Delaware Park: A single for the $3,885 Pick 5 carryover

Thanks to a 41-1 winner in the afternoon finale, no one hit the 50-cent Late Pick 5 on Friday at Delaware Park. The end result? A $3,885 Late Pick 5 carryover for Saturday’s card.

The sequence gets underway in Race 4 (post time 2 p.m. ET) and runs through Race 8, a slate of races encompassing 48 horses (averaging 9.6 per race) and 70,560 possible outcomes before scratches.

But “before scratches” is key: Delaware Park was off the turf on Friday and might be again on Saturday. Race 4 and Race 6 are grass contests with also-eligible entrants, and if the races are transferred to dirt, you can bet the field complexions will change significantly. Keep a close eye on race-day changes before placing your bets.

Amidst all this potential confusion, Race 7 looks straightforward to handicap. It’s a $30,000 starter optional claimer for two-year-olds sprinting six furlongs on dirt, and the seven-horse field looks ripe for conquest by #5 Sacred Thunder (7-5), who owns two of the three highest Brisnet Speed ratings in the field.

Sacred Thunder has competed exclusively at Delaware Park. His first three starts sprinting yielded runner-up finishes by margins of 1 1/4 lengths, a nose, and half a length. The latter two defeats came in maiden special weights, and his three Brisnet Speed ratings were 78, 81, and 73.

Sacred Thunder improved his number to 85 in his latest start. Stretching out over one mile, he led all the way to dominate a maiden special weight by 4 1/4 lengths.

Cutting back to six furlongs shouldn’t bother Sacred Thunder since he’s earned Brisnet Speed ratings of 78 and 81 in sprints. Among his six Saturday rivals, the only one who has posted a Brisnet Speed rating higher than 78 in any type of race is #4 Williams Empire (4-1), who threw down an 83 when dominating a 5 1/2-furlong allowance at Belterra Park. But he’d previously won a maiden special weight at Horseshoe Indianapolis with a 59, and he followed up his allowance win with a 58 when last in a stakes at Kentucky Downs, so it’s hard to trust Williams Empire to replicate his 83.

In contrast, we should be able to trust Sacred Thunder to produce another fine run. Trainer Gary Capuano (a 29% winner at Delaware Park this meet) wins at a 37% rate with last-out maiden winners, and hot jockey Julio Hernandez is picking up the mount. We recommend singling Sacred Thunder in the Pick 5.

Good luck!