Charles Town Horse Racing Picks for Friday 6/5/20
With most of the sports world on pause, it's a great time to dive into horse racing, and FanDuel Racing gives you the chance to do just that.
Starting at 7:00 p.m. EST this evening, we have nine races at Charles Town. Using our projections as a guide, here's a look at some of the best bets.
As always, keep an eye out for scratches and changes.
(I will be referencing Equibase's Speed Figure, which tells you how fast a horse has been running in each of its races -- adjusted for track, distances, and conditions)
My Hat, Race 1 (7:00 PM)
FD Racing Odds: 8/1
In the evening's opening race, numberFire likes the 30/1 longshot, My Hat, to come away victorious. The mare has yet to race in 2020, but averaged a Speed Figure of 59 in her final four races of 2019. If her form is right, no horse in this race can match that speed.
DailyHorsePicks.com gives Becoming Machen (10/1) a 30% chance of placing first, and our model has the mare finishing second. Thunderous (7/1) is coming off a win here three weeks ago and should be in the mix.
Boundtobegood, Race 2 (7:36 PM)
FD Racing Odds: 9/2
Our model is projecting Boundtobegood to place third, but I like his odds of winning this one. The gelding had a poor effort in his last race in March, but his two May workouts were superb. He's shown the ability to consistently post Speed Figures in the 60s and 70s.
Busted Halo (3/1) is numberFire's projected winner. The gelding has placed top-three in six of his last eight here at Charles Town, including two wins. Betting favorite Allen Jr. (5/2) can be ignored. He's finished first and second in his last two starts, achieving speeds of 64 and 63, respectively. Jacob T (4/1) is coming off an impressive win here three weeks ago and should be in the mix.
Zafir, Race 5 (9:03 PM)
FD Racing Odds: 7/2
Zafir has the smallest sample size of any horse in this race, with just three outings thus far, but the colt is a good pick. He's improved in each of his races, posting a Speed Figure of 66 in his first, 83 in his second, and 91 in his most recent one -- a win here at Charles Town in February. His recent workouts have shown good form, and he'll be jockeyed by Arnaldo Bocachica, who has won 32% of his 757 starts here over the last two years.
Our model likes Joopster (4/1) to place first. The gelding has won consecutive races and three of his last four overall at this track. He reached speeds above 90 in two of those wins. Betting favorite Correjon (3/1) will certainly be in the mix. The gelding has placed first in four of his last eight races, achieving Figures of 98 or higher four times during that span. Rock On (10/1) has won back-to-back races coming in, and our model likes him to finish third.
Unaquoi, Race 8 (10:25 PM)
FD Racing Odds: 7/2
Though she finished ninth in her only race of 2020 at Churchill Downs a week ago, our model prefers Unaquoi in this race. It's easy to see why -- no horse in this race has ever posted a Speed Figure of 95 or higher, Unaquoi has done so twice in her last three efforts. Additionally, she'll be jockeyed by Bocachica... need I say more?
Betting favorite Twirling Owen (3/1) is projected for a runner-up finish by our algorithm. The filly has won consecutive races coming in, including a victory at this track two weeks ago. Her form is certainly heading in the right direction. Remy's Rocket (4/1) hasn't raced in 2020, but placed first in four of her final five races of 2019. However, the mare has never reached a speed of 90 in 33 career efforts. Nellysford (6/1) and Manarola (9/2) both have the form to make noise in this one.
