ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 3, SPLIT THE SEA

FIRST RACE

CAROLINA GRACE is adding blinkers and Lasix off a wide/closing second in a similar maiden special July 29. The 4yo worked a bullet the other day, and retains Alan Garcia. WHATTA GIRL placed in both of her grass tries going six and a half furlongs, and wasn’t far behind the top pick in third most recently. Contreras inherits the mount from Boulanger, who has landed on the debuting COOL AND STORMY. The latter has worked extensively, and is bred for the grass on both sides of her pedigree.

SECOND RACE

EDGEHILL ROAD is plunging from a key N1X to where she belongs, after working a pair of bullets for a high-percentage trainer who had a productive first half of the meet. PENNY STAMP is also getting some class relief following a short layoff. Her trainer has fared okay second-time off the claim. CATCH SOME ZS ran well in three of her four outings since returning from a sabbatical.

THIRD RACE

The white-faced SPLIT THE SEA rallied stoutly from the back of the pack to win her six-furlong opener going away on the lawn. The nicely-bred Sam-Son Farm runner deserves top billing in this allowance prep for the G1 Natalma. GLAMANATION graduated third-time out in the restricted Shady Well Stakes on the Tapeta. The daughter of freshman sire Point of Entry, a G1-winning turf millionaire, shouldn’t mind the surface change. MO BIG CAT broke her maiden at second asking in a six-furlong turf sprint, before a closing third in the Shady Well. First-timer WONDER GADOT has worked decently and is a full-sister to a turf stakes winner.

FOURTH RACE

PALEFACE is worth a flyer in this $8K seller, as he descends to a new low in his second start with Lasix. He was shuffled back along the inside on the turn in his latest double-digit loss. AWESOME AT LAST figures to be a speed threat with the 10-pound bug Isabella Wenc taking over. HOLTZ was along for second when plunging to this price in his penultimate race, and then found seveneighths too far most recently.

FIFTH RACE

HAMPSTEAD HEATH hit the front at the eighth pole before flattening out to fourth in the first leg of the Woodbine Turf Endurance Series July 22. The classy veteran is cutting back from 11 furlongs to the more suitable distance of a mile and a sixteenth in this $25K seller. NIIGON’S GLORY is dropping off a non-threatening sixth-place finish in a $40K claimer that contained several hard knockers. BEYOND SMART was competitive in all three of his appearances at the meet. Include him in all exotics, along with GOLDEN SPEAR.

SIXTH RACE

MALIBU BLISS lacked room in the lane before ending up seventh as the favorite when halving in value to this $10K class 13 days ago. The daughter of Malibu Moon went too fast on the lead before being eased the only time she ran long on the Tapeta, and deserves another chance around two turns. CALLIELIKEDHERBREW saved ground in a stalking position en route to running second in an identical spot July 21. SEEWILL is stretching out with some stamina in her pedigree, and could be a pace threat. Toss VIEW THE STAR in the super.

SEVENTH RACE

CONQUEST SWAGMAN began slowly while getting slammed en route to finishing a distant fifth when switching to the Tapeta in a tough maiden special second-time out. He wasn’t far back in fifth after a troubled run at first asking on the grass, and should do some damage if things go his way. BIG BLACK STORM blew a clear lead in the lane when a narrowly-beaten second against easier following an extended layoff 10 days ago. PERLARANA is turning back off a closing third going a mile, from which the runner-up exited to graduate by four lengths with a 74 Beyer.

EIGHTH RACE

AMI’S MESA toyed with her rivals when coming off the bench in a seven-furlong N2X/optional claimer June 30. She proceeded to double up on the stretchout in the G3 Ontario Matron, and should take some beating in this seven-furlong tilt. A red-hot Contreras retains the mount for a trainer who’s been successful with turnbacks in stakes. Her stablemate, GLIDING BY, has been a model of consistency in recent optional claimers, on turf and the Tapeta. Boulanger combined with trainer Josie Carroll to win this G3 fixture with Leigh Court in 2014. TULSA QUEEN beat 3yo fillies in the seven-furlong Duchess Stakes here July 15, but could only manage third going a mile most recently in a restricted stakes at her Presque Isle base. Use her on the bottom of vertical bets, along with BLURRICANE.

NINTH RACE

NIIGON’S ECLIPSE parlayed a three-wide stalking trip into a workmanlike score in the restricted Victoriana Stakes. She moving out a sixteenth to nine furlongs, the distance over which she ran second to the future champion Caren in the 2016 Carotene Stakes, and is a good fit in this N2X/optional event. INTERNAL BOURBON rallied wide from fifth to finish a lapped-on third when returning from an extended layoff in the July 30 Victoriana, a race she may have needed. STELLA ROSE raced wide when a dull seventh in a recent one-mile optional claimer at Saratoga. She might appreciate this longer distance with a hot Contreras aboard.

TENTH RACE

SIGNATURE HEART lost a squeaker as the lukewarm favorite in a longer sprint at this $20K NW2 level three weeks ago. Following a summer vacation, ESCONDERA is nose-diving from a turf stakes to compete with a tag for the first time. His trainer, Roger Attfield, won with a fishy dropper the other day. GET’ERDONEBUD has made a habit of filling out the tri, regardless of the class, and is donning blinkers for the move back up from $10K.

ELEVENTH RACE

IDA’S WARRIOR finished on the edges in his last few vs. $20K and $10K NW2 claimers. He worked a fast half-mile a week ago, and could be on the brink of a breakthrough. MYSTERION is eligible to make most of the running, in the manner of his runnerup placing traveling three-quarters June 25. LIONS PLAY is reasonably spotted after notching a slow $20K maiden claimer going seven-eighths in his debut. ONE FLASHY CAT is descending to a new low, and could be a speed threat.