Horse Racing Tips: Paul Quigley’s best bets for Thursday’s US races

Our US horse racing expert Paul Quigley loves to dabble at Sunland Park and he's picked out tips for no fewer than four of the races on the card from the New Mexico track this Thursday evening.

He also thinks a race at Gulfstream may be worth playing if you can get Awesome Spirit Gal at a decent price. Read on for his US Horse Racing Tips for Thursday.

The feature race at Gulfstream is an allowance optional claimer (conditions race) for fillies and mares due off at 21:30. It is carded for nine furlongs on The Tapeta. No3 Aspen Dan and No6 Shade of Pale are likely to head the market. No3 Aspen Dan stays further than today's distance. No6 Shade of Pale represents top connections but disappointed at odds on at Tampa last month.   

The much travelled No4 Awesome Spirit Gal is interesting. She found all kinds of trouble on her local debut. Now she gets a rider upgrade to Luis Saez. She looks a potential upsetter.    

Sunland Park Race 1 (19:25) - No5 Peekay 

Many chances here. No1 Onwithit ran better than his beaten lengths in a swiftly run and productive maiden on debut. He is a likely improver. Less so the more exposed No2 Sinai. His runner up tries in maiden claimers is not far off the likely required standard. No6 Jmark has arguably better form with a series of placed efforts in similar events late last year.     

No7 Beethoven has the form to go close. He has been working well for his comeback. No5 Peekay finished a few lengths behind him in November but was making his career debut. He showed fine speed and faded when racing on the worse part of the track. He may be a price after stumbling and unseating his rider second time out.    

No4 Ringo is a stablemate of the selection. He may leave his debut form when behind No6 Jmark behind. 

Sunland Park Race 4 (20:43) – No6 Sweet River Baines 

No5 Ham Sandwich was only a neck away from rattling up a hat-trick last month. He's strictly the horse to beat. Running first time for a lesser trainer could lead to some regression. Maybe No6 Sweet River Baines is the runner to side with in this race. The veteran was a tad disappointing last time but draws a little better. 

The selection finished behind No4 Go Red Rascal last month. He ran well against a deep field of New Mexico breds subsequently. If he's maybe 5/1 plus come post time, he's very playable. No7 Runningintherain has almost two lengths to find with him but has a better post for his running style.

Sunland Park Race 5 (21:09) – No1 Cute Little Devil 

If she repeats her last run, No4 Bow to Clara will be very hard to beat. She wired a field of maidens in a very fast time here last month. Three weeks earlier, she was not at her best when third to No1 Cute Little Devil. That filly came from off the pace to win at first asking. As well the third No4 Bow to Clara, the runner up franked the form scoring well in a maiden last Sunday. She has worked well since so may take another step forward second time back. 

The selection and No4 Bow to Clara are three year olds taking on their elders for the first time. They only get 3lbs from some capable types. No5 Catrianna and No7 Princessprancealot filled the places in a similar race to this one last month. The pair are not out of this.     

Sunland Park Race 6 (21:37) – No8 Hennessy's Squirt 

Trainer Sherry Armstrong has been on a tear at this meet. She may add to her impressive tally with No2 King Bryce. He was a winner over a field of two time career winners here last month. This is in theory a step up in class but he does meet a field of win shy rivals. He may be a pretty short price bearing in mind the sharpness of him and his trainer. 

No7 Deck Humor had a couple of this field behind him when a neck second in a similar event to this one last month. He looks the obvious alternative to No2 King Bryce. No6 Tee Roy is also worth considering. He returned to form when well held third in an open claimer earlier this month.  

I did put up a 16/1 winner here on Sunday. His form look modest but he'd had a series of tough draws. Maybe No8 Hennessy's Squirt can come to life moving from the rail to the outside. He has little to find with No6 Tee Roy when coming off a lay off.    

Paul Quigley is a long-time US Racing fan and tipster. He provides US Horse Racing Tips for Betfred Insights as well as working for Betfred TV...