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Frank Carulli: Laurel Park Late Pick 4 | Sunday, December 26, 2021

by Frank Carulli

December 22, 2021

 

Laurel Park will spread some more holiday cheer on the day after Christmas. The Sunday, Dec. 26, card features six $100,000 races, three as part of a Late Pick 4.

Xpressbet and 1/ST BET will offer up to a $10 money-back special on all win bets Dec. 26 at Laurel Park if your selection finishes second or third. Also, players enjoy 10X Xpressbet Wager Rewards Points on all bets at Laurel Park between Dec. 26 and Jan. 1.

Here's a look at the Pick 4 races and a suggested ticket for the 50-cent wager:

LEG A (6th race, 2:50 EST): With some price plays later in the Pick 4 sequence, going to hit the 'ALL' button in the opening leg. NEWBOMB, a 6F allowance winner at Saratoga and Belmont in the fall, deserves a good look after he jostled with favorite Cost Basis (3-11, $202k) in the stretch and gamely held on to win two starts back. WHERESHETOLDMETOGO is an obvious contender, winning his last four stakes tries at Laurel Park, three in a photo finish.

LEG B (7th race, 3:20 EST): Five horses reunite from the November 13 race won by favored MISS LESLIE, who rallied 5-wide into the stretch on a day when high and wide closers dominated. At 48-1 odds, VILLANELLE might have run the best race of the group. She broke sluggishly, lacked room while saving ground on the final turn and finished with interest for third. SMOOTH WITH A KICK was 12/3-2-3 on the main track for four-time Eclipse Awared-winning trainer Chad Brown, mostly in allowance company. She starts off an 11-month layoff for the high-percentage barn of Brittany Russell and is a must use on the ticket.

LEG C (8th race, 3:50 EST): WORKIN ON A DREAM has come back running after four months away. She romped in a 5-horse allowance, then held second in a $100k stakes race after a hard duel from mid-turn to mid-stretch. CORDMAKER sat the perfect trip off the duel en route to his third stakes route victory this year. PLOT THE DOTS needed his last race and gets plenty of pace to rally into as a longshot play.

LEG D (9th race, 4:20 EST): Using two layoff horses in the final leg. GALLINELLA draws outside and cuts back in distance for her first start in 10 months, but she packs late wallop, worked in 1:01.3 from the Pimlico gate earlier this month and is a good fit in this field. TEQUILA FOG ran second in a $16,000 claiming race at Laurel Park three months ago and the winner, Unrequited Love (5-18, $137k), won a starter allowance in her most recent start.

Laurel Park Late Pick 4:

Leg A: ALL
Leg B: 1,6
Leg C: 1,8,9
Leg D: 7,9

Cost for a 50-cent ticket: $48