The US Extra Place Race column is back after a week on hiatus due to a nasty bout of Covid for our Stateside Horse Racing Tipster.

He’s on the mend and is propped up at his PC to preview the racing this Labor Day and as always, all the selections are from outside the top three according to the Morning Line odds as we seek each-way value…

We start our return to action with the first race on the card at Thistledown (17:50) where we have one of my favourite setups. Six-year-old Nambiti has been enjoying a thoroughly decent season at the Ohio track having both won and placed twice in a four-race span through May and June. A couple of slightly poorer runs though in August has seen his odds drift and we may well be able to get this Kettle Corn colt as the fourth choice of seven. In his past five at six-furlongs or shorter, he’s won or placed four times and we are going six here. Like his chances.

In the Charles Hesse III at Monmouth (20:02), we have an interesting wildcard horse in Pogi who is very much worth watching. The five-year-old has spent his entire career at sprinters’ distances and in 21 starts on dirt, has placed in no fewer than 16 of them. That is a pretty darn good record for a horse priced up as the fifth choice of seven. The reason he’s so long? This race is over a mile-and-a-sixteenth. This son of Grade I winner Daaher has never gone further than six furlongs on dirt. So we are entering a bit of the unknown here but if he continues to be priced decently, worth an each-way flutter.

Last up for Monday is a rare trip to Hawthorne where in the 20:30 we have a daughter of Preakness winner Shackleford who has won or placed in four straight priced up as the fourth choice of seven. Plenty to like about the five-year-old Evie Jean whose speed figures this year are consistently better than any other time in her career and who has clearly taken a step forward. Should be considered a win contender but if you can get her at a decent price to place then happy days.