BetAmerica’s horse racing pick of the day: Aug. 14, Ellis Park

Weekday picks and plays for Thoroughbred racing.

Friday, Aug. 14

Ellis Park, Race 8: Allowance (7 furlongs, 5:10 p.m. ET)

#7 Sea of Hope (4-1 on the morning line) has spent the majority of his career racing on turf, but his career-best 88 Brisnet Speed rating came in his lone start on dirt.

Overlooked at 16-1 in a 1-mile allowance rained off the turf course at Churchill Downs, Sea of Hope raced behind horses for most of the journey, steadied hard when he tried to slip through inside at the top of the stretch, and ultimately shifted outside to run on and finish third, four lengths behind the winner. With any sort of racing luck, Sea of Hope would have finished much closer.

Sea of Hope’s 88 Brisnet Speed rating fits well in Friday’s field, and following a pair of unsuccessful allowance runs on turf, a return to dirt should trigger a rebound.

With a clean trip from post 7, Sea of Hope can edge #1 Sagaponack (9-5), #3 Hersh (6-1), and #8 Trashtalkinyankee (3-1) in this competitive heat.

We’ll bet the race accordingly, with a win wager plus exacta and trifecta plays.

$12 to win on #7 Sea of Hope
$3 exacta: 1,3,8 with 7 ($9)
$1 exacta: 7 with 1,3,8 ($3)
$0.50 trifecta: 7 with 1,3,8 with 1,3,8 ($3)
$0.50 trifecta: 1,3,8 with 7 with 1,3,8 ($3)
Total: $30

Good luck!