Laurel Picks 8-17 – thedailygallop@gmail.com – Gmail
| Race 1: MdClm $40k 5 & ½F Turf 1st: #4 Start with Yes, love the second time out at 4 angle, this one got a good workout in at the MdSpWt last out on the dirt nearly snagging the win. Drops back to MdClm company and back to turf, the site of his biggest Beyer in the three back. Gets McCarthy .2nd: #3 Rising Perry, another dropper out of MdSpWt company, the three turf efforts are his best efforts including the field’s best Beyer in the 3 back. Not projecting much improvement but does get the bug boy today. 3rd: #2 Outofthepark, another that has stepped forward on the turf. Race 2: OC$25k 2 Year Olds 5 & ½F 1st: #6 D W Fitz, by far the highest Beyer in the field in the last out event down at Colonial, an expensive allowance race, where she didn’t showcase much passing ability. Love the improvement from first to second start though and a very good sign that Ness is bringing her back off 9 days off. 2nd: #7 Tommy Shelby, first out effort a winning one and then trainer gave her 3 timed breezes in the meantime. Should be sharp. 3rd: #4 Guilty, attempted much more expensive foes in the last out. Struggled but trainer showing confidence. Race 3: MdClm $40k 2 Year Olds F&M 6F 1st: #5 Maybe an Omen, dueled against a really hot pace in her debut and tired, the eventual winner going 21 and 4 and 45 flat for the half mile. She stayed up for third as the winner went on to win by 5 lengths. Will be better conditioned here and could be the only pace setter which would be a monumental advantage. Jockey + trainer teaming up to win 32%. 2nd: #6 Stickingtogether, passed Maybe an Omen in the debut but only because the pace was so hot. It was really just an even effort and I think given a more fair pace she won’t be able to pass the 5 here. 3rd: #4 Magical Luna, Claudio Gonzalez trainee was also in that race with Maybe an Omen and Stickingtogether. Didn’t break well and never ran much. Expect a good deal of improvement. Race 4: [R]Alw $35k 5 & ½F Turf 1st: #2 Jammer, a couple nice local wins moving from claiming company to allowance company. Last out probably broke a couple lengths too slow but still almost got up in time making up 8 lengths in the final furlong and a half! 2nd: #4 Smile for Eternity, went back and forth on this one whether to put her on top or not. She has the highest figures in the field and has shown ability to win off the bench in year’s past, including earning her career high 89 over this turf course in an OC$25k event last June. This is her wheelhouse. 3rd: #7 Street Copper, Trombetta gelding that has been close in the condition recently. Race 5: [R]Alw $35k F&M 1M 1st: #4 Hail to Leader, lightly raced 3 year old was a $260k purchase at Keeneland Sept and immediately broke her maiden at Pim. Last out effort at Parx was solid going two turns on the slop and she got passed late in the stretch at 10-1. John Servis always solid shipping down to Maryland and retains services of Vargas. 2nd: #2 Lunar Rille, Claudio Gonzalez moves this one to his favored surface and he’s 32% when moving from turf to dirt. This filly has shown ability winning two allowances recently. Just 12 days off a positive sign. 3rd: #1 My T Talk, two straight wins, has the appearance of a horse that has woken up. Going longer on dirt today than she ever has, but she looks up to the task. Much saltier field than she’s faced. Race 6: [R]Alw $35k F&M 5 & ½F Turf 1st: #6 Dendrobia, was 2 lengths behind Introduced who is entered in the 10th here today the Miss Disco Stakes. That effort equaled the fastest time at Laurel in the past 3 years. She followed it up with a win in a first level allowance and a mediocre effort in Stakes company. This is a considerable drop in class from the last two. 2nd: #1 Eifs, moving up the class ladder since she was claimed for $8k by Ricardo Dangelo and improving still. Looks like she finally got her preferred surface when she switched to turf last out and earned a career best 63 Beyer. 3rd: #7 Go Magician Go, made the 5-2ML favorite due to having the highest Beyer in the field in the two back, but she clearly prefers soft turf. Race 7: [R]The Star De Naskra Stakes $75k 3 Year Olds 6F 1st: #2 Where Paradise Lay, consistently making up lengths which should be a boon to his chances as a number of horses are going to want the lead here. Coming in 4th in open allowance company up at the Spa in the last is a badge of honor. Taking on older horses going longer than today’s distance and still beating 5 rivals. 2nd: #6 Hall Pass, seems to lack a bit of a closing kick but did get his best career Beyer in the last albeit on turf. Has shown closing ability.3rd: #8 Distant Shore, 5-2ML favorite, Tom Amoss shipping in for the first time this meet and getting McCarthy to ride looks like a slam dunk on paper. But this horse needs the lead and even then hasn’t shown the stamina you’d want to see. Got the lead in the last and faded and the two back didn’t get the lead and really mailed it in badly. There’s enough speed in here to wonder if he even gets to the front. Race 8: [R]The All Brandy Stakes $75k F&M 1 & 1/16thM Turf 1st: #6 Monte Crista, first off the 5 month layoff was a solid effort in unrestricted stakes company over at Del finishing just a length behind graded stakes winner Capla Temptress going this distance. Last year she was classy enough to win a restricted stakes event at Saratoga. Perfect spot for her. 2nd: #7 My Sistersledge, not exactly sure why she’s the 7-5ML favorite here, she was placed first after a DQ last out going 9F here but didn’t cross the finish line first. Does get some distance relief and has the consistently highest Beyers. 3rd: #4 Ghoul’s Night Out, interesting that Vargas is on this one and not Monte Crista, who he rode in the last out stakes try. Not sure if that’s his choice or not. Hammy Smith got this one a nice restricted stakes win in July and is now stretching her out. I’m skeptical. Race 9: [R]The Find Stakes $75k 1 & 1/16thM Turf 1st: #2 Just Howard, kind of choosing this one by default. The results this year have been all pretty good, especially the loss to Catholic Boy by less than a length in G2 company. Most recently a winner over graded stakes winner Divisidero. 2nd: #1 English Minister, wanted to put this one on top, if he runs back to his last effort he probably wins, but at 9 you have to question his ability to maintain a top form like that. Certainly a step up in company. 3rd: #4 O Dionysus, a stakes winner himself at 12F, but has won on turf at this distance. Race 10: [R]The Miss Disco Stakes $75k F&M 3 Year Olds 6F 1st: #1 Past Perfect, a major step up in class here for this improving three year old, that last race just looks so fantastic, absolutely blowing past the competition and and widening her lead all the way to the wire. A bit of added distance will be a bonus. 2nd: #7 Introduced, horse has been earning some decent Beyers of late and his only time of dirt was a win, but I don’t love the pattern. The last win came in restricted allowance company. 3rd: #4 Never Enough Time, this is an easy favorite to try to play against, she’s taken a step back since her first two starts, even if the company was significantly saltier. Race 11: MdClm $25k 2 year Olds 5 & ½F 1st: #7 Sojourner, a third place finish in his only start in $40k company is more than enough to make this one a heavy favorite here. Gets McCarthy to ride today. 2nd: #6 Top Hat Reason, Constitution’s offspring have shown themselves to be very capable early on in his stud career. This one has some very sharp workouts for a reliable barn. 3rd: #5 Gone Home, bevy of decent drills, strong improvement from first to second start Race 12: MdClm $16k F&M 5 & ½F Turf 1st: #5 Sunday Red, easily the best Beyer figs in the field, this one clearly moved up on the turf. Most recent drill was strong. 2nd: #8 Controllinthegold, showed strong improvement with the class drop and moving from New York to Maryland. Third back off the bench, should continue to improve. 3rd: #1 Princessrosie, definitely prefers the turf according to the Beyers. 12 time maiden. |