Blog

Race 1

1^st #7 Oh Bree got smoked last out, but as the comments say, “improved”, he didn’t make up ground at all or improve into a better position.  The class drop will be the helping factor here but the son of Afleet Alex hasn’t showed much thus far.

2^nd #5 Cliff’s Place was a $170,000 purchase who has been claimed twice out of his five starts which kind of baffles me.  Sure, his pedigree is nice but certainly not one I would have claimed even before his first start. Steve Asmussen trains, on the class drop.

3^rd #8 Go for Sherrie is the second highest earning horse in this race at $10,965.  This guy tends to run a little green drifting in and out a couple of his races. Indiana Downs seemed to suit this guy better than New Mexico as he finished on the board more.  Bullet work last out.

Race 2

1^st #5 Box of Chocolates is the one to beat, hands down.  Took the son of Candy Ride a couple of races to figure his game out and he ran a monster of a race last out.  Tyler Baze is aboard for Steve Asmussen.

2^nd #4 All Around makes his first start for a new barn coming off of a tough loss last out when he got bumped late.  Lanerie is riding the son of Caleb’s Posse, who worked a nice bullet recently.  

3^rd #3 Westwood Proud is going up a little bit in class, looks like the connections want to protect him.  His race two back was way out of his league, but last out bounced back nicely to run third in a claiming $30,000 race.

Race 3

1^st #7 Wasabi Girl (I hate taking the chalk) is the favorite based on her race last out.  That race was a maiden special weight for $93K and those aren’t races just given away. The other filly was much the best that day, experience will only help this girl.

2^nd #2 Battleofwinterfell could really surprise some people.  By Declaration of War, this filly’s dam Barometer was unraced.  However, the siblings have done fantastic. They’ve made almost $600K.  Mark Casse is known for doing well with first time starters.

3^rd #1 Cara Caterina is the one everybody is going to take because she looks like she’s bred better and was a $500K purchase also trained by Casse.  Don’t get me wrong, her family is talented. Her siblings include three graded stakes winners, with the most notable being To Honor and Serve- an up and coming stallion.  A must watch horse for in the future.

Race 4

1^st #4 Sarcosa is just a good honest consistent filly, hitting the board most of the time in her career this far.  She is coming from some brutal allowance races at Churchill, and this is a little bit more suitable spot for her.

2^nd #1 Princess Phone ran third last out in a race similar to this over at Churchill.  This is shortened up a little by a 1/16 of a mile, which I believe will help her since she likes to sit right off the pace and sometimes just doesn’t get there and tires out.

3^rd #2 Perfect Reins took a lot of heavy thinking to put her on the board.  She’s shown some talent but running in the Honeybee this spring at Oaklawn appears to have taken away some of her confidence.  This spot is better, but she has improving to do.

Race 5

1^st #3 Northern Fern comes in on a class drop.  She liked Woodbine, was overmatched when she left.  I think it is reasonable to excuse her dirt races. Her wins and placings are typically on synthetic or turf.  Channing Hill is back aboard.

2^nd #1 Mad Grace is trained by Steve Asmussen.  I know I have selected several of his runners on this card so I can’t take them all on top.  Baze and Asmussen are teaming up a lot this meet which is a good sign. She looks good on the drop, all the way to the bottom.

3^rd #8 Molly’s Game looks decent, coming down a little in class and she has a second and third on the turf, and a second at Ellis.  So compared to some in the field she has the benefit of already running on Ellis’s turf course.

Race 6

1^st #6 Dig Charlie Dig has Lanerie aboard, and Cox has four wins out of seven starts here.  He’s also running for nearly half the price he did last out.

2^nd #7 Croatian has done better as far as consistency goes since leaving Baffert’s barn.  Baffert didn’t seem to be able to keep him together very well. He like most of the field is also running for almost half the price of last out.

3^rd #5 She Love Me lost at this level by ten lengths last out at Churchill.  This horse typically closes most of the time so now running at a mile should help him hopefully.

Race 7

1^st #6 Golden Notion is coming in from three good races, and they were tough races at Oaklawn and Churchill which means Ellis should be a better spot and a little easier.

2^nd #3 Branson ran well last out, somewhat green but this is also an easier maiden special weight.  Same connections as my top pick in race 6. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Cox run first and second here.  

3^rd Although the twelve hole will be tough, #12 Zapper Van Winkle looks good in this spot at 12/1.  Last out, nobody was beating Julius but ran a game second place. I don’t see him beating Cox’s horses but do see him running third.

Race 8

1^st #7 Sensitive (Yes, I know, yet another Cox horse), has faced tougher company than this in of her races.  She’s won at Ellis, and her only “bad race” with Cox was when she ran in a grade three last year, ran seventh beaten by only four and a half lengths.

2^nd #8 Stave is a really nice Ghostzapper filly who’s made a lot of money in her career for being four years old.  Larry Jones trains and Saez is riding. Her last three efforts were really game runs.

3^rd #1 Smart Shot just lost a grade three by a neck at Churchill.  The filly has done well when spotted correctly, but up until recently she was in races that were just too tough for her.

Race 9

1^st #7 Wetumka was a $700,000 purchase and is a son of Pioneerof The Nile.  I am a little concerned that he just ran last weekend but this time is an easier race.  

2^nd #8 Storm The Bastille (Fr) has had a near two month break now which is nice.  Worked out a couple of times in Indiana, interesting he didn’t run there but they could have been eyeing up this race.  Another Cox runner, wouldn’t you know?3^rd #9 Zing Zang is a son of Tapit who cost $300,000 at the Keeneland sale as a yearling.  Last year it was obvious they were making a Triple Crown run with a horse that just wasn’t capable of that.  He has a lot of work to do to pay his connections back!