Top Horse Racing Picks for Friday, March 11, 2022

I discovered lots of surprises at Aqueduct Racetrack, Golden Gate Fields, and Tampa Bay Downs for my Friday horseracing picks, including five underdog moneymakers, as well as a bona fide 20/1 longshot at Tampa Bay. That should make our bankrolls happy. Very happy indeed..

Be sure to check out all the races at one of our best horseracing wagering sites.

Good luck!

We’re on the dirt track for race two, a one-mile claiming race for three-year-olds and upward that have never won two races. I’m backing the 4/5 morning-line favorite, Royal Realm, ridden by top jockey Trevor McCarthy.

This four-year-old gelding finished in the money seven of his 12 career starts, winning one, which puts him in the spotlight in this six-horse field.

Mertkan Kantarmaci trains Royal Realm for owner Robert J. Amendola.

Race four is a one-mile starter allowance run on the dirt track for fillies and mares three years old and upward. I’m betting my two dollars on the second-favored (at 3/1) Girl of Tosconova, piloted by Jorge A. Vargas, Jr.

This six-year-old mare moneyed eight of her 16 career starts, winning three, which gives her a slight statistical edge on the morning-line favorite, and a much more significant statistical advantage over the rest of this seven-horse field.

Regularly ranked among the top 100 trainers for the past two decades, Charlton Baker trains Girl of Tosconova for owner Saul J. Kupferberg.

Race seven is a one-mile allowance race on the dirt track for New York-bred fillies and mares three years old and upward. My money’s on the 2/5 morning-line favorite, Shalimar Gardens, with Manny Franco in the irons.

This four-year-old filly finished four of her six career starts in the money, winning one. The only two races she didn’t money were her fourth-place finishes in the Raven Run Stakes (Grade II) at Keeneland in October and the Comely Stakes (Grade III) here at Aqueduct in November.

Horacio De Paz trains Shalimar Gardens for owner Barry K. Schwartz.

Let’s start on the all-weather track with race four, a six-furlong claiming race for fillies and mares four years old and upward that have never won two races (maiden, claiming, and starter races for $16,000 or less not considered in eligibility).

I’m betting on the second-favored (at 5/2) Red Hot Lass, with jockey Assael Espinoza aboard.

Forty-year horseracing veteran Tim McCanna trains Red Hot Lass for owners Cindy Desimone, Fred Desimone, Tim McCanna, Mark Peters, and Bruce Philipie.

Race five is a six-furlong claiming race on the all-weather track for four-year-olds and upward that have never won two races (maiden, claiming and starter races for $4,000 or less not considered in eligibility). I like the 5/2 second-favored Magic Tiger, ridden by jockey Pedro Flores.

This four-year-old gelding moneyed six of his nine career starts, winning two, which puts him in the statistical spotlight of this seven-horse field.

Owner and former jockey Jamey R. Thomas trains Magic Tiger for co-owners Theodore Kelsick, Ted Merrill, Kevin Riggs, and Troy Thomas.

Race seven is a 5-1/2 furlong allowance optional claiming run on the all-weather track for three-year-old fillies. I’m betting my two dollars on the 8/1 sleeper, Slack Tide, piloted by veteran jockey Irving Orozco.

This filly moneyed both of her career starts, finishing second on her first maiden attempt last June, then winning the Angie C. Stakes (Black Type) at Emerald Downs a month later. She should have no trouble, then, finding her way to the winner’s circle.

Breeders’ Cup veteran Blaine D. Wright trains Slack Tide for Ten Broeck Farm, Inc.

We’ll start on the dirt track with race four, a one-mile and 40 yards allowance optional claiming run for four-year-olds and upward. I’m calling this one for the second-favored (at 5/2) Winfromwithin, ridden by Chantal Sutherland.

This four-year-old colt has the best of this six-horse field, with four money finishes in his seven career starts, two of them wins, including the Columbia Stakes (Listed) here at Tampa Bay last March. And he finished third in the American Turf Stakes (Grade II) at Churchill Downs in May.

Top-ranked Jorge Delgado trains Winfromwithin for Lea Farms, LLC.

Race six is a seven-furlong starter optional claiming run on the dirt track for four-year-olds and upward. I’m buying a win ticket on the third-favored (at 9/2) Creekmore, with Isaac Castillo in the irons.

In this experienced field of eight, this five-year-old gelding has the statistical best of it: 18 money finishes in 28 career starts, nine of them wins—including his most recent at Tampa Bay last month.

With more than two decades in the horseracing business, Michael Dini trains Creekmore for owner John E. Follmer. Dini tapped jockey Castillo to saddle Creekmore for that victory run last month.

Race eight is a six-furlong allowance  optional claiming run on the dirt track for four-year-olds and upward. I’m making a two-dollar investment in the success of the 20/1 longshot Newyearsblockparty, with top jockey Ricardo Feliciano in the irons.

Seriously, this four-year-old colt has better stats than the morning-line favorite, with seven money finishes in 13 career starts, three of those wins. In comparison, Ashiham, the favorite, moneyed four of his seven starts, winning one.

Incidentally, Ashiham last won a race (his maiden) in August of 2020. Newyearsblockparty won his last race (claiming) a mere seven months ago. Advantage: Newyearsblockparty.

Longtime horseracing veteran Jeffrey A. Poole trains Newyearsblockparty for owner Danny Lee Linville.

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