by Frank Carulli
September 22, 2022
Pimlico’s 50-cent Late Pick 4 produced three winning favorites in three days and an average $625 payout last week. The trend could continue this Friday, Sept. 23, with a difficult sequence to close the nine-race card. Here’s a look at the action:
PIM 6th race (3:25 EST) -- MOJOVATION raced evenly against hard-hitting stablemate Yodel E.A. Who (13-43, $396k) in his last start and next-out stakes winner Sir Alfred James in the race prior. He gets plenty of pace to rally into at his best distance. SEMPER FI rallied to win off a three-month layoff to begin his 5-year-old season, now looms a viable longshot after five months away. The field he defeated featured six rivals seeking a repeat victory and six who became six-figure earners. QUICK TEMPO is the speed of the speed and won two of his last three non-stakes tries in 1:09 and change. MO MONEY MO HONEY demolished a field of mid-70 Beyer types but offers little value to Pick 4 players in his bid to remain unbeaten in three starts.
PIM 7th race (3:58 EST) -- Six of the seven entrants posted open-length victories this year, but only one finished in the money next out while the others were soundly beaten. On the other hand, the seven fillies in this 6F starter allowance are a combined 15-38 at the distance, so go deep in this leg.
PIM 8th race (4:31 EST) -- KENDAMA settled for minor awards behind odds-on winners in his last three grass route attempts, including multiple Grade III-placed Wolfie’s Dynaghost. But he stayed on willingly, has turf marathon experience and gets a slight nod in a wide open 1-1/8-mile test. NEVER EXPLAIN raced 3- and 4-wide on the turns at Saratoga and was no threat, but he merits a longer look after meeting the likes of $390k turf earner Sanctuary City and multiple Grade I-placed Analyze It. MT SURIBACHI bid 3-wide on the final turn but was out-kicked by Chad Brown-trained favorite Lonesome Fugitive ($209k) and heavily-bet pace setter It Can Be Done ($271k) in a shorter turf route at Monmouth. If the race comes off the turf, be sure to use main-track-only entrant UNCLE IRISH (#9).
PIM 9th race (5:04 EST) – ANGELI BLU rallied for two wins and a second in his last four long-distance races on dirt and continued improvement can be expected off the Gonzalez claim. JACK GAVE BACK finished behind a repeat winner, a 3-to-5 favorite and a pace controller while finishing in the money in his last three starts for a higher claiming tag.
Suggested 50-cent Ticket
PIM 6th Race: 2, 6, 9
PIM 7th Race: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
PIM 8th Race: 4, 5, 6
PIM 9th Race: 6, 7
COST: $54