ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 1, FIRSTRATE PROPOSAL

FIRST RACE

FIRSTRATE PROPOSAL was a clear-cut winner against maiden $10,000 stock May 4, and finds a weak N2L field for her first start against winners; possesses tactical speed in a race with little pace, and poised for a move forward in her third start off a layoff in this mile race after two comeback races going six furlongs. BLUEBERRY SHINE was dull in her latest when last of 11, beaten 35 lengths. Though her talented is limited, she is better than what she showed that day; capable of running Beyers in the low to mid 50s when at her best; sharp half-mile breeze in 48 and change May 19 and picks up Leparoux. CAPE DIVA has lost her three starts vs. N2L by at least 14 lengths, though two of those races came against richer claimers; that noted, this is a soft field and she has a winning trainer/jockey combination in her corner.

SECOND RACE

OUR GIRL ABBY has twice performed well in as many starts, first rallying from far back to be third at Keeneland and then running second at Belmont in a lucrative maiden race when shipped up front Kentucky; adds blinkers. CLASSY MUSIC was well bet at 3-2 odds in her debut against eventual stakes winner Buy Sell Hold, and though she was a distant third, she broke poorly and raced greenly; better on the way. SHE’S A JULIE is by a win-early sire in Elusive Quality and is unveiled by trainer Steven Asmussen, whose babies are consistently well prepped for their debuts.

THIRD RACE

SUGAR CUBE is 8 for 16 since being claimed by owner/trainer Rick Hiles in November 2015, and though all but one of those starts came on dirt, she did win her lone grass start for Hiles at Kentucky Downs last year; 7-2-0-2 overall on grass. POUR GIRL gets a pass for not firing on Oaks Day in the slop in an off-the-turf race, finishing sixth of eight; prior to that she narrowly won a first-level allowance at Keeneland in her seasonal bow; a close fourth in a starter that was tougher than this one in November on this course. MARYBLUEEYES possesses speed and has respectable grass form; finished second in a $40,000 race May 2 here but 9 lengths behind the winner in a race in which only the winner seemed to be worth that price.

FOURTH RACE

NTESTINAL FORTITUDE looms a short-priced standout after a near miss first out on Derby Day in which he was second, beaten a head, with a gap of 2 1/4 lengths back to the third-place horse. MONO also debuted with a runner-up finish, though in a much slower race than the top choice; he earned a 59 Beyer for his performance, compared to an 81 for the top choice. MALIBU AT MIDNIGHT has worked a bullet and a near-bullet in four works over the past month since shifting here from Oaklawn Park; is a nicely bred son of Malibu Moon that could challenge at first asking.

FIFTH RACE

BENEDICTION woke up with a barn change Mar. 11 with a third over this strip against a comparable field; has back class going back to 206 when he was a straight maiden winner at Delaware Park and should appreciate being stretched out from seven furlongs to 1 1/16 miles. DISCREETLY FIRM took a while to pick up his first victory, 11 starts, but then returned with a runner-up finish at Indiana Grand; was pushed into a pace battle down the backstretch and through the second turn, and held well to be second, all things considered. LITTLE B ran a respectable 58 Beyer when last of seven last out when matched against $16,000 claimers, and is now cut in half to $8,000. Still, he appears to be a horse that prefers racing on turf, which is too bad since he is a West Virginia-bred, and Charles Town, which writes the most state-bred

races for West Virginia-breds, doesn’t even have a turf course.

SIXTH RACE

15-1 shot ALSINAAFY ran an improved race when seventh at Keeneland Apr. 28 in his first race at age 3; drawn in post 10 going a mile at Keeneland, he wasn’t able to tuck in, and after a threewide trip weakened to be seventh; improvement anticipated in his second start off a layoff. Fellow maiden special weight dropper ON JOHN ran well when fifth Apr. 21 at Keeneland, when fifth beaten 4 1/4 lengths, with the widest trip of any runner in the field. He covered 38 more feet than the winner, per Trakus statistics. CICERONE also comes off a wide fifth-place finish, with his effort coming in a maiden race at Keeneland that was won by nextout stakes winner Yoshida; addition of blinkers might be an equipment change out of frustration after failing to quicken in recent starts.

SEVENTH RACE

CUTACORNER gets massive class relief in this $30,000 N3L claimer after being ambitiously spotted in the Oaklawn Handicap and fading to seventh after being surprisingly close to the pace; second the last time he raced in a N3L claimer. BATTLE TAP is returned to his surface of preference on dirt after a decent dry to be fourth on the grass at Indiana Grand; a past winner over the Churchill strip and lands Lanerie. DUNK A DIN is in good form and merits respect on the rise from $20,000 to $30,000 after being claimed by trainer Wayne Catalano.

EIGHTH RACE

AMERICAN COWGIRL is the only multiple winner in the race, having won both a maiden race and a starter $50,000 contest, and owns the top recent Beyers; also a winner over this course with Bridgmohan up. PRUDENCE enters this race following a pair of runner-up finishes, just like the top choice, and may work out a ground-saving trip from the inside. GIADA VEGAS finished well to grab third in an allowance Apr. 14 at Keeneland in a blanket finish; the winner of that race, Pour Girl, does in today’s third as one of the favorites; watch how that one performs to get a better line on this horse.

NINTH RACE

12-1 outsider PRIVATE PARTY, well beaten in two starts, was claimed for $40,000 by Chris Hartman at Oaklawn and his works leading into this race suggest he is better than that he has shown to date. PROVIDENCE has never been worse than fourth in six starts; speedy and consistent, he looks finally poised to run well once again. MY EMINENCE is a maiden special weight dropper in this maiden $30,000 ndrace, and he has run Beyers in the 70s in all but one of his six races; potentially disadvantaged by not having raced this year.