Race 1: Clm $16k F&M 5 & ½F Turf
1st: #2 La Piu Bella, class of the field, she’s dropping from OC$25k company where she ran close a couple times including last out at 6F and earned a 69 Beyer. There’s a lot of speed in this race, I like her ability to run behind the leaders who may burn themselves up early. Blinkers on today.
2nd: #2 Caterina One, will have to vie for the early lead with 3 or 4 other early speed candidates combined with her inability to finish when given the lead in 2 of her most recent 3 it’s enough for me to take her second. Maybe needs to find something at 5F.
3rd: #5 Missimard, has proven ability to make up lengths in the stretch and considering we have a number of early speed horses the pace could get hot. Tempted to pick on top given 20-1ML but she could get too far behind early and not have enough time as she did in her last two.
Race 2: OC$25k 1 & 1/16thM Turf
1st: #8 Heza Kitten, son of leading turf sire Kitten’s Joy, this 4 year old has done nothing but improve every race of his career. Two tries down in the brutally tough Colonial fields yielded 5th place finishes that bely how high quality those races were, both earning career high 80 Beyer figs. Have to wonder if he prefers the longer distance than today’s mile and a sixteenth, but he clearly has a solid middle move and I think he’ll want to run once he gets in the open straight. The two that finished first and second in the last are high quality horses that routinely earn mid 80s Beyers and have touched 90.
2nd: #3 Rule Yourself, proven closer if given a bit of pace. Should be a couple up front running early, if they set a 46 or 47 second first half he could easily come flying for the win.
3rd: #11 Closer Look, might be overlooked due to his outside post position, but running style should allow him to sink back toward the rear and save some ground into the first turn. That win last out at Colonial is impressive, even more so considering the third place finisher has since come back to win. Improving 3 year old, always a threat.
Also: 7-1
Race 3: OC$35k 6F
1st: #2 Won and Done, Claudio Gonzalez trainee coming off a massive race over at Del going this distance in 1:09 and 1 earning a 96 Beyer. Hopefully he just sets out to the lead and leaves them in the dust after the first half.
2nd: #6 Daily News, absolutely love the pattern here. Hard to say whether the dirt was the plan after the return from the layoff, but when the last got washed off he rain excellently always getting the win flying late. Last drill is simply excellent, don’t think you’ll see 6-1 but there are a bunch who will take money in here so we’ll see. 2-6 exacta a good play.
3rd: #5 Threes Over Deuces, if there is a pace collapse this one will be one of the beneficiaries providing he doesn’t stalk to closely. Has proven he can rally from 3rd or farther back and still win.
Also: 3-4-7
Race 4: Clm $5k 6F
1st: #7 History Buff, impossible to know what you’ll get out of this one but in the first off the 18 month layoff he went down to Colonial and broke his maiden on the grass earning a solid 62 Beyer at 9-1. Was dirt always the plan? If so, should be a great pick with ML 12-1.
2nd: #3 Lunar Image, after a couple decent showings at higher prices this one shifts back to the site of his lone win back in June over this same strip.
3rd: #10 Grand River, tough draw for this one who is stepping all the way down the class ladder from a couple recent OC$25k attempts. Wonder if something has gone wrong with this one.
Race 5: Alw $42k 5 & ½F Turf
1st: #8 Sky Magician, second start back for the strong tandem of Trombetta + Julian Pimentel. Trombetta obviously thinks highly of this gelding having started him first time back in a stakes event where he set the early fractions and was short on a day that favored closers. Should improve bigly second time out and gets a bit of class and distance relief.
2nd: #3 Captain Thunder, toss the last out when Frank Abbott had him going two turns on yielding turf. The two back at this distance showed a horse with a desire to close late.
3rd: #4 Smokin Hot Factor, just won in optional claiming company in the two back going longer beating a quality horse Redeemed Gentleman who came back to win at Colonial in StrHdc$25k company.
Race 6: OC$35k 1M Turf
1st: #4 Hard Fought, 2 for 2 locally, defeating 10 and then 9 other rivals in the two and three back event. Followed up with a strong performance down at Colonial in tough company in an event that was probably slightly too far for him. In both of those wins the runners up came back to win their next out and he was still 4-1 down at Colonial, which shows the quality of the field down there.
2nd: #1 Playing Hockey, 12-1 ML is simply ridiculous for this Colts Neck Stables son of Medaglia dOro. Evidently he did not get away well last out and gave in early, but the form previously at similar levels to today show a high quality horse earning Beyers in the mid 70s and higher routinely. Retains the services of Pimentel on the ship down.
3rd: #3 Verboten, see Graham Motion horses like this frequently, score high Beyers but don’t necessarily show that passing speed in the stretch. Should be the best if he returns to the form of his past turf races after a quick stop on the Presque Isle Tapeta.
Race 7: OC$35k F&M 6F Turf
1st: #3 Why Now, reminds me of a horse called Timeless Curls from last fall here who did nothing but win at a consistently high level over the same course despite not huge Beyers. This one is actually improving steadily in the Beyer category and the 6F should be right in her preferred wheelhouse. She came running in that stakes event three back and made up 6 lengths in the final 1/8th. Simply loves this turf.
2nd: #8 Ellyb, Delacour trainee attracts Centeno to ride after a number of solid stakes tries at longer distance. Looked smart to try a turf sprint last out and you can see how they made her the favorite but she couldn’t keep up in the early going and got behind too much and had to go 4 wide. A bit of added distance here should help. $360k buy as a yearling, couldn’t blame you if you put her on top.
3rd: #7 West Coast Bias, second time out should improve after a year long layoff. Consistently fast before the injury.
Race 8: MdSpWt $40k F&M 6F
1st: #7 Wonder City, always love to see a 2 year old with a start under her belt, this one managed a 3rd earning a 40 Beyer. She’s since followed it up with two drills including the bullet Sept 8 1st of 48. Cal Lynch hitting 29% with 2 year olds.
2nd: #4 Windy City Kitty, similar angle here, Wayne Potts claimed this one from her debut at Churchill and has been working very nicely since then the start in June.
3rd: #2 Barbara Gordon, nicely spaced published breezes at Fair Hill for the Delacour barn, always a threat when he teams up with Danny Centeno.
Race 9: Clm $10k 1M
1st: #4 Eddy Dirt, no sure things but Rudy Rodriguez when shipping down from New York with a horse that has superior Beyer figs than anything else in the race and gets Victor Carrasco to ride has to be up there.
2nd: #3 Top Hat Warrior, actually owns the best Beyer fig in the field in the three back attempt locally. Form has suffered since then but this is the lowest level of his career.
3rd: #2 Lucky Junior, has won locally.
Race 10: Clm $12.5k 1M
1st: #6 My Eminence, gonna give this one the nod here simply due to being a back-to-back-to-back winner between Del and Tim. Not exactly the greatest company being kept but two straight 75 Beyers and he has won at Laurel in the past.
2nd: #5 Worth His Salt, toss the muddy attempt last out, this one has legit talent that pokes its head out from behind the curtains sometimes. Hard to know what to make of the 81 Beyer at Parx but he popped an 86 at Laurel so it’s not completely fake.
3rd: #2 Incorporate, 2 for 5 locally and some of the most consistent mid-70s Beyers. 7 lb bug boy.
Race 11: MdClm $16k F&M 1 & 1/16thM Turf
1st: #9 Barton Hall, Michelle Nevin ships this one down for another try dropping to a lower level and she was very close last time out losing by a length after going 4 wide on the turn. Attracts Victor Carrasco this time.
2nd: #1 Alleria, really like the added distance here and dropping significantly down in class from the $40k level at Colonial. Rail draw could hurt if she’s stuck behind 6 or 8 horses.
3rd: #5 Art Thief, George Weaver shipping down after an even try at the $40k level in Saratoga.