BetAmerica’s horse racing pick of the day: Aug. 18, Presque Isle

Weekday picks and plays for Thoroughbred racing.

Tuesday, Aug. 18

Presque Isle Downs, Race 5: Maiden special weight (6 furlongs, 6:25 p.m. ET)

Yes, #3 Busch Latte (10-1 on the morning line) hasn’t run since October. True, the gelded son of Cairo Prince is 0-for-2, with a pair of seventh-place finishes in 6-furlong maiden sprints at Presque Isle Downs last fall.

But these details might be irrelevant, considering the extraordinary win streak trainer Lance Stokes is riding.

Stokes has won with his last five starters at Presque Isle and is in fact 5-for-6 this year. Three of his winners were running for the first time since 2019, so the long layoff shouldn’t be a concern for Busch Latte, who has been cranking out fast workouts in preparation for his return. A half-mile in :46 1/5 July 18, 5 furlongs in :59 Aug. 2 — Busch Latte should be ready to roll.

Busch Latte will race with blinkers for the first Tuesday, which is a successful move for Stokes 45% of the time.

With hot jockey Scott Spieth (9-for-41 at Presque Isle) in the saddle, Busch Latte can outrun his 10-1 morning-line odds and vie for victory.

A win bet is definitely in order, but we’ll also key Busch Latter on top of an exacta, with #5 Call Home (6-1), #9 Sir Aggravator (9-2) and #10 Gambler Rocket (3-1) underneath.

$14 to win on #3 Busch Latte
$2 exacta: 3 with 5,9,10 ($6)
Total: $20

Good luck!