Laurel Park Picks – Thursday, November 26, 2020

Laurel Park’s race schedule for Thursday offers us a slew of claiming races along with one allowance race and a maiden competition for flavor.

It’s clouding up in Laurel, Maryland, and spectators at the track should come prepared for scattered showers, temps in the upper 60s, and winds around nine mph.

Remember that while I review the three richest races here, you can find all eight of Laurel Park’s matches for Thursday at one of our top horse racing betting sites.

Read on for my Laurel Park picks and betting tips for Thursday’s richest races.

This is a maiden claiming race for three-year-olds and upward running a distance of about 1-1/16 miles for a purse of $27,000.

I’m sticking with the 1/1 morning line favorite in this race — Peachy Keen, with Trevor McCarthy in the irons. This three-year-old colt moneyed one of his three career starts (trust me, that puts him ahead of the rest of this field).

I know you’re looking at that 50/1 longshot (in a six-horse race, no less), but that is never going to happen. Not convinced? Try 16 career starts and never a finish better than fourth.

This is a claiming race for two-year-olds running a distance of seven furlongs for a purse of $30,000.

I’m backing the 9/5 morning line favorite here, as well — Natty Beau, with Trevor McCarthy aboard. This gelding moneyed three of his five career starts, winning one.

While he may see some serious competitions from third-favored Silver Sun, ridden by Jevian Toledo, I believe Natty Beau will prevail.

None of the longer-odds entries in this seven-horse race appear likely to finish anywhere near a paycheck.

This is an allowance race for Maryland-bred or -sired three-year-olds and upward running a distance of 1-1/8 miles for a purse of $35,000.

I like the third-favored (3/1) entry in this race — Benandjoe, ridden by Victor Rosales. This four-year-old gelding finished in the money seven of his 15 career starts, winning three — which puts him statistically ahead of his competition in this field.

Rosales will need to bring his A-game to this race, but when has anything less ever been an option?

The longest odds in this race are 15/1, and I don’t see a money finish happening, not against these competitors.

Laurel Park was stingy about underdogs and longshot prospects, but I found more at the other two tracks I reviewed for Thursday: