ANALYSIS

FIRST RACE

SECRET TRICK, a winner of three of her last four starts and four of her last six, showed the ability to rally effectively from behind a slow pace to narrowly take a starter $8,000 race here May 19 against a better field. The fact she isn’t reliant on pace could prove key once again as there appears to be little speed in the lineup. CHEYENNE BLUES finished third behind the top choice most recently, 2 1/2 lengths behind, after setting a half mile in 49.42 seconds; obviously enjoyed a rather favorable pace setup and couldn’t withstand her late charge but still outperformed more than half of the field, including a couple others in I AM MISS BROWN and PINKING OF YOU that land in this race; likely to revert to an off-thepace strategy behind longshot speed KATE N ABS REWARD. PRINCESS DINAH and I AM MISS BROWN are the other logical contenders, with the former coming off two straight claiming victories and landing Lanerie, but being negatively being unraced since Apr. 22, and the latter having run well earlier in the year before a couple dull efforts in slow-paced races in her two starts in Kentucky this spring.

SECOND RACE

8-year-old ROYAL BLESSING has won a third of his starts in 2016-2017, and is perfectly suited to the starter $16,000 conditions. He won the last time he raced in a starter, scoring at Keeneland on dirt by open lengths May 14, before running a troubled second in a $50,000 claiming race May 14 on the grass here behind minor stakes winner Galton. HALO NATION is a talented horse in his own right, though he rates behind ROYAL BLESSING due to not having raced since winning a first-level allowance at Churchill Nov. 19, which could put him at a fitness disadvantage; never off the board in eight races. PLUG CATCHER doesn’t appear quite as classy as the top two but fits off what he showed last out. He finished second in what seemed a weaker starter for the level May 28, ahead of fourthplace and today’s projected pacesetter, MAN OF STATURE, doing so despite having the widest trip in the six-horse field.

THIRD RACE

LAUDATION has trained swiftly leading up to her debut for trainer Steve Asmussen, who is potent in these short dashes for 2-year-old straight maidens at Churchill during spring meets. According to Formulator, he is 14-for-41 with such types in races at 4 1/2 or 5 furlongs at Churchill over the past 5 years (34% wins, 61% in the money, and a $2.62 ROI). This filly is by a speed sire in Congrats, is a half to a stakes-winning 2-yearold in first-out winner Moment Is Right, and out of a graded-winning dam. PATRONA MARGARITA doesn’t have the sire power of the top choice, being by Special Rate, but is a half to Grade 3 Super Derby winner Texas Chrome. Her 1:01.80 breeze June 3 at Churchill was co-fastest from the gate that morning for another sharp juvenile trainer in Bret Calhoun. NO PARTNERS drilled a bullet at Ellis Park June 3 in preparation for her unveiling by trainer “Big John” Hancock, whose expertise is with 2-year-olds in the spring. A filly by Awesome Patriot (1 for 4 with debuting runners), she is related to a couple winners, one of which was graded placed.

FOURTH RACE

LOYALIST was a mediocre third May 19, but of the four exiting that race that return here, he still finished in front of OUT OF THE TRAPPE and HENDERSON COUNTRY while only a length behind UTMOST INTENSITY, who ran a surprising second at 60-1 odds that afternoon. LOYALIST seems capable of a better effort than what he put forth last month based on how he ran in winning a claimer for current trainer J.R. Caldwell this winter at Oaklawn; Osorio and Caldwell are also 2 for 4 together this meet. HENDERSON COUNTRY never got involved as the favorite May 19 when fifth in the aforementioned race, his second straight flat performance, but is in winning hands with Asmussen and turned in some good races earlier in the year; leading rider Lanerie is up on this deep closer. IMPROVISER won his first two

starts before contesting the pace and fading to fifth Apr. 8 in a much tougher optional claimer. A two-month layoff followed by a massive class drop raises eyebrows and hints of an issue, but trainer Jack Frost is 3 for 6 over the past 5 years at Churchill with horses cutting 50% or more in claiming price.

FIFTH RACE

MINEYEROWNMALONE chased a demanding pace in a $25,000 claimer and understandably tired, finishing fifth; now dropped to $10,000 and seems to hold a class edge; has a winning owner/ trainer tandem: Maggi Moss and Tom Amoss have combined for 32% winners together over the past 5 years. CROOKED AS CAN BE isn’t quite what he once was, and that shouldn’t come as a surprise since he had a year-and-a-half layoff followed by another year’s hiatus, but he did win for this $10,000 tag at Keeneland before an eighth in a starter here May 3. BOLD SHOT is stepped up a notch from $7,500 after winning by a half length as the favorite May 2; Osorio, 2 for 4 this year riding for Caldwell, replaces Santana, who has moved his tack to New York.

SIXTH RACE

TWINKLES has shown improvement in recent starts with her best two finishes coming over this track,, a third and a fourth; back sprinting after coming up a little empty late in a route May 12. VERY ELEGANT owns the top last-race Beyer, a 52, though it came at Indiana Grand in a route; rates behind the top choice due to a lack of sprint speed. TOP TIARA, out of action for nearly three months, is speedy but more experienced on turf than dirt; been prone to fading, irrespective of distance or surface, but the plunge into the maiden claiming cellar should do wonders toward making her competitive. That should also apply to straight maiden dropper R LADY HANSEN.

SEVENTH RACE

AWESOME GAL has underachieved in two starts since a runner-up finish at Oaklawn Apr. 6, though at least her last race is forgivable as it came on turf and in a race in which she chased a hot pace; speedy and dropping to her lowest level. JEMROSE will probably be bet down to favoritism as a disqualified winner racing within the maiden ranks. She was angled into another rival out to secure running room in the stretch last out at this maiden $20,000 level, and was taken down for interference, though there was no disputing she was best that day; wide trip likely from the outside post in this 1 1/16-mile dirt race with a short run to the first turn. SMOKIN ASH, soundly beaten in two straight maiden races, goes first time for a tag and gets Lanerie; yet to route, however, and speed sires are prominent in her pedigree.

EIGHTH RACE

NOBODY’S FAULT has found a home as a midpackclosing turf sprinter, winning an overnight stake here May 13, which had followed a runner-up finish to European champion Lady Aurelia in the Giant’s Causeway at Keeneland - a race in which she edged RUBY NOTION by a neck for the place. The latter showed the way in the Giant’s Causeway and did well to hold third after stablemate Lady Aurelia passed her exiting the turn; twice a stakes winner, though her speed figures are a little behind those of the top choice and she has only one published work since her last start on Apr. 15. That noted, she has historically performed well when fresh. MELALEUCA likely needed her latest when seventh in the Unbridled Sydney in her first start of the year. Her four prior starts on the Churchill lawn all resulted in finishes in the exacta.

NINTH RACE

PATH LESS TRAVELED is cut back in distance after disputing the pace in a maiden claimer May 26 at Indiana Grand and weakening to fifth in a mile off-the-turf race there. The addition of blinkers in that race seemed to wake him up early, which bodes well for his ability to handle a cutback from a mile to 6 1/2 furlongs. Trainer Mike Maker and jockey Corey Lanerie are 7 for 14 together since the start of Keeneland. ALTITO is matched with easier after rear-half finishes in his last three starts, all of which came against much better. Perhaps a couple of those failures are forgivable with one coming on yielding turf at Arlington and another in the slop here at Churchill. A drop from maiden $50,000 to maiden $10,000 should bring him alive. RED AGAIN is yet another moving down to the cellar after struggling to keep pace lately; speedy but has repeatedly retreated against richer maiden claimers.