Delaware Park: How to bet the $16,590 Pick 5 carryover

Coady Photography

July 17th, 2021

While the stakes-packed cards at Arlington Park, Del Mar, Monmouth Park, and Saratoga figure to draw the most attention on Saturday, you don’t want to overlook the action taking place at Delaware Park.

Specifically, you don’t want to miss the $16,590 carryover in the 50-cent Pick 5, which stands as the most lucrative non-jackpot carryover on the agenda for Saturday.

Let’s take a race-by-race look at the Pick 5 sequence, then assemble a ticket:

Race 3: $25,000 Maiden Claiming (2:15 p.m. ET)

Will this 7 1/2-furlong turf test stay on the grass? Or will rain force a switch to the main track? Either way, we can expect scratches. The field looks competitive, so pending race-day changes, we’ll tentatively hit the “ALL” button and count on scratches to reduce the field to a more manageable size.

Race 4: $6,250 Claiming (2:45 p.m. ET)

#1 Divine Interventio (1-1) was much the best in an $8,000 claimer over this track and six-furlong distance last month, unleashing a sharp mid-race rally before drawing off to win by three lengths. A repeat can send him straight back to the winner’s circle for high-percentage trainer John Robb, a 67% winner with horses dropping in class off a winning effort.

Race 5: $16,000 Claiming (3:15 p.m. ET)

If this five-furlong dash stays on the turf course, #2 Seven Gems (9-5)—runner-up by a neck over this class level at Gulfstream Park two starts back—is the one to beat. But if the race is transferred to the main track, we have to respect #7 Portal One (5-1), a speedy pace-tracking type who nabbed a $25,000 claimer over the Penn National main track last month.

Race 6: Maiden Special Weight (3:45 p.m. ET)

#2 Cashing Big Checks (2-1) has been breezing strongly for trainer Jamie Ness, a 21% winner with first-time starters. The two-year-old filly blazed a bullet half mile from the Delaware starting gate in :47 earlier this month and should prove tough to catch under hot jockey Jamie Rodriguez.

Race 7: Allowance (4:15 p.m. ET)

#5 Beautiful Grace (3-1) broke her maiden on turf last summer, her lone run to date on grass. She’s since proven to be a capable allowance performer on dirt, earning a bevy of competitive Brisnet Speed ratings.

Beautiful Grace is a logical contender while returning to turf and sticking to her preferred class level, with #2 Doc Girl (5-1), #4 Strongerthanuknow (9-2), #6 Danessa Baby (8-1), and #7 Wrapper Rule (12-1) looming as the other key players. Use these five, and we should have the race covered regardless of whether it stays on turf or switches to the main track.