Race 1: OC$40k F&M 1M
1st: #4 Nurse Betty, wide open field here, I don’t think the favorite is deserving at all, this one has an excuse with the sloppy track in the most recent and gets Lasix for the first time along with the 5lb allowance with the bug boy Correa. Just a thought.
2nd: #1 One Slick Chick, McCarthy slides over to this one for Ness who thought highly enough of her to try a restricted stake at Delaware in September.
3rd: #5 Punk Rock Princess, has the highest Beyers in the field but does not look like she wants to go a mile.
Race 2: OC$25k 1M
1st: #4 Stormin Hongkong, abiding by my rule of thumb that if I can’t separate the horses, and Claudio Gonzalez has one of the contenders, I’ll go with that one. Has a very nice last race Beyer and has 2 wins and 2 seconds at the mile distance.
2nd: #1 Awesome D J, consistent performer on dirt and looks like his form troughed back in September at Delaware and is now heading in the right direction.
3rd: #6 Caladan, the 2-1 ML favorite, with solid Beyers and 2 seconds over this course.
Race 3: OC$16k 6 & ½F
1st: #7 Elusive Hero, has solid speed figures and 3 wins at this distance. Crucially, I don’t see any other speed in this race besides this one and you bet Alex Cintron knows it.
2nd: #1 Blame the Kids, first time shortening up in a long time, he has a good deal of class and some of the best Beyers in the field.
3rd: #6 Sound off, late runner, has been great at Charles Town of late, we’ll see if it transfers over to Maryland.
Race 4: MdSpWt $40k 5 & ½F
1st: #3 Benintendi, very light group here and this one looks like a strong contender as a debuter. Has been breezing very nicely for Brittany and Sheldon Russell. Connections paid a whopping $270k for him as a 2 year old last spring.
2nd: #5 King Nekia, off since May, hard to trust the trainer who’s only sent out 7 starters this year, presumably 6 of whom are this horse. Does get Jevian Toledo to ride though and some decent figures suggests talent and early speed. Two very nice breezes to boot.
3rd: #4 Kukulkan, nope, not THAT Kukulkan, of Clasico del Caribe and Pegasus fame, this is the lightweight version who is currently 0-22. Another in the money finish possible here.
Race 5: Alw $42k F&M 1M
1st: #2 Mandette, Kelly Rubley took this one to Pen National in September and ran into a beast in Vault who has since come back to win after his 10 length romp. The third place finisher likewise came back to win out of that one. Rubley is hitting 31% with blinkers on and her best career figure came in her only dirt try locally.
2nd: #9 Rockstar Girl, 3 straight solid figures between dirt and turf including last out 3 length loss to big hitter Warm going 7F. Added distance should help.
3rd: #3 Mamma Dee, Claudio Gonzalez got this one onto dirt in her last and she won going away.
Race 6: The James F Lewis III Stakes $100k 6F
1st: #1 Newstome, really has no choice but to send out of the rail post here which should be no problem for this speedy colt. He dueled with Breeders Cup champ Four Wheel Drive in the two back on turf and has shown early speed in all three of his career tries. Trombetta + McCarthy hitting 24% together at Laurel.
2nd: #5 Tuggle, the class of the field having been on the lead in graded stakes company in his last against the eventual Breeders Cup juvenile turf champ. His race in the Saratoga Special, while a loser, is impressive given the pace and quality of competition.
3rd: #8 Sir Back in Black, owns the best Beyer in the field and gets Lasix for the first time. That off the pace driving maiden score is impressive.
Race 7: The Warriors Reward Smart Halo Stakes $100k F&M 6F
1st: #6 Summer Fortune, broke her maiden at first asking up at Belmont in her debut going slightly longer than today’s 6 panels. Brief cut back should aid her. Vargas + Englehart hitting 34% together.
2nd: #4 Cofactor, Jersey Joe bravo in town to ride this one who went down to Keeneland and benefited from a sharp closing bias all meet long to rally from 4 lengths back and win in OC$75k company.
3rd: #1 Letsstaypositive, don’t often see McCarthy riding for an unknown barn like this, this filly was claimed for $75k down at Keeneland when she was the victim of their sharp closing bias. Move from Wesley Ward barn to Michelle Lovell who is hitting at 7% does not inspire confidence.
Race 8: Alw $42k 1M
1st: #3 Marco Island, I simply cannot take my eyes off the breezes this one has registered: 47 and 3 on 11/11, and 45 and 3 on 11/4. 45 and 3 not a typo. Never seen that quickness before outside of maybe the top G1 sprinters in the world. Not saying that’s what this horse is, but his last 4 Beyers have all increased before the brief freshening, my guess is this one is sitting on a rocket. Best bet of the day.
2nd: #8 Harpers First Ride, impressive first run in in the Claudio Gonzalez barn earning a monster 87 figure jumping up from MdClm company in Kentucky. Back to a single turn here, not sure that’s his best but another performance like that could easily win.
3rd: #4 Sparty, like the last two events since switching into the Lacey Gaudet barn. This event right in his wheelhouse.
Race 9: Clm $16k F&M 1M
1st: #5 Bird Traffic, can’t play against this one, gets into the Claudio barn first time and second start back after summer time break. Should probably be claimed out of this as well. Somewhat surprised by choice of jockey.
2nd: #6 Ortinola, just won at this condition in her last earning a solid 57 Beyer. What more can you want?
3rd: #7 Carolina Ice, has the best figures in the field, albeit on turf.