BetAmerica’s horse racing pick of the day: April 28, Will Rogers

Weekday picks and plays for Thoroughbred racing.

Tuesday, April 28

Will Rogers Downs, Race 9: TRAO Classic Sprint S. (6 furlongs, 6:15 p.m. ET)

Tuesday’s feature race is a 6-furlong dash for Oklahoma-bred colts and geldings, and you can bet #2 Welder (2-5 on the morning line) will be an overwhelming favorite.

A 14-time stakes winner, Welder has won 21 of his 32 starts and is 9-for-10 at Will Rogers. He’ll seek a fifth consecutive victory in the TRAO Classic Sprint, and with a bevy of triple-digit Brisnet Speed ratings to his credit, Welder is clearly the fastest horse in the field.

But Welder faltered to fourth place in his final start of 2019 and enters Tuesday’s race off a 4 1/2-month layoff. As brilliant as he’s been overall, Welder has lost his last two seasonal debuts, so there’s no guarantee this aging 7-year-old will fire his best shot in his first run of 2020.

A possible alternative is the 3-year-old #5 Fly to the Bank (15-1), who won the 6-furlong Kip Deville S. last fall, with a 92 Brisnet Speed rating.

Fly to the Bank faded when he faced tough competition in the Gazebo S. at Oaklawn Park on March 21, but he should appreciate the drop into state-bred company for the TRAO Classic Sprint.

Hot jockey Ty Kennedy (a 27% winner at Will Rogers) has the mount, so let’s place a small win bet on Fly to the Bank and play him in the exacta with Welder.

$5 to win on #5 Fly to the Bank
$20 exacta: 2 with 5

Good luck!