Race 1: Clm $4k 6 & ½F
1st: #3 Moneymeister, winner of two straight at the $5k beaten level including a 73 Beyer in his most recent start puts him in strong position to take this purse. Back in December he was an allowance winner at Laurel, Wayne Potts seems to have found that form.
2nd: #4 Papacho, strong consistent form all year, will likewise be chasing the pace. Sloppy track last out but not a great sign that he lost at 2-5.
3rd: #5 Magician’scalendar, the logical pace setter here, if the track is favoring speed I wouldn’t be completely surprised to see him wire.
Race 2: Clm $5k 1M
1st: #3 Clutch Catch, really like the front running speed angle on a track of this size. This one has shown ability to wire going as far as 9F so today’s 8 shouldn’t be a problem. It will depend on how easy he can get the lead. If pressed the whole way he probably won’t survive.
2nd: #2 Arrivederci, has shown his class as recently as May winning an allowance race at Charlestown albeit on a wet track. Like the last performance at today’s distance when he was sent off at 7-2 and nearly got there closing at the wire.
3rd: #5 Free to Trump, solid and consistent Beyers, hasn’t won since April but usually close at the end.
Race 3: MdSpWt $35k F&M 6 & ½F
1st: #5 Rona, forwardly placed in her debut and in great position turning from home but she flattened a bit. Definitely eligible to improve coming into her second career start and the last drill was excellent, 47 and 4 breezing on 8-16.
2nd: #1 Live Aid, Katharine Voss putting the blinkers on her filly who has done nothing but improve in 3 lifetime starts. Maintained her lead into the stretch in the most recent try at 6, gets blinkers today and Voss is hitting 50% with blinkers going on.
3rd: #2 Jump for Sally, playing against the even money ML fav here. 8 time maiden, was 3-5 in MdClm$25k company last out and she lost although the winner did come back to win. Has biggest Beyers in the field but has retreated since her debut last December. Enough reasons for me to play against her.
Race 4: MdClm $16k F&M 4F
1st: #5 Valle Luna, Cal Lynch has been conditioning this one nicely over at Laurel with 12 published drills. She should be in good shape and Lynch is hitting 26% with debuters.
2nd: #4 Brady to Gronk, sickening name but Farrior is strong with debut MdClmers (30%) and the most recent 3f drill is a sharp one. Speed, speed, speed in this 4f affair.
3rd: #7 Always Talking, has displayed speed previously in his career.
Race 5: Clm $5k 6 & ½F
1st: #2 Quest of Glory, came back off a 4 month layoff down at Colonial and looked a bit short in for the $8k price tag. Horse does have a win over this strip—his maiden-breaking score by a whopping 13 lengths.
2nd: #3 Takemetodinner, ignore the most recent effort on the turf, this one back into Ronny Brown’s barn and back to dirt, the sight of his lone win.
3rd: #7 Fire Marshal, now under the tutelage of 23% winner Anthony Farrior, this horse has back class if you can ignore the horrible last out effort.
Race 6: StrAlw $5k 4F
1st: #5 Midnight Punk, 3 straight wins down in the claiming ranks but I like to see how he increased his Beyers in each and even won when raised from $5k to $8k level. Most wins coming on the Tapeta up at Presque Isle but he did win on turf once and has a second at Pimlico, so the dirt should be fine.
2nd: #6 Phonemyposseagain, does have a win over the track and threw the highest Beyer in the field last out an 85 over at Charles Town. I am skeptical of the small fields when he’s sent off at 1-5 but undoubtedly he’s fast.
3rd: #1 Higher Purpose, 3 year old gelding that is certainly improving getting his career-best 73 Beyer last out at Laurel in a speed-filled win when sent away at 2-1. Has a legitimate shot.
Race 7: The Maryland Coalition Stakes $75k 6 & ½F
1st: #7 Clubman, simply by far the class of the field, he ran close until the end in G3 company in the three back at 71-1 beaten 5 lengths by Tenfold, most recently seen in the G1 Pacific Classic. 7 Straight 90s Beyers and last time he won was in open stakes company at Charles Town going 7F. Two back was just a half length behind stakes winner Cordmaker in the Polynesian. Julian Pimentel comes to Timonium for this single mount, doesn’t have another one here all day.
2nd: #6 Nova Boy, freakishly fast workouts all summer, perhaps didn’t get the best trip in his last race going 5 wide. Obviously has legit speed on a track that should favor front runners.
3rd: #8 Wonderful Light, the only owner of a triple digit Beyer in this field, Michelle Nevin ships in coming off a nice win in OC$50k company
Race 8: OC $16k 6 & ½F
1st: #4 Masai Man, has the look of a horse that has woken up, got Lasix and blinkers in his first try for Jose Corrales and it paid off earning the highest Beyer of his career a 70. 2 published drills since then I am projecting improvement for this lightly raced 3 year old.
2nd: #1 Sunman, probably would have picked this one on top, John Robb is hitting 26% off the claim but Claudio Gonzalez usually knows when to dump them and the form is trending negative despite a win last time out. Two straight decreasing Beyers, no published drills since then to give confidence.
3rd: #6 Gold Man, one of the ones where every time I pick him he loses and every time I don’t he wins. He always keeps good company, odds maker obviously likes him making him 5-2ML fave. Loser of three straight in claiming company, two which he was sent off as the favorite, beware.
Race 9: MdClm $5k 6 & ½F
1st: #7 L L Silver
2nd: #6 Hart Well
3rd: #4 Above It All