Happy Thanksgiving from Laurel Park!
Race 1: Clm $16k F&M 1M Dirt
1st: #5 Eighty Six Mets, this filly is moving down from OC$25k level where she performed admirably locally including the 3 back third place finish by just a length where she earned a 60 Beyer. Throw out the last in the slop. Biggest class relief of her life, we think she’ll like it.
2nd: #6 Janelle Dreams, consistent in the money performer finishing in the top three in 9 of 12 starts this year. Last out was second to Havana Affair who came back to win, but the figure wasn’t that strong.
3rd: #1 Superstar Diva, another class dropper from OC company, this one has shown ability at the $22k claiming level. Contender.
Race 2: MdClm $10k 2 Year Olds 1M Dirt
1st: #4 Trion Wings, not a strong field, this colt was just beaten a half at the $25k level two back before getting beaten up in MdSpWt company. Field-best 43 Beyer in that two back effort.
2nd: #6 Apachean, not much to go on, improving figures including most recently a 34 locally. Goes back to the $10k level.
3rd: #9 Top Hat Voyager, looking for improvement out of the Potts barn, again not much to go on.
Race 3: MdClm $40k 5 ½ F Dirt
1st: #6 Throw the Fade, the obvious pick here, has come close to breaking his maiden in New York at the MdSpWt level at Bel earning a 75 Beyer and more recently at the $40k level up at Sar in a second place finish where he earned a 74. Reminder that Jeremiah Englehart is 8 for 17 shipping to Laurel this meeting.
2nd: #3 Dirtyfoot, would’ve been the bet if not for the shipper, just missed breaking his maiden in the last out locally at this same level finishing second after setting the pace. He earned a 70 Beyer for that effort and was 8 lengths clear of third place that day.
3rd: #2 Frost’s Song, long layoff, throw out the last in the mud, colt has a second place finish at the MdSpWt level here back in January. Tough spot after 10 months off.
Race 4: OC$25k 6F Dirt
1st: #6 Taco Supream, can’t look past the last the last out effort first off the 5 month layoff where he popped an 87 Beyer and finished second by a neck to Sonic Boom E Jet (watch for this one down the card). Expect improvement second off the layoff as he physically matures at end of his 3 year old season. Locally 2 for 7 with 3 second place finishes. Might even get a decent price with this field.
2nd: #1 Cheese On, hasn’t won since mid-summer 2017 when he took an OC$75k event on the Delaware Handicap undercard, he came real close last out locally at this level earning a 77 Beyer. We expect improvement off that one for this 3 year old getting back on track.
3rd: #4 Mr. Fixit, was tough to choose which of the rest of the field here to round out the top 3, this one’s recent form just cannot be ignored. Three in a row last three all locally but in the claiming ranks. Couple small fields where he might have gotten loose on the lead easily, but he earned high-70s Beyers. Has a shot.
Race 5: Alw $42k 5 ½ F Dirt
1st: #7 Forced, close readers of these pages will remember we picked Forced over Sonic Boom E Jet below last Thursday before the snow cancelled the card. Will simply copy my comments from last week… “Wow can’t say enough about the pattern, this 3 year old was popping BIG Beyers this spring a 90 and 93 respectively and Miguel Vera must have thought he had something very special. Whatever happened that Forced (see what I did there) the layoff, the Gallant Bob up at Parx was not the place to return. He ran decently in the second off the layoff at this condition earning a 78 and we expect continued improvement.”
2nd: #10 Sonic Boom E Jet, out of the leading Claudio Gonzalez barn at this meet, put a line through the last where he was “widest” of the bunch in the slop and tired. Previously was 3 for his last 5 with two seconds and is 3 for 8 lifetime locally. Two back 87 Beyer here at Laurel jumps off the page.
3rd: #12 Isolated, a lot to like here including the first off the layoff last out where he earned an 87 Beyer, albeit over the turf here. Hasn’t tried the dirt locally but he broke his maiden on dirt at Parx where he earned a 97(!) Beyer.
Race 6: Clm $5k 6F Dirt
1st: #13 Turbin, smoking-red-hot Gaudet barn (39% this meet) sends this one out second off a brief freshening. In the first back he finished a coming on second after being 9 lengths back early and earned a 68 Beyer. Gaudet magic?
2nd: #12 Mo Focused, don’t really pick horses first off 8-month layoffs even though this is the bottom level claiming ranks and the last try at this level really good where he won by 8 and earned a 79 Beyer on this surface.
3rd: #3 Jose Sea View, Kieron Magee is trying dirt again with this one, last two were off-the-turf attempts and were decent but needs improvement to win here.
Race 7: Alw $42k 1 & 1/16M Dirt
1st: #7 Eagle Pass, Linda Rice ships this one down as he returns to the dirt where he broke his Maiden in a $75k claiming event at Belmont albeit over a sloppy track earning an 88 Beyer. Gets the blinkers perhaps in an attempt to be closer to the lead earlier.
2nd: #4 Chargin Storm, two for six locally including a third place effort where he lost by just a neck in a $70k allowance where he earned a 79 Beyer. Pretty consistent performer, expect him to rate just off the lead.
3rd: #8 Bandito, two straight performances earning an 80 Beyer, but back in May at Indiana Grand. Marco Salazar sends this one out for the first time from his barn, probably needs a race.
Race 8: MdClm $10k 1M Dirt
1st: #6 Gotnoquit, you can see the Claudio Gonzalez effect with this one, barn debut improved 7 lengths finishing second locally earning a 55 Beyer. Originally a $210k purchase and once highly thought of in California, descends the class ladder to his lowest level today we think he finally breaks through.
2nd: #5 Stevie’s Joy, this gelding has improving Beyer figures including a 48 last out. 2 second place finishes in 7 tries locally.
3rd: #7 What a Hoot, showed ability on Turf earning a 55 Beyer last out after steady improvement in 5 tries lifetime. Probably prefers the turf but can obviously run.
Race 9: OC$35k 7F Dirt
1st: #3 Divine Interventio, we were excited for this gelding’s entry last Thursday before the cancellation forced him back a week. Another from the Gaudet barn, he got third last out earning an 85 Beyer behind TizHetheOne who really ran them off their feet that day. Love that Gaudet tried to bring him back just 7 days off that race, now 14, but means he’s ready to run.
2nd: #7 Saratoga Bob, had this one finishing behind Divine Interventio last week also, struggled with whether to put him on top after the big Maryland Million Classic win over this strip last month going a mean 9F. 3 for 8 locally with 3 second place finishes, he loves the surface. Will be tough to beat.
3rd: #8 Chief of Staff, clearly a decent quality horse out of the McMahon barn, he threw in an 82 Beyer last out at this level. Prone to some ups and downs in form, has a win in four tries locally.
Race 10: MdSpWt $40k 2 Year olds 6F Dirt
1st: #10 Scoreswhenhewants, this colt from the Delacour barn was an $85k purchase this spring and has been working consistently over at Fair Hill. Like the last two drills. Delacour hitting with 20% of his first time starters, and 28% with 2 year olds overall.
2nd: #3 Still Dreaming, this $460k buy from West Point Thoroughbreds and the Graham Motion Barn likely has a lot of talent, but we’re not sure Motion really has them primed to win first time out. We are sure that West Point overpays for the horses they buy at auction.
3rd: #9 Sky Magician, can’t not include the horse that has finished in the top 2 in all four of his tries, albeit at the MdClm level. Adds blinkers today, we’ll see.