We’ve got a Friday early pick 5 carryover at Golden Gate today. This was courtesy of some big prices in yesterday’s sequence albeit a 3/5 shot to kick off the sequence. After that we had double digits odds winners at 15/1, 13/1, 16/1, and 16/1. $55,244 carried over into today. I think the pool could go well over $300,000 maybe. Let us now dive into the sequence. I list out A picks, B picks, and C picks for each race. At the end of this I’ll give my ticket.
Race 1: 1 Mile $8,000 Claiming F & M 3 & up
We start the sequence and day with a competitive group of claimers.
6 Tink’s Twirl is a 6 year old daughter of Twirling Candy taking quite a drop in class. She was last seen routing on turf against 20 claimers. The class relief today plus the move back to tapeta could move her up. She is also getting veteran jockey Irving Orozco who returned to the saddle last week. Second place finisher in her last out race came back to win next out (last week I believe).
2 Pacific Strike has had some bad form in her last couple races. I am going to excuse those efforts and give her another shot because of her past form. Earlier on in the year she reeled off two wins in a row, one at this condition and one against slightly tougher competition. She was able to sit off the pace and make a rally. I expect that to be her tactics once again as there appears to be speed to chase in here. I can also understand those that leave her off because her form since the break has not been pretty. They have been against slightly tougher which is why I’m giving her one more shot. Plus she’s only missed the trifecta once here.
4 Side Effect will be making her first start in two months. Trainer Victor Trujillo is only hitting at 5% with his last 37 off a 61-180 day layoff. However this horse has been capable of winning off a similar break. In fact it was earlier this year from March to May she won on a step up in class too. However that was tapeta to turf while this is dirt to tapeta. Bugboy Santos Rivera rides and I expect this horse to be part of the speed brigade trying to hold on late. Horse is coming in off a nice workout.
1 Indian Dancer exits a common race with the 2 and 3 horse. She set the pace that day and tired. That was her first start at this level. Today she makes her second start back at this level and gets speedy jockey WIlliam Antongeorgi iii back aboard. Expect this filly to contest for the lead early.
A’s: 6,2
B’s: 4,1
Race 2: 1 Mile (Turf) $20,000 Maiden Claiming F & M 3 & up
This race also goes as Leg E (the closeout leg) of the Stronach 5 so it won’t surprise me if a price horse comes in as last week we had a double digit winner in that sequence. Plus there is also a Rolling Super High 5 carryover of over $3k into this race.
7 Surface is one of two fillies for trainer Steve Sherman in here. This daughter of Quality Road originally cost $130k for this ownership group and is in for a tag of 20 today. This will be her lowest claiming tag today. She has raced here on turf three times before and has two second place finishers. She will appear to sit midpack and make a run into the stretch. Leading jockey Kyle Frey has the call.
5 Lemon Drop Tini is another class dropping filly. She ships up North for trainer Matthew Chew. She has raced against tougher over at Gulfstream Park and Keeneland. A repeat of her races two and three starts back should make her really tough to beat in here. She is also expected to sit off the pace in here.
2 Heatsky is one of 5 horses who exit a common race. This daughter of Vronsky did the best of them all. She sat second throughout and actually finished second. In 4 races here she has two seconds and a third. These are also the jockey trainer connections from last week’s Stronach 5 winner. Horse is 8/1 on the morning line in here. I see her sitting right off the early speed again.
1 Foggy Bottom exits that common event on 8/7. She finished 4th beaten 7 lengths. That was her first start in nearly 5 months and today makes her second start off the layoff. Trainer Bill McLean is 18% second off a 45-180 day layoff. This filly was talented enough to run at Del Mar last summer so could improve. She tried making an early rally last time but could keep up with it turning for home.
3 Kayda finished third in the common event last out. That was also her first time racing in the afternoons. Today she makes lifetime start #2 and is the second entrant for trainer Steve Sherman. The daughter of Curlin went 5 wide into the stretch last out. A cleaner trip today and she could improve. Steve Sherman is 9% with second time maidens.
6 Candy’s Honey didn’t do much running on debut at Del Mar. Trainer Keith Desormeaux ships this filly North today hoping for better results. Works in the morning have been slow so this filly may need to improve quite a bit. She does get on turf and try two turns for the first time and is a bit of a mystery. Is a daughter of Daddy Nose Best so could handle this two turn turf event.
A’s: 7,5
B’s: 2,1,3
C’s: 6
Race 3: 1 Mile Allowance F & M 3 & up
This is not only the middle leg of the pick 5 but it is also the first leg of the Golden Pick 6 jackpot wager for 20 cents. There’s a carryover of around $40k in the pool and this is a stakes caliber group in here.
2 Ziarah exits a couple stakes races and returns to allowance company. She had a string of 4 straight wins earlier in the year including 3 of those on the tapeta surface. This horse will probably benefit from a pace setup. She has 5 wins, a second, and 3 thirds in 14 tries on synthetic.
5 Blue Diva has turned out to be a pretty nice claim for her connections who got her for $25k. She won a stake race in December and exits a nice stake race last out. The winner went on to try a stake at Del Mar; the second place finisher won next out at Del Mar. Blue Diva is a 7 time winner and 3 of those have come routing so it shouldn’t be a problem. Horse has been working well in the mornings.
1 Wicked Old Fashion is a runner who probably wishes the race was on the turf. But she can still do well on tapeta. In three limited starts she has a win and a second. She has finished behind a couple others in here quite a bit. She will need to improve to get by them and she is also coming off a subpar race in the Luther Burbank. Another negative is regular rider Catalino Martinez isn’t on this runner but instead Brayan Pena who may need to get used to this mare.
4 Never Be Enough appears will be the rabbit for the favorite. This horse won two back here from off the pace but the connections have two runners and I don’t see both of them laying off a race with not much speed. The 3 is the lone speed but I think this horse could lock horns early with the 3 to setup the stablemate. Don’t be super shocked if this horse hangs in there for a shot as she was last seen going 11 furlongs and today is just 8.
A’s: 2,5
B’s: 1,4
Race 4: 6 Furlongs $8,000 Maiden Claiming 3 year olds & up
2 Pequeno Monte is a class dropping son of Sierra Sunset. This 4 year old showed speed last time before weakening late. There is not a lot of other speed in this race and I think the 2 could get an easy lead and wire the field. Sure he has shown speed and fade in the past but that was against tougher. Speed on the class drop should make a difference and could be the one to beat. Jockey upgrade to Irving Orozco as well.
1 Darkhawk unfortunately draws the rail once again. He’s a horse that does come from off the pace and will wish there was more speed in front of him. Two seconds and a third in three tries on this tapeta surface. He will be cutting back in distance today looking to break his maiden in start #10.
6 Billtown Banner is a bit of a hanger. He always makes a big sweeping move but isn’t able to sustain it. He has three seconds and a third in 9 tries. Kevin Orozco has piloted him to 3 straight seconds. The extra half furlong should benefit him should he repeat that last effort.
4 Nehushtan will put the blinkers on today and drop in class. He broke slowly on debut before rallying late. Blinkers on could be to keep this horse focused. Erick Lopez gets the call on the class drop for the son of Goldencents. Form is a bit muddled for two starts and will need to improve.
A’s: 2
B’s: 1,6
C’s: 4
Race 5: 5 Furlongs (Turf) Allowance F & M 3 & up
We’ll be looking to close out this ticket when race 5 (around 3:15) rolls around.
1 Songofthedesert is looking for her third win a row. She has won two straight Cal-bred allowance optional claiming races down South and most recently did so sprinting today’s distance. She unfortunately draws the rail and may be forced to send from the start. However she has shown she can win sitting right off the pace. There could be pace for her to run at today.
6 Grinningeartoear will make her first start in 5 months. She comes in off a nice work 6 days ago at Del Mar which makes me think she could’ve easily run in a race down South but trainer Brian Koriner elected to ship her up. She could sit off the pace from the outside with Evin Roman today.
4 Black Drop is an interesting runner in here. She broke her maiden two starts back at today’s distance from off the pace. Last time on tapeta she set the pace drawing an inside post. She set some really slow opening fractions and weakened late. It makes me think maybe she doesn’t like being on the lead and likes chasing like she did two back. The second place finisher last out has since come back to win. She had a nice workout 6 days ago and appears to be ready today.
3 Zelaia is looking for her 4th straight win. This winning streak has mainly been done against easier. Horse did win at today’s distance last time sitting off the early leader. She will need to improve a little bit but this filly is absolutely rolling.
A’s: 1,6
B’s: 4,3
Pick 5 tickets
Ticket A: Keying on a single in race 4
R1) 2,4,6
R2) 1,2,3,5,7
R3) 2,5
R4) 2
R5) 1,4,6
$45
Ticket B: Those that don’t like singling
R1) 2,4,6
R2) 2,5,7
R3) 2,5
R4) 1,2
R5) 1,4,6
$54
Those are my two suggested tickets. Make sure to follow my twitter @sportsandhorse for any late scratches and adjusted ticket plays or if you just want my opinion on other races.
Good luck if you’re playing this sequence or other races in today’s 8 race program. It’ll be a funtastic program today.