My good friend Eddie (@itsmeEddiec) got some last minute travel to take care of, so we are switching assignments for this week. I will do today’s card and Eddie will be analyzing Sunday’s Card. This is a very solid card, with four graded stakes. The feature is the Grade I Just a Game, but all thru the day we will see very good horses running. Let’s go to the quick comments.
1st race: (Turf) – Claiming $40,000 NW2L. 1 1/16 mile.
2-9-3
Sun Summers take a good drop in class and Jane Cibelli ships here from Gulfstream, which is always a factor to take into consideration, having similar races in Florida. Sky Kitten is running for a tag for the first time, not a good draw at all, but this is the filly that has been racing against the better quality fillies. Ideational is now in the Rob Atras barn, which scores at a 24% first time out, and comes from a nice freshener. Working nicely for her return.
2nd race: (Dirt) Claiming $25,000. 7 furlongs.
5-2-4
Shamrock Kid was caught six wide last time out, I expect him to be coming from off the pace, which should be live, with Foolish Ghost and Horoscope carving up the early fractions. Horoscope already beat my favorite three races ago, and with Joel Rosario up, his chances definitely increase. He takes a nice cutback in distance, which should help his cause. Invest won in his return putting up very fast fractions. Now he can sit just off the pace and can be dangerous if he can rate a bit.
3rd race: (Turf). Allowance $50,000S. 7 furlongs
8-10-2
Bourbon Currency keeps improving with every new start and the seven panels should be perfect for him. Jose Ortiz will sit right off the pace. Standup take blinkers off after his return race, which wasn’t bad at all. This is his second off a seven month hiatus, so improvement is expected. Kumar takes a nice cutback in distance, and with Irad up now, he can be in that first flight from the start. This is his second start from a four month layoff, a lil more that the majority of the other runners here.
4th race: (Dirt) OC40K/N2X – 6 furlongs
5-3-1
Definitely the now horse in this race is Timely Tradition , with two consecutive wins, one of them at Oaklawn. She keeps going up in class, which I like because it signals confidence by their connection. But I will take a bit of a shot with Bangle Gal, who went to the sidelines on September after two terrible efforts routing. Now comes back for new trainer David Duggan, who hits at 27% first time with him and returns to sprinting, which I think is her game. Fierce lady won her debut showing she was a future stakes winner, and she achieved that, but things haven’t panned out for her after that. Now gets a little freshening and should be part of that second flight, looking to sneak up the rail.
5th race: (Dirt) MSW. 6 ½ furlongs.
5-7-2
I think Flying Finish will be honoring his name late ion the stretch and come with a flying finish. He had some trouble at the start in his debut, now the experience can be the main factor in his performance. Your Awesome Boss ran nicely in an off the track race at Gulfstream, and with Carmouche up, he will make sure he is right at or near the lead. With some improvement, he will be dangerous. Farragut just missed last time out and if he has pace to run at, he will be present at the stretch
6th race: (Turf) MSW 7 furlongs
8-6-1
I like what I see from first time starter North Carolina, from the barn of veteran trainer Shug Mc Gaughey, whos having a great meet so far. Works are sharp and Jose Luis Ortiz takes the mount. Should be coming from just off the pace. I’m a Pharoah switches to the turf after three second place finishes, and in two of them, he failed as the favorite. The American Pharoah progeny has been lights out on the grass, so he should run well, but I am skeptical. Propensity has shown ample speed in his races, and if he is given an easy lead, he can be dangerous. But he is 0 for 7 so far, and generally at low odds.
7th race: (Dirt) The Vagrancy (Grade III) 6 ½ furlongs-
1-5-7
Royal Charlotte will be running in her second race after a seven month layoff. She ran out of real estate after being close to the pace, for this Grade III she should be much fitter. Come Dancing returns to New York, where her best races have come, and returns to the Carlos Martin barn. One turn is her preferred game, and if she is fully recovered, she is a force to be reckoned with. The big longshot in here can be Pacific Gale, if a speed duel develops, and the analysis says it can definitely happen.
8th race: (Turf) The New York (Grade II) 1 ¼ mile
1-7-4
Call Me Love specialized in these kind of distances back at Italy. Her last race can be seen as sort of a prep for this one and with Irad, she is the first one to consider. Mean Mary is a very nice filly that can take her speed to longer trips on the grass. She has run better with every new race and Luis Saez knows her well. She will be trying again to wire the field. Fools Gold completes the selection. She is a natural stayer and Chad Brown can’t be discounted I any Graded stakes on the grass.
9th race: (Dirt) The True North (Grade II) 6 ½ furlongs
8-7-1
Firenze Fire is now in his second race at the Kelly Breen barn, and Irad Ortiz, the jockey with whos he runs better, returns to his saddle. If he still has some of what we saw last year, he will be tough. Promises Fulfilled is a great sprinter that excels when is allowed a clear lead. Coming from an eight month rest, most probably will be eager to take the initial advantage and Saez knows him lkike the palm in his hand. Diamond King completes the selection, the one turn configuration is much better for him and he has always run against tough horses.
10th race: (Turf) The Just a Game (Grade I) 1 mile
6-4-5
This can be the Chad Brown show, as the mighty Uni returns after a freshening. She is the Eclipse and BC champ, in her preferred distance and with pace to run at. She will be very tough to beat. Newspaperofrecord showed some of the brilliance that we saw from her in 2018 in her return race, but now the stakes get much higher against her stable mate. She will be at or near the lead and with some improvement, she can be a pesky foe for Uni. Regal Glory will try to give Chad the 1-2-3 punch in here, she is the filly that can mature into a Grade I type horse in 2020.
11th race: (Turf) Maiden Claiming $40,000 1 1/16 mile
12-8-9
This is the kind of race in which anything can happen. By his races, Eagles Palace should be the one to consider first, but he has to deal with a very wide draw, and there are others like Brice and first time starter Montauk Summer who merit respect. In summary, this is a wide open race, in which at least six or seven can get the job done.