Race 1
1st #5 Bushrod sits at 7/5 morning line shipping from Gulfstream. Came back from a massive layoff, and he didn’t run well. He gets a better trainer who started off his year at this meet. This is also an easier spot than Gulfstream, but we will have to see how he does off another layoff.
2nd #2 Snoose Goose has the solid connections of Mac Robertson and Alex Canchari who do quite well together here. He’s usually right there and never loses by much, but may need an out since he’s been off three months, last ran in New Orleans.
3rd #1 Serengeti Cat will have his hands full coming against a stronger bunch than he was used to in Phoenix, but before that race he was a consistent runner at Woodbine. Another who has had some time off, but could run well with Denny Velazquez aboard.
Race 2
1st #5 Corrana Del Limen comes from Oaklawn where he got one win and finished fourth. He should crush this field being that he’s raced against some tougher company down there. Trained by Diodoro.
2nd #4 Double Turbo drops from a stakes race at Delta in February all the way down the bottom, which should help him, he was beaten by fourteen lengths in that race after winning a $10K claiming race. Velazquez and Berndt are hot right now at Canterbury.
3rd #6 Gatito just ran here less than two weeks ago and won, so surprised he is being ran back so soon. Jose Silva’s horses are running well this meet so far. This horse has had a lot of ups and downs but might be ok for a show bet.
Race 3
1st #8 El Tizar ran two weeks ago and got a decent second place finish after nearly nine months off. It was a solid effort. I think he’ll get them here now that he’s had an out. Rhone and Butler also win quite often together.
2nd #7 Stitzy is running back from a nice fall/winter/spring break, and he’s working out well. Looking to win three in a row, he’s another Velazquez/Berndt runner, but I think he will need an out.
3rd #5 Minnesota Lucky ran at Tampa last out, winning by six. It was a nice race, before that he had finished second coming off of a long layoff. He should hit the board with his recent form.
Race 4
1st #3 Awesome Sunset is dropping out of the allowance ranks to a $16K price tag, coming from Houston where she ran second beaten by a length and a half. Each of her races since her layoff have gotten better.
2nd #4 Wild Munny is the 2/1 favorite, but after last out, I’d like to see her get a couple of races in. Last out she pretty much bolted the far turn, but it wasn’t pleasant to watch and I hope she doesn’t do the same here.
3rd #2 Alotta Soul has been off since August, which is a really long time and I’d like to see her run a time or two before I could take her on top. Same connections also own Awesome Sunset, and Bravo is good at having horses ready to go.
Race 5
1st #8 Lady Orchid is the morning line favorite after winning a stakes at Will Rogers Downs last out, and is trained by Bravo who’s having a good meet so far with three wins from nine starts. She’s a solid, competitive filly who’s won three stakes races in eight starts so far.
2nd #7 After Red Son looks good too, she’s won six times from twenty-four outs which is pretty impressive, won by a head last out in Houston but has been off for a few months since then.
3rd #4 Beach Getaway has been off for ten months, has been working decently and raced some fantastic horses in Iowa last summer in the Oaks. Lady Apple (who won that race) has since turned out to be a graded stakes winner at Oaklawn.
Race 6
1st #6 Bigdaddy’sflyinghi gets the blinkers off, drops in class drastically, and changes trainers. Sits at 8/5 morning line which won’t provide value, but this one does look to be a sure winner after those changes.
2nd #3 Rahaal has some popular southern connections by the names of Danny Caldwell and Federico Villafranco. He’s bred so well by Bodemeister and out of a Medaglia D’Oro mare, it’s a bummer to not see him succeed as much and now he finds himself at the bottom…
3rd #2 Don’s Final Final was looking good in Houston with two second place finishes but after that came back and ran pretty bad last out, drops in class, but Silva has had a harder meet this far than he normally does.
Race 7
1st #4 Chief Cicatriz has won many stakes and is now above the half a million dollar earning marks, and wow is he impressive. First time coming to Canterbury and trying the turf, but he should do well on it. Trainer Shawn Davis is hot right now too.
2nd #5 Shannon C looks good coming from Oklahoma, and has been consistently on the board lately which is nice to see. He hasn’t been to Canterbury before and this is his first race for his connections here too, (at least at this meet).
3rd #6 League of Shadows is used to the softer competition in Phoenix, so this will be a step up and I don’t see him beating the #4 for sure, but his jockey is riding well, and he won at Del Mar last fall which is pretty cool, something nobody in this field has done.