward running a distance of about 1-1/16 miles on turf for a purse of $45,000.

I’m buying a win ticket for the fourth-favored (5/1) entry — Sail On Ellen, with Adam Beschizza in the irons. This four-year-old filly moneyed six of her eight career starts and has better speed figures than her erstwhile betters in this field.

Sure, she has tired in most of her turf runs, but check how many times “tired” and “empty” show up in the racing footnotes on all the other horses in this field.

There are no long-odds entries in this race that look capable of paying on a show ticket against this field, so keep your long money in your pocket.

Fair Grounds Race Course had some good underdog action for us, and I found more of those, along with some good long-odds moneymakers, at the other tracks I reviewed for Friday: