Thursday October 18th Laurel Park
Race 1: Claiming $16k F&M 1M Turf
OTT: 7-1-5
1st: #6 Lovely Sunset, this filly owns the field best 67 Beyer in her three back second place finish at the OC25k level over this grass, losing to Darcy Mae who came back to win. Last out led in the stretch but tired and finished second at the $20k claiming level. Gets class and distance relief.
2nd: #12 Fetching Fury, was tempted to make this $250k purchase by Michael Stidham (e5 Racing Thoroughbreds) the top choice, but not enough past to go off. This will be her first try on turf, she broke her maiden in off-turf event at Suffolk, and last out led in the stretch before fading going 8F on PID’s synthetic surface earning a 56 Beyer. Stidham is 23% with 1st time turfers.
3rd: #8 Dancingwithpaynter, throw out the last effort in off-turf try here, she’s Beyered in the 60s in previous 3 straight after breaking her maiden at this strip in MdSpWt company. Connections tried allowance events where she was not competitive including one try at Saratoga. Could be very competitive in this one.
Race 2: Maiden Claiming $25k 2 Year Olds 1M Dirt
1st: #4 Bear Trappe, connections tried a stakes attempt locally last out despite maiden status signifying their confidence in this one and she only lost by 3 lengths. Two back nearly overcame a 4 length lead in the stretch losing by less than a length at this level. Returns to Maiden Claiming company with a good shot.
2nd: #2 Three Phase, 5 straight in-the-money finishes, including last two locally. This will be her longest try yet. Co-field best 46 Beyer last out. May not have to improve much to beat this field.
3rd: #5 Golden Noguez, has shown speed in a couple attempts locally on both surfaces at the MdSpWt level. Could set the pace and if gets away, you never know. 2 in-the-money finishes at Laurel.
Race 3: Claiming $20k 2 Year olds 6F Dirt
1st: #5 Tap the Mark, Gonzalez barn firing at 37% here, this one broke its maiden at the $25k level earning a field best 51 Beyer. A couple decent allowance tries followed by last out in a $100k restricted stakes at Delaware. Steady stream of solid morning drills locally.
2nd: #4 Crazed, Pecoraro colt broke his maiden over a sloppy surface and ran away. Tried an OC50k last out and wasn’t competitive but should appreciate class relief. Barn hitting at 29% this year.
3rd: #3 Bay of Rocks, Beyered 41 last out breaking his maiden here at 5F. First try against winners will be more difficult.
Race 4: Maiden Claiming $40k 2 Year Olds 6F Dirt
1st: #7 Quality Matters, This one gets blinkers after a decent debut effort earning a 44 Beyer. Clement barn is hitting 23% with first blinks and this one has been drilling efficiently up in New York. Should improve on his first try, experience here will help.
2nd: #3 Marco Island, O’Dwyer tried a MdSpWt 134k at Kentucky Downs last out with this one and he was active early. Gets the blinkers and moves to dirt, I expect improvement for this son of City Zip.
3rd: #6 Wall, making his debut, Trombetta has this gelding drilling with regular frequency at Fair Hill including the bullet most recently. Would do well to get experience here, wouldn’t be shocked to see this one turn for home in front.
Race 5: Allowance Optional Claiming $35k F&M 6F Dirt
1st: #8 She’s Achance Too, this filly has won her last three earning 70, 70, and 74 Beyers respectively. Last out a win at the restricted allowance level over this surface. Can’t go against this form, she’s clearly at the top level of her career.
2nd: #1 DJ’s Favorite, Another one showing good form, this three year old has earned 3 Beyers in the 70s including a win and a second here at Laurel. Last out at this level tired after setting the early pace. $200k daugter of Union Rags, Linda Rice is 3 for 10 shipping to Laurel so far this meet.
3rd: #3 Three Illusions, competitive in the OC25k events including a 73 Beyer last out finishing third at Timonium to Renaissance Rosie who came back to win. Contender.
Race 6: Allowance Optional Claiming $35k 1 1/16M Dirt
Should get long odds in this one, here’s an opportunity to box some in a trifecta or superfecta (3-5-9-6-4-2 are all my contenders) or for the more conservative bettor a shot to play a larger Win/Show ticket and hedge your bet.
1st: #3 Adulator, Robertino Diodoro is 1 for 2 so far shipping in from New York, this horse has been racing in OC62k company in New York finishing in the money numerous times earning Beyers in the mid 80s. Two back he wired the field in a $50k Claiming event in Saratoga beating Casse’s Story who came back to win. Once finished 4th by 3 lengths in Grade 3 company at Aqueduct two falls ago. Class of the field.
2nd: #9 General Downs, what a key race that 8/16 Claiming event at Saratoga was, this one was third there 2 lengths behind Adulator. Last out was a try at this exact condition here and he finished 2nd by a neck getting a 79 Beyer with a 97 DRF Speed Rating (100 DRF Speed Variant is the fastest time at this track & distance in the last 3 years). Strong contender here.
3rd: #5 Hollywood Handsome, real tough call here, an up and down year for this horse. Got a 100 DRF Speed Rating at the Fairgrounds in debut this year followed by a second in the G2 New Orleans Handicap behind Good Samaritan. He went off form and last out was claimed by Jorge Navarro in a bad loss finishing 15 lengths behind Adulator last out in that claiming event at Saratoga on 8/16. We’ll see what difference Navarro can make here.
Race 7: Allowance Optional Claiming $35k F&M 6F Dirt
1st: #1 Breaking Bread, throw out last race in the slop, this Navarro horse has improved since entering his barn. Claimed out of the race at Churchill three back where he finished a close second to Pretty Greeley who came back to win, followed by an even closer second in that OC62k event at Saratoga earning an 84 Beyer. Was a tricky decision putting this one on top here among others in the field.
2nd: #3 Pretty Enuff, wanted to place this one on top but couldn’t. Gonzalez barn as good as it gets, and she’s coming off two straight wins since entering his barn, most recent of which came in OC16k company at Del.
3rd: #6 Last True Love, can easily make a claim for this one to be in top 2, but first off the 8 month freshening could be tough. Throw out the Wide Country Stakes in the mud, she finished second in the Marshua Stakes for 100k earning a 74 Beyer. Was racing reliably in OC50k events last year. Classy filly.
Race 8: Claiming $16k F&M 1M Turf
1st: #5 Liberale, this miss just narrowly edged by one length last out here at Laurel in an OC25k going 1&1/16th earning a 67 Beyer. Two back lost toDarcy Mae who came back and won and was also behind our pick in race 1 here Lovely Sunset. If Lovely Sunset wins race 1 here, that July 14th race of this same condition becomes an especially key race and would make flatter Liberale here even more.
2nd: #3 Shrew Meaning, can’t ignore a 12 length win over this strip in the two back Maiden breaking win at 16k. Tried an OC25k event where something went wrong in June and has been off ever since. Couple light breezes since, but has the talent if right.
3rd: #9 Love to Share, ran well in the MdClm event at Saratoga two back before fading to 5th earning a 63 Beyer. Last out destroyed the field in a Md20k event at Meadowlands winning by 8 lengths and earning a 68 Beyer.
Race 9: Maiden Claiming 25k F&M 1M Turf
#16 Nevisian Sunset is the pick if she gets in off the AE list, but she probably won’t, in which case…
1st: #3 Thesweetesttaboo, another Gonzalez trainee, this time making her debut for the new barn. Gonzalez hitting with 31% of debuts new to his barn. Throw out last race in the slop and was previously running decently at the MdSpWt level earning a field-best 66 Beyer at Ellis Park 3 back.
2nd: #4 Wolverette, 0-14 lifetime, bet at your own peril, but two back she ran a close second over this strip at the MdClm25k level earning a 56 Beyer. Has tried the MdSpWt and restricted stakes levels decently in her past.
3rd: #10 Reiltin Oir, trainer Mary Eppier has made a huge difference to this miss improving to a close second a close third in her first two starts for the barn. Throw out last race on yielding turf, love the workout two back Aug 10 at Pim. Has a shot.