Springboard Mile Predictions, Betting Odds, Top Picks (Remington Park)

Check out our predictions and odds for the Springboard Mile at Remington Park!

Best Bets for the Springboard  Mile

Here are my plays ($60 in total)

$5 Exacta part wheel – Osbourne and Classic Moment over Osbourne, Classic Moment, Bye Bye Bobby and Revenir = $30

$5 Exacta box – Osbourne, Classic Moment and Bye Bye Bobby  = $30

If you’re playing only to win, go with my top pick Osbourne (5/1).

Perfect in two starts in South Florida, Make It Big tops a wide-open field of nine 2-year-old males entered for the $400,000 Springboard Mile on Friday night at Remington Park.

A Florida-bred son of Neolithic, Make It Big will be making his first start against open company, having dominated Florida-breds in a pair of 7-furlong races at Gulfstream Park in October. Trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., he followed up an 8 ½-length debut win in maiden company on October 9, by winning the Ocala Stud Juvenile Sprint three weeks later.

Chief among his competition will be a pair from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. The concept is a son of Gun Runner and was the winner of the local Kip Deville Stakes two starts back, while Classic Moment comes in off a game maiden score at Churchill Downs in his second career start.

Bye Bye Bobby, an impressive winner of his debut in a stakes race at Zia Park for trainer Todd Fincher, and Osbourne, second and first in two maiden races at Churchill Downs for trainer Ron Moquett, also should get plenty of support at the betting windows.

The Springboard Mile offers 2022 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top four finishers on a scale of 10-4-2-1.

Race Analysis

Make It Big

Off two impressive wins at Gulfstream Park, this son of Neolithic could be any kind for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. The pair of victories to begin his career look very solid on paper, but running against fellow Florida-breds in October, you have to wonder about the level of competition. This will be his first big test, and he will need to prove he can stay a mile with other good speed horses. I am sure he is talented, but I suspect this will be a bigger jump in class than some of the other favorites.  He is dangerous, but as the favorite, I believe he is vulnerable running away from Gulfstream Park and state breds for the first time.

Classic Moment

The first of two from the Hall of Fame barn on Steve Asmussen, this is the one that I prefer. After pressuring a solid pace the whole way in his debut at Keeneland, where he came up less than a length short, he came back four weeks later to fend off a highly regarded son of Gun Runner named Cyberknife in his second start. That win at Churchill Downs should give the son of champion Classic Empire the toughness he needs as he stretches out to a mile for his stakes debut. He should be right there early and will likely prove a stubborn one to go by in the Remington Park stretch. I believe he is the biggest threat to my top pick.

Osbourne

A good second in his career debut to a next-out stakes winner, this Ron Moquett-trained gelding graduated second time out in a similarly solid performance. Both races came at Churchill Downs and at distances of 6 and then 7 furlongs. The son of Tapiture should be right at home at the one-mile distance on Friday. He also has enough tactical speed to gain a good stalking position from his outside post. There are a few others in here who already have stakes experience, but my guess is that he has already faced similar, if not better competition. He is the top pick.

Bye Bye Bobby

Trained by Todd Fincher, who won this race last year with Senor Buscador, this son of Quality Road became a stakes winner in his career debut, coming from well back in the 6 furlong Zia Park Juvenile. Very fast early fractions likely helped his cause that afternoon, but regardless, it was an impressive first-out performance for the gray colt. Having debuted in a stakes race, it’s no surprise that he moves up in class and distance for his second start in this $400,000 feature. He once again should have a solid early pace to run at, and the distance should not be a problem. This test is tougher, but he is an obvious threat.

Concept

This is the second from the Asmussen barn and he boasts stakes win over the track when he went all the way in the 6 furlong Kip Deville. He got to the lead again next out in the Clever Trevor Stakes, but faded pretty badly in that 7 furlong event and finished fourth. With other speed in here, including his stablemate, the worry is that he will once again come up short in the late stages, as he has done in three of his four-lifetime starts. The son of Gun Runner could bounce back, but I will take a stand against him on Friday night.

Rich Strike

After a last-place finish in this debut, which came on the turf, he quickly proved that he does not belong against claimers when he won by 17 ¼-lengths in his dirt debut. The son of Keen Ice was claimed out of that one, but could not mount a winning streak next out when third in a Keeneland allowance. He had some trouble that day, and could improve off that effort, though. I like a few others better in here, but proven at the distance, he is one that can not be thrown out.

Rowdy Rascal

This sharp Oklahoma-bred has won three straight races at Remington Park, including a pair of stakes victories. His last was at a mile and his best yet, but he will need to prove that he can carry over his good form against state breds to open a company. The good recent form over the track does make me give him a second look, but I believe the jump up in class will be a little more than he desires on Friday night.

Revenir

This son of Hard Spun benefitted from a fast early pace last time in the Clever Trevor and rallied for a clear second at odds of 34/1. He should get a little more respect off that effort but is still likely to be one of the longer shots in the field. He hasn’t yet demonstrated a result that would make you think he can win this, but the well bred gelding is improving and holds a win over the track and distance. He is certainly eligible to come running again to factor in the exotics at a price.

Shamayim

This son of Lea won in his third-lifetime start, coming from way out of it to get up and win the one-mile maiden race at Remington Park in the final strides. Unfortunately, when he came back in allowance company a few weeks later, his late run could only get up for a well-beaten third. A winner of 1-of-4 starts, all locally, he now tries stakes company. While he may be eligible to pass a few tiring horses in the stretch, he looks hard to recommend in a serious way.

How to Watch the Springboard  Mile