Race 1: Clm $10k F&M 1M
1st: #7 Amphitrite, the old axiom, “Claudio on the dirt if no good alternatives” comes into play here. Last race was pretty solid earning a 67 Beyer at the $16k level, last time she was down here at $10k she was a winner. Stalking trip, passes around the 1/8th pole.
2nd: #6 Calypso Ghost, the early Claudio exacta here, this one won at $25k back in February locally. Recent form hasn’t been quite as solid, was 8 lengths behind Amphitrite in the last.
3rd: #4 Queen of Cause, bit of a mystery to me why they’re heading back to dirt with this one who got a win and has improved her Beyer numbers so much (nearly doubled) since arriving on turf. She broke her maiden on dirt and just narrowly missed at $12.5k, she should compete.
Race 2: OC$16k F&M 5 & ½F Turf
1st: #4 Princess Killmain, you have to decide in these turf sprints if there’s enough speed up front to tire the front runners and allow a closer to get up and in this case I think there is. There’s considerable speed on the inside and far outside of this horse and there’s been a lot of rain this week, should be deep turf that hurts tiring speed horses. This one is really moving in the right direction and she couldn’t get up there at this class level last out but then pace wasn’t what I think it will be here today, 22 and 3 and 45 and 3. Glad Jevian Toledo is sticking with her.
2nd: #8 Bath and Tennis, the winner of the last when Princess Killmain finished 5th 2 lengths behind. As I mentioned she had the lead easily the whole way around, just isn’t going to set up like that today. Nice horse though, peaking at this moment.
3rd: #7 Why Now, class of the field? 3 time winner last year and got a 4th in open stakes company locally at 62-1 beating 6 rivals. Trainer is 2 for 3 off these long layoffs but I’d try to beat her. Future stakes horse for sure, probably an excellent claiming opportunity.
Race 3: MdSpWt $40k 1M
1st: #1 Flatter Me, an absolute no brainer here, they brought this one to Saratoga last time out off a pretty bad loss in the 2020 debut at GP and they knew what they were doing. Sent off at 28-1 the brought back a real check finishing 3rd by 4 lengths in open MdSpWt company. The winner of that one Irish Front is a home bred for Waterford stables trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Irad Ortiz and figures to be a legit stakes horse in the future. Should be 2-5 today.
2nd: #3 Righteousness, should be ready to compete today first time out for Kelly Rubley and first out since the debut in April of last year. Was a well meant son of Uncle Mo that West Point bought for $650k as a two year old. Kelly has him firing bullets routinely at Fair Hill and gets top rider Pimentel today.
3rd: #2 Commissioner G, good showing first out this year for Steve Klesaris, didn’t improve like you’d like in the second out but should compete today.
Race 4: Clm $12.5k 5 & ½F Turf
1st: #3 Charlie Mops, step up in class today but he’s won at this level in the past and I just love his versatility. Has won going gate to wire and has come from multiple lengths off the pace. So if he gets away up front or if he lets them tire each other out up front I’d be confident with him.
2nd: #5 The Queens Jules, has turf and dirt form, the three back effort on turf was good enough to win this one at the $16k level. Has speed.
3rd: #8 Fly E Dubai, ability to make up lengths late.
Race 5: Clm $5k F&M 1M
1st: #7 Cassidy Ave, really like the setup coming into this one, has a run under her belt since the lockdown but it was on turf. She ran solidly that day, showed some speed and weakened per the track comment earning nearly a career best figure. Certainly has the pedigree for dirt as a daughter of Street Sense and drops to the lowest level of her career today. The winner of the last out came back to finish second on the dirt yesterday at the SOC$16k level and third place finisher that day came back to win in allowance company at Penn National by 4 & ½ Ls.
2nd: #1 Petion Lass, improving Beyer figs from first to second back after the lockdown, this one goes back to the mile distance which should help her given the looooong stretch to the second wire.
3rd: #3 Mamma Dee, didn’t run much in her first back at Del, last year was twice a winner at the $12.5k level and placed in an allowance event.
Race 6: MdClm $16k 5 & 1/2F
1st: #8 Junior Jumper, surprisingly took Mary Eppler a number of starts before trying this one on turf but he’s obviously meant for it. Improved his Beyer significantly in the first on the lawn, showed speed, nearly got the lead late and weakened a bit at the wire, but finished ahead of 8 rivals.
2nd: #5 Championship Alley, unseen since March in Florida under different connections, Bruno Tessore not exactly inspiring confidence but attempting without blinkers and the workouts are outstanding, assuming also without blinkers. Maybe something to that.
3rd: #1 English Tavern, did not get out of the gate but ran very evenly after that. Can’t say that much about it but dropping heavily in class and retains one of the better pilots on this circuit the X-man, Xavier Perez.
Race 7: Clm $5k 6F
1st: #1 Once in a Lifetime, easy selection here, don’t see any speed in this race with the possible exception of the 8 from the far outside. Love betting lone speed, class droppers (OK, second time at this level), cutting back in distance breaking from the rail. Hope the apprentice Charlie Marquez sends him strongly.
2nd: #2 Talented Dr. B, scared of this one, colt looks a little too fast to be in at this level, lo and behold he is utilizing the waiver rule (that ends in the next week or two) as this is his first start since the lockdown. Will he be ready to run early? Last year did showed gate speed but not recently.
3rd: #3 Irishtown, very late closing type who recently has been so far behind early I simply can’t put this one on top. But he likely makes a run.
Race 8: Alw $42k 5 & 1/2F
1st: #1 Padrino’s Heart, the two back over this lawn was simply excellent and earned him an 85 Beyer. Glad to see him back on the turf.
2nd: #4 Xmasinthecity, Larry Johnson home bred for Mike Trombetta has a lot of speed and broke her maiden in MdSpWt company last year over this turf before trying one allowance on dirt and then being put away for the year. Take him a while to get back to the track but working well and should be ready for this short sprint.
3rd: #7 Francatelli, likely to take a lot of money but is only 3 and took a lot of money in each of his last two MdSpWt tries before finally breaking it at Monmouth at 3-5. Meant to win that one. Tougher waters today.
Race 9: MdClm $25k 5 & 1/2F
1st: #5 Cool Hand Coop, 0-11 maiden an ugly favorite to take, but was just third behind Francatelli who is now trying open allowance company. This one has the best Beyers in the field and drops back a couple levels to $25k claimers.
2nd: #7 Hickory Made, couldn’t possibly put Lawrence Smith on top, but this one really did improve tremendously in his first on the turf last out and nearly graduated.
3rd: #3 Extremelyexclusive, second highest Beyers in the field, always took a good deal of money down at Gulfstream, hard to know how the form will transfer up here.