Top Horse Racing Picks for Tuesday, March 1, 2022

It was all about digging for gold at Fair Grounds Race Course, Parx Racing, and Turf Paradise for my Tuesday horseracing picks, with several of my prospective winners in the double-digit range of the odds (two were at 12/1).

Promising choices for our bankrolls, but it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to check my math at one of our recommended horseracing wagering sites.

Good luck!

We’ll start on the main track with race five, a 1-1/16 miles allowance optional claiming race for fillies and mares four years old and upward. I’m betting on one of the third-favored underdogs (there are two in this race at 7/2), Sariah Sariah, ridden by James Graham.

This four-year-old filly finished in the money seven of her 13 career starts, winning four, including her two most recent races.

Longtime horseracing veteran Thomas M. Amoss trains Sariah Sariah for owner Joel Politi.

Let’s move to the turf course for race eight—the Mardi Gras Stakes, a $75,000 purse, 5-1/2 furlong run on the dirt track for fillies and mares four years old and upward.

This eight-horse field has some very talented ladies in the starting gate, but I’m going to agree with the morning line here and bet my two dollars on the 9/5 favorite, Elle Z, with Mitchell Murrill in the irons.

This five-year-old mare has been campaigned extensively—and successfully—at the stakes level: She moneyed 11 of her 17 career starts, winning eight. Those wins include her two most recent, the Nelson J. Menard Memorial Stakes (Black Type) on New Year’s Day this year, and the Frederick P. Aime Memorial Stakes (Black Type) in late January, both at Fair Grounds.

Elle Z will see some tough competition from the second-favored (at 2/1) Change of Control and the fourth-favored (at 6/1) Goin’ Good. You might want to consider a box bet here.

Regularly top-ranked among the top 100 trainers for wins, earnings, or both since 2006, Chris A. Hartman trains Elle Z for M Bar O LLC.

We’re back in the dirt track for race nine, a one-mile allowance race for Louisiana-bred three-year-olds and upward that have never won three races. I’m calling this one for the second-favored (at 9/2) More Memories, piloted by Rene Diaz.

This three-year-old colt finished four of his five career starts in the money, winning two. He recently finished third out of nine horses in the LA Bred Premier Prince Stakes (Black Type) in early February at Delta Downs. In this race, More Memories also has the advantage of Diaz’ apprentice weight allowance.

Thomas M. Amoss trains More Memories for owner Maggi Moss.

Let’s start on the dirt track for race eight, a 6-1/2 furlong starter allowance run for fillies and mares four years old and upward. I like the 9/2 fourth-favored Shirley Greene, with Ruben Silvera aboard.

This four-year-old filly spent most of 2021 working on graduating the maidens, but she appears to have the gist of it. For the record, Shirley Greene finished five of her eight career starts in the money, winning three—her most recent three, in fact. She’ll do.

With more than two decades in the horseracing business, Marya K. Montoya trains Shirley Greene for Just In Time Racing LLC.

Race nine is a seven-furlong allowance optional claiming race on the dirt track for fillies and mares four years old and upward. I agree with the morning-line here: Bet the 7/2 favorite, Fleeterthan, ridden by Andy Hernandez.

One of the more experienced mares in this six-horse field, the six-year-old Fleeterthan moneyed 16 of her 29 career starts in the money, winning six. She’s moneyed all three of her 2022 races, with one win and two second-place finishes. She’s got this, particularly with the advantage of Hernandez’ apprentice weight allowance.

Michael M. Moore trains Fleeterthan for Hardesty Stables.

Race ten is a seven-furlong claiming race on the dirt track for four-year-olds and upward that have not won a race since December 1 (claiming races for $8,000 or less not considered in eligibility). I’m betting my two dollars on the 4/1 second-favored Mach Trial, piloted by Dexter Haddock.

This nine-year-old gelding finished 29 of his 54 career starts in the money, winning ten. He moneyed both of his 2022 races, a win and a third—both in January, both here at Parx.

Elias Tapsas trains Mach Trial—one of his top earners—for JR Jewel Stables.

We’re on the turf course for race five, a 7-1/2 furlong claiming run for fillies and mares three years old and upward that have never won two races. It’s hard to find a worthy wager in this unimpressive eight-horse field, but I’m going with the 12/1 underdog, Special Lesson, with Israel Hernandez in the irons.

This four-year-old filly finished in the money four of her 13 career starts, winning one—her most recent race in January here at Turf Paradise. Her record is one money finish shy of matching the morning-line favorite’s record of five money finishes in 13 starts, with one win.

Special Lesson is trained by owner-breeder Satchell Stevens, who put Hernandez aboard Special Lesson for her graduation victory.

Let’s move to the dirt track for race seven, a 6-1/2 furlong claiming race for four-year-olds and upward. I’m betting on the 9/2 third-favored Majestic Cafe, ridden by Sahin Civaci.

This five-year-old gelding finished ten of his 17 career starts in the money, winning three. His 2022 record is what clinched the bet for me: Two money finishes, including a win, in three starts.

Forty-year horseracing veteran Barry Hodgson trains Majestic Cafe for owner Dale L. Saunders.

We’ll switch back to the grass for race eight, a 7-1/2 furlong claim run on the turf for three-year-olds and upward that have never won two races. The entries here aren’t quite as lackluster as that last race, but I still had to burrow down deep to the find the most likely winner—the 12/1 underdog Club Champ, with newcomer Kyle Carter in the irons.

This four-year-old gelding moneyed ten of his 17 career starts, winning  three. More importantly, he finished both of his 2022 races in the money, one of them a win.

Ryan Kenney trains Club Champ for owners Greg Myers, Paige Schvaneveldt, and Brent Stapley.