Greyhound Race Preview: Wheeling Downs - Race 5 - Friday August 2nd
The third leg of the Island Pick 5 is a grade AA at 548 yards. Interestingly, there is no clear cut morning line favorite. Instead, there are two co-favorites at 7-2 in the morning line. There is also a dog that is coming out of route races and some sub-thirty-second times in recent races for some of these entries. It promises to be a hotly contested race.
5-Fires Snow White, one of the co-favorites, is a dog that appears to be more comfortable in an outside position - from the 7 box out, to be precise. She HAS won in AA, but not from the 5 box.
6-WW's Flintlock is the other 7-2 co-favorite. She is solid AA all the way but would probably be happier in an inside or outside box, with no dogs on one side or the other. She tends to get crowded, bumped and fades when there's too much traffic. If she can clear though, she's definitely in the running for a piece of the purse.
4-CTW Ford Deluxe at 9-2 in the morning line has been running wider and wider lately. He's still managed to snag a place and a win in his last 6 races, all in AA. However, he came up way short in a stakes race back in June. From the 1 box, he managed to go wide and still get a time of 29.70, so it isn't that he doesn't have speed. If he could just curb his tendency to run along the fence instead of the rail, he could really be a contender.
1-Effie of Ruckus, one of the Soprano Drive-Pawn of Ruckus litter is definitely a dog that has to figure on your exotic tickets. She's 11 for 21 for the quiniela, always gives an all-out effort and has four sub-thirty-second times there in AA. She may be the sleeper in this race if she gets loose on the lead. Plus, she can break and maintain her momentum long enough to last to be first over the wire. Definitely a threat here in the helpful 1 box.
2-Royal Fandango is also at 6-1 in the morning line. With her last 3 races all from the outside boxes, and much better races from inside boxes, she's an interesting entry. Her CSRs are much better from inside boxes also. And, she's in an inside box for this one. It might inspire her to break and get another fast time like she did from the 1 box. She's out of Rhythmless after all, and he was no slouch on the inside.
8-Kiowa Apple Tiki isn't as classy as some in this race, but she turned in a win from the 8 box in Grade A and can scoot out of there pretty fast. She's next to a dog that is coming out of route races and doesn't break sharply in sprints. The 8 box is a good one at WD in sprints, so this gives her an advantage. She's at 6-1.
7-RC Blackjack at 7-1 in the ML is the dog that is coming out of routes. He seems to do better at that distance, although he has a 2nd from the 7 box in Grade AA. Sometimes the switch from route to sprint works, although I think sprint to route is more likely to perk up a dog.
3-CTU Heavy Duty is at very long odds of 18-1 in the ML. Apparently the morning line maker is concerned about the schooling race where he fell and the race before it where he was bumped on the first turn. I don't like to play dogs that fall until I see them run a clean race, so I can't recommend him.
As always, good racing luck and safe trips to all the contenders on today's program at Wheeling Downs. Remember to watch and wager on BetAmerica where Wheeling is one of the bonus tracks. When you wager on WD and the other bonus tracks, you get wager rewards on your bets. And don't forget that greyhound programs are also free on BetAmerica.
5-Fires Snow White, one of the co-favorites, is a dog that appears to be more comfortable in an outside position - from the 7 box out, to be precise. She HAS won in AA, but not from the 5 box.
6-WW's Flintlock is the other 7-2 co-favorite. She is solid AA all the way but would probably be happier in an inside or outside box, with no dogs on one side or the other. She tends to get crowded, bumped and fades when there's too much traffic. If she can clear though, she's definitely in the running for a piece of the purse.
4-CTW Ford Deluxe at 9-2 in the morning line has been running wider and wider lately. He's still managed to snag a place and a win in his last 6 races, all in AA. However, he came up way short in a stakes race back in June. From the 1 box, he managed to go wide and still get a time of 29.70, so it isn't that he doesn't have speed. If he could just curb his tendency to run along the fence instead of the rail, he could really be a contender.
1-Effie of Ruckus, one of the Soprano Drive-Pawn of Ruckus litter is definitely a dog that has to figure on your exotic tickets. She's 11 for 21 for the quiniela, always gives an all-out effort and has four sub-thirty-second times there in AA. She may be the sleeper in this race if she gets loose on the lead. Plus, she can break and maintain her momentum long enough to last to be first over the wire. Definitely a threat here in the helpful 1 box.
2-Royal Fandango is also at 6-1 in the morning line. With her last 3 races all from the outside boxes, and much better races from inside boxes, she's an interesting entry. Her CSRs are much better from inside boxes also. And, she's in an inside box for this one. It might inspire her to break and get another fast time like she did from the 1 box. She's out of Rhythmless after all, and he was no slouch on the inside.
8-Kiowa Apple Tiki isn't as classy as some in this race, but she turned in a win from the 8 box in Grade A and can scoot out of there pretty fast. She's next to a dog that is coming out of route races and doesn't break sharply in sprints. The 8 box is a good one at WD in sprints, so this gives her an advantage. She's at 6-1.
7-RC Blackjack at 7-1 in the ML is the dog that is coming out of routes. He seems to do better at that distance, although he has a 2nd from the 7 box in Grade AA. Sometimes the switch from route to sprint works, although I think sprint to route is more likely to perk up a dog.
3-CTU Heavy Duty is at very long odds of 18-1 in the ML. Apparently the morning line maker is concerned about the schooling race where he fell and the race before it where he was bumped on the first turn. I don't like to play dogs that fall until I see them run a clean race, so I can't recommend him.
As always, good racing luck and safe trips to all the contenders on today's program at Wheeling Downs. Remember to watch and wager on BetAmerica where Wheeling is one of the bonus tracks. When you wager on WD and the other bonus tracks, you get wager rewards on your bets. And don't forget that greyhound programs are also free on BetAmerica.