Pimlico Race Course Picks – Thursday, October 1, 2020

Pimlico Race Course returns for its second week of Preakness Meet and a Thursday race-card that includes two stakes races and some fierce competition from some of the thoroughbred world’s best.

You probably already have it marked on your calendar, but just in case—Don’t forget that Saturday, October 3^rd, is the 145^th running of the Preakness Stakes. I’ll be covering that and the other 11 stakes races at Pimlico with a special 12-race Picks & Predictions blog bright and early Saturday morning.

But right now, it’s Thursday and we’ve got three other stakes races to cover. So read on for my betting tips, picks, and predictions for the three richest races at Pimlico Race Course for Thursday, October 1, 2020.

This is the Jim McKay Turf Sprint Stakes, a race for three-year-olds and upward running a distance of five furlongs on turf for a purse of $100,000.

I like the third-favored entry (7/2) in this race—Tiger Blood, with Trevor McCarthy in the irons. This seven-year-old gelding moneyed 31 of his 49 career starts, winning 19 of them.

However, there is an also-eligible (MTO) entry that would make me change my bet: Dr. Feelgood, with Sheldon Russell aboard. The morning line has this five-year-old gelding at 8/1, but for the record, Dr. Feelgood moneyed 13 of his 14 career starts–and won 12 of them. So if Dr. Feelgood makes it into the race, bet him to win, to place, to show, to serve refreshments at the after-party.

There are three actual longshots in this stakes race, but none of them meets the criteria for a bargain show ticket.

This is the ungraded The Very One Stakes, a race for fillies and mares three years old and upward running a distance of five furlongs on turf for a purse of $100,000.

I like the third-favored (6/1) entry here—Chalon, ridden by Trevor McCarthy. This six-year-old mare finished in the money 18 of her 22 career starts and won nine of them.

Oddly enough, the 30/1 longshot Dendrobia, with Forest Boyce aboard, looks to be a value show bet here. This five-year-old mare moneyed ten of her 18 career starts, winning three of them.

This is the Chick Lang Stakes (Grade III), a race for three-year-olds running a distance of six furlongs for a purse of $200,000.

If the morning line is to be believed, most of the horses in this field should stay home and watch the race on television where they’re more likely to get a decent view of the finish line. But I have to agree on one thing: the 4/5 favorite—Yaupon, ridden by John R. Velazquez—is very likely to win this race. All kidding aside, this colt won all three of his career starts—the last being the Grade II Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga in early September.

I see another 30/1 longshot with a decent chance to finish in the money here: Pitching Ari, with Angel Cruz aboard. This three-year-old gelding moneyed seven of his 11 career starts, winning four of them.

All these great underdog and longshot tips for Pimlico are only part of the package today—I’ve found even more hidden moneymakers at the other two tracks I covered today: