Expert Pick of the Week: Race 8 at Churchill Downs on Oct. 31

Oct 29, 2020 John Mucciolo/TwinSpires.com

The expert pick of the week is race 8 at Churchill Downs Oct. 31

The 8th Race on the Saturday card at Churchill Downs will feature 11 juvenile fillies traveling 6 furlongs on the dirt. A well-matched field will go postward in the dash, including a few first-time starters that appear to be well meant for their initial offering. 

Trained by Brad Cox, Milana will make her debut on Saturday with Florent Geroux in the silks. Bred in the Bluegrass State, the bay filly shows a long string of solid morning drills in anticipation of her unveiling, and she is the Expert Pick of the Week.

Milana is the third foal to race out of the winning Roar mare Lu Baton, and her two siblings to have run both graduated at 2. The April foal by young sire Firing Line was purchased for just $8,000 as a yearling, but she fetched a final bid of $160,000 at OBS March this spring indicating that she is developing in a positive way.

The filly hails from a barn that does very good work with 2-year-olds, and from a jockey/trainer combination that is winning at a high rate as of late, too. I expect her to be alert from the break and always well placed in her debut race.

Chad Brown’s Taqseemaat showed big early speed going long on the lawn at Belmont Park in her first run before tiring in the stretch. The daughter of Street Sense moves to the dirt while cutting back in trip, and she shows four local morning drills, as well. The Shadwell homebred will be a factor from the opening bell in her second assignment.

Amusing Antics was unlucky on debut when missing by a head in a deep maiden dash on the Churchill surface. Conditioned by Bill Mott, the Super Saver filly was flattered when third-place finisher Lady Traveler returned to win next time out, prior to finishing a fine second in the recent Rags to Riches S. The $235,000 yearling acquisition will have Julien Leparoux in the stirrups. 

An exacta with #10 Milana over #7 Tasqeemaat and #8 Amusing Antics is the Best Bet of the Week.
Bet structure: #10 over #7, #8

Photo: Churchill Downs (Coady Photo/Churchill Downs)