Longshot of the Day: Race 7 at Tampa Bay Downs
Track: Tampa Bay Downs
Race 7: $16K claimer going 1 1/16 miles on turf for 4+ fillies and mares
Post Time: 3:37 PM ET
Horse: #7 Jassai (12/1 morning line) use as a win bet at 8/1 or higher.
Finding horses that suddenly learn to win can present value opportunities when they begin to graduate from different conditions and step up in class, which is the case with Jassai. The four-year-old daughter of Tapwrit had a rather undistinguished career taking 10 starts to break her maiden and then toiling away for another nine starts against N2L claiming competition, which ran her career record to 1-19. Hardly a good bet and the type of horse you would avoid playing. However, a funny thing happened back in January. She had run on the dirt, going seven furlongs where she finished second and then 11 days later trainer Gerard Ochoa put her back on the turf and she started to win. She overcame a wide post position and showed off a good turn of foot to get up in time for the victory over other non-winners of two. Ochoa then gave her a month off after she had run three times in 24 days, and she came back to beat non-winners of three in her next start while showing that same late acceleration and ability to pass horses while improving her winning Beyer Speed Figure from 59 to 66. It is rare to see a horse finally graduate from one condition and then immediately win at the next level in their first attempt. Notably, Ochoa has given her another month off and the horse is training beautifully in between starts having recorded a 48 second four-furlong bullet workout that was first of 24 on March 27. It is hard to know whether something clicked with the horse or with the training, but a horse that was 1-19 at one point is suddenly 2-2 and training the best of her career. Yes, facing non-conditioned claiming company will be another big test, but at 12/1 she feels like a reasonable longshot who can outrun her odds. Certainly, a horse like #6 Built Different (9/2) makes a lot of sense making her second start back off a significant layoff, but I doubt you get the morning line price on her.