Taking down the Pick 5 on Queen’s Plate Day

An outstanding card with 13 races, led by the $1 million Queen’s Plate, will be hosted by Woodbine on Sunday. I will take aim at cashing in on the Pick 5, which starts in Race 6 and concludes with the featured event.

Race 6, King Edward S. (G2): 2015 winner #5 TOWER OF TEXAS bagged the Connaught Cup (G2) in his seasonal debut and will be a single on one of my tickets. The Roger Attfield trainee always runs well on this course and looks to be the class of the cast for an expert barn that knows how to point a runner for a big race day. Son of Street Sense fired a bullet on the lawn in preparation of this turf test to add confidence.

Since it is no fun losing out on a multi-race play in leg 1, we will spread more on other tickets for insurance. #1 DRAGON BAY and #6 SHAKHIMAT are my preferred optional selections in this one-mile test.

Race 7, Allowance: #4 SYNTHESIZE looks like a formidable foe in this spot for conditioner Mark Casse and is the most likely winner of this 1 1/16-miles endeavor. Gelded bay has been runner-up in each of his starts this campaign and should prove tough against what appears to be an average field. I imagine many tickets will feature this four-year-old as a single.

#6 LIONS BAY and #7 BOURBON FIRST are the ones that make most sense if the favorite fails to fire.

Race 8, Singspiel S. (G2): This 12-furlong grassy test drew a field of seven and looks wide-open. I am going four-deep on every ticket, taking my chances with #1 ALDOUS SNOW, #3 REPORTING STAR, #4 BANGKOK and #6 BULLARDS ALLEY.

Race 9, Dance Smartly S. (G2): This 10-furlong turf affair attracted some fine fillies and mares. I believe morning-line choice #5 SUFFUSED will be very tough to upend with her best effort, but also respect the ability of her foes and will spread on some tickets while utilizing her a single as well.

Josie Carroll could have a big say in the outcome with a pair of challengers. #1 GAMBLE’S GHOST has class to her and could be rounding up to a huge run while returning to the lawn in her third start of the year. Ghostzapper filly gets a nice rail draw and proven turf pilot Luis Contreras.

#2 INVOLUNTARY is a very interesting sort who will have huge value both in this race and the Pick-5 sequence if she upsets. The chestnut lacks the class of some of her foes, but the four-year-old has ample room for improvement and only one poor race on her resume.

Race 10, Queen’s Plate: I didn’t love the effort by #12 TIZ A SLAM in the Plate Trial but know this sophomore is classy and Attfield knows a thing or two about getting a horse ready for the big one here (having won this race a remarkable eight times).

But there are a handful of runners I think have a legitimate chance in this storied event. Bill Mott’s #1 CHANNEL MAKER had a nice prep for this when a strong second in the Marine S. (G3) and could step forward the second time at Woodbine from a nice rail draw. #2 GUY CABALLERO defeated the aforementioned in the Trial and can’t be ignored, especially with a 20-1 morning-line price for Catherine Day-Phillips.

#3 HOLY HELENA looks a deserving favorite after a fine tally in the Woodbine Oaks and has to be on all tickets for conditioner Jimmy Jerkens. I will go very deep on one ticket as a case can be made for a whole bunch in this field. And I never like to sleep on crafty conditioner Malcolm Pierce, who will saddle the lightly raced #8 MALIBU SECRET. The long shot will run third time off the layoff and could move forward getting blinkers on for the initial time.

20-cent Pick 5 plays

Ticket 1: 5 with 4,6,7 with 1,3,4,6 with ALL with 1,2,3,8,12 = $96

Ticket 2: 1,5,6 with 4,6,7 with 1,3,4,6 with 5 with 1,2,3,5,6,7,8,11,12,13 = $72

Ticket 3: 1,2,3,5,6,9 with 4 with 1,3,4,6 with 1,2,4,5,8 with 1,3,8,12 = $96

John Mucciolo is the Brisnet.com Daily Selections handicapper for Woodbine and his picks are available for the entire 13-race Queen’s Plate Day program