BetAmerica’s horse racing pick of the day: Aug. 20, Arlington

Weekday picks and plays for Thoroughbred racing.

Thursday, Aug. 20

Arlington, Race 5: Maiden special weight (4 1/2 furlongs, 5:12 p.m. ET)

Over the last five years, Arlington’s leading trainer, Larry Rivelli, has gone 14-for-28 (47%) with 2-year-old males debuting over the Polytrack main track. They often start at short prices, yet betting them all equally to win would have produced a small profit.

Rivelli figures to land another victory Thursday, with #6 Tightrope (3-1 on the morning line). A son of Grade 1-winning juvenile Daredevil, Tightrope sold for $400,000 in March and has turned in a sharp serious of workouts in preparation for his debut, including a swift half-mile from the Arlington starting gate in :47 2/5.

Arlington’s leading jockey, Jareth Loveberry, has been named to ride, and over the last 60 days, Loveberry has gone 21-for-51 (41%) when he teams up with Rivelli.

A win bet on Tightrope is the obvious play, but we’ll also add an exacta, with #5 Quick Tempo (8-1) and #9 Wise Khozan (5-1) underneath.

$24 to win on #6 Tightrope
$3 exacta: 6 with 5,9 ($6)
Total: $30

Good luck!