Longshot of the Day: Race 5 at Assiniboia Downs

Track: Assiniboia Downs

Race 5: $12K optional claimer going 7 ½ furlongs on dirt for 3+

Post Time: 10:15 PM ET

Horse: #2 Will Is Chill (8/1 morning line) use as a win bet at 6/1 or higher.

First off, happy birthday to my mom who has always been a fan of horse racing and has been a huge supporter of my work since making this transition into the sport, so hopefully I can pick a winner today for her. As for tonight’s optional claiming race, Will Is Chill really grabs your eye on speed figures and previous form. It is important to remember that 7 ½ furlongs at Assiniboia Downs is two turns and these early season two-turn races can be tricky to handicap as many horses are coming off layoffs and others are stretching out. One durable trend at Assiniboia is that inside post positions typically have a massive advantage in these races for saving ground as everyone who watches Assiniboia Downs knows that they love going wide around turns. Will Is Chill is coming off a layoff but has been incredibly consistent in terms of his speed figures and performances throughout most of his career. The six-year-old son of Frosted is 18-34 hitting the board with five wins and seven runner-up finishes while running mostly on the all-weather surface at the old Golden Gate Fields. He made the transition to dirt at Assiniboia Downs last year and saw no drop off in his figures or performance winning off the layoff while going two turns and then winning a $10K optional claimer in his second start at the track. He finished the season by adding a pair of runner-up finishes going two turns against slightly tougher company. He typically comes from off the pace, which might not seem like a winning recipe, but you can make up serious ground in the stretch at the track since fractions can often be a little too hot early in the meet and certain horses will simply not fire going this distance. Trainer Mike Taphorn has already saddled a pair of winners the first two weeks at Assiniboia Downs and has success bringing horses back from layoffs. The combination of mid-to-high 60 Beyer Speed Figures, success going two turns at Assiniboia, and the ability to win off the bench makes Will Is Chill a very interesting prospect at 8/1 on the morning line.