Free Picks For Parx - 6/22/20

Race - 6 Allowance (Purse -$35,000)

Eight male horses 3-years-old and upwards will go six furlongs in this sprint, where seven of the male runners are coming off long breaks. While I see this race being very competitive, I am going with #2 Johnny Ritt-- the lone competitor who is coming off less than a 100-day layoff. Johnny Ritt is coming off a fifth-place finish against a strong field of $100,000 optional claimers at Churchill Downs (May 25) where he was third in the stretch before tiring. This distance and track appear to suit Johnny Ritt well as he has a 50% win rate at distance along with a 50% WPS rate at Parx. 2019 Top 50 jockey Frankie Pennington is having a solid campaign with a 20% win rate and a 53% WPS percentage.#3 Breezy Gust has not raced since placing sixth in the Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes, right behind Johnny Ritt, in December. While it is possible for Breezy Gust will sprint away with a victory, as he is the only competitor with any speed, I hesitate to take him here due to lay off. #4 Incite has finished in the top 3 in each of his three career races and was clearly third-best his last time out against $50,000 optional claimers but that was back on March 10. #1 Get Set and #5 Wise Jude should also be considered in exotic bets. Get Set, who broke his maiden the last time out, has not raced in 2020 while Wise Jude has a 55% WPS percentage.

Picks: I like an exacta box of #2, #4, #3 here.

Race 7 -- Starter Allowance (Purse -$22,000)

Eight geldings and horses will go six and one-half furlongs in this $8,000 claiming event. This event has the makings of a great race. #2 Forman the Foreman is dropping in class though he is racing for the first time since rallying for a one and three-quarter length victory against $12,500 claimers back in February, going five-and-one-half furlongs. I wouldn’t be surprised if the fast 7-year-old gelding, who is 2-for-3 for his career at this distance, goes wire-to-wire as he is one of just two horses with any speed at all. #8 Manolete is also taking a drop in class after finishing seventh and eighth place in his last two outings, although the 6-year-old horse did claim a victory three starts back against $16,000 claimers. #5 Honorable Service is the only competitor racing within 100 days of his last outing. While the 6-year-old Kentucky gelding is coming off a well-beaten 10th place finish on June 6, following a three-month layoff, he did finish in each of his four previous starts though he struggles at this distance.

Picks: I like a win bet on the #2. Also like an exacta box of #2, #8, #2. Additionally, I will put a value show bet on #8.

Starter Allowance $8,000 (Purse- $22,000)

I’m going with the #8 Corn Off The Cob in this tight filly and mare six-furlong race. Corn Off The Cob has been fairly consistent and highly successful in her career, having finished in the top 3 in 15 of 19 events including seven wins. The 4-year-old filly, who is coming off a three-month layoff where she has a second-place finish in two attempts following this long of a break, finished third in an allowance race the last time out. Corn off The Cob has three wins in six outings at this distance. #1 Miss Mi Mi gets the rail post position and has medaled in 12 straight events including finishing third in a mile-long $50,000 starter allowance at Aqueduct back in February. #7 Attina Salsa also has been pretty successful in her career, finishing in the money in 70.8% of her starts, although this will be her first outing in 2020. While Atina Salsa, one of the two potential pacesetters in the field, gets a drop in class she has just one top 3 finish in her last four tries. #5 Sally O’Prada and #9 Chevy to the Levy, who is racing for Jorge Diaz after being claimed in her last race, should also be considered in exotic bets.

Picks: I like an #8, #1 exacta bet here.