US racing tips: Tom Collins sticks to the obvious at Will Rogers and Tampa Bay

Five Star Kip
7.15 Will Rogers Downs
2pts win

Zaino Boyz
9.30 Tampa Bay Downs
2pts win

Wednesday marks the closing day of the Will Rogers Downs meet, which began on March 16. Action at the Oklahoma track has kept us going between Monday and Wednesday each week during lockdown and the course has done a great job providing constant entertainment.

This final fixture will determine who walks away with the leading jockey title. Floyd Wethey looked home and hosed a couple of weeks ago when he finally passed Ty Kennedy, but then top rider David Cabrera loomed large and he entered Tuesday's card on the same number of victories (33) as Wethey at the head of the table.

The talented jockey, who is attached to Karl Broberg's barn, has ridden 95 winners from 393 starts in 2020 and is undoubtedly tactically superior to his counterparts at Will Rogers – 25 per cent of his rides have won, while 55 per cent have made the frame.

He has another good book of rides this evening, the best of which is on Broberg's Five Star Kip in the opening $9,900 claimer (7.15) over 5½f.

This six-year-old is drawn in gate six of eight, so isn't ideally berthed, but should prove far and away the best in this weak field.

His last win came at Sunland Park in February 2019 and his losing streak has now reached 13 races, but Five Star Kip is pretty consistent on speed figures and showed up well in a much better starter optional claimer at that venue in late January, when he finished fourth.

He was claimed out of Lillian Silva's barn for $15,000 that day by Justin Evans, who gave him two months off before dropping him into claiming company at Oaklawn Park.

Five Star Kip was drawn in gate nine that day and broke slowly over the 6f trip, but he took the eye staying on well to nab second on the line. That clearly interested Broberg, who decided to claim him for just $6,250.

He didn't get rewarded first off the claim as Five Star Kip finished a poor ninth of ten over 1m½f at Oaklawn, but the powerful trainer now drops him right back to 5½f – a move that looks certain to reap rewards.

Five Star Kip has been off the track for a month but blew away the cobwebs with a four-furlong breeze at this venue and looks to have a gilt-edged chance of recording another win.

Tampa Bay supports on Wednesday with a competitive nine-race card. The feature contest, a $20,000 allowance optional claimer (9.30), is by far the best punting race and should reward favourite backers.

Zaino Boyz is forecast to go off around 2-1, which looks value in this field. Robert Raymond's runner cost just $19,000 as a yearling but has made a good start to his career with three wins from eight races.

He got off the mark in a competitive maiden special weight contest at Gulfstream Park West in October. Zaino Boyz broke well from gate six and never looked back, cruising clear under hand driving to win over 5f.

He was then pitched into stakes company at this track (only start here), and he shocked punters with another all-the-way strike at 27-1 under Danny Centeno, who is back aboard today.

Zaino Boyz failed to strike on his next two starts despite showing good speed before dominating an allowance race from start to finish at Gulfstream.

The Rainbow Stakes at Oaklawn Park proved a step too far last time. He duelled on the pace before faltering late over 6f, but the drop in trip should allow him to get a big enough advantage rounding the home bend and from there he can power away from his opponents. His gatespeed is far better than any of his rivals in this field.

Zaino Boyz's chief threat is the well-drawn Silverly Enough, who denied subsequent scorer Maserati Man at Gulfstream last time but may have too much ground to make up in the stretch run.

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