Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
ANALYSIS
FIRST RACE
The opening-day card, originally scheduled for Saturday, is now set for Wednesday after getting rained out over the weekend...SUGAR CUBE, a dominant winner on this course last year against similar company, has been a standout performer in starters in 2016-2017. VOLUPTUOUS might benefit if any midweek rain falls, just having won a cheaper starter over yielding turf at Arlington July 28; first or second in three starts in Chicago this summer for a winning barn. Eight-time winner I AM MISS BROWN also merits respect, having compiled a 6-2-0-3 record on grass.
SECOND RACE
LAKE GENEVA needs some luck to get a chance to run, being stuck on the also-eligible list, but rates on top if she does start. She just ran second in a well-rated turf sprint at Laurel, finishing 4 1/2 lengths clear of the third-place finisher. OUR GIRL ABBY hit the brakes in her latest at Saratoga against some elite grass maidens going a route, but seems far better suited to sprinting. Her trainer, Mike Maker, has topped the standings here the past two years. LENAMARIE is a promising first timer that fetched $335,000 at auction, and recorded an above-average work on the grass at Saratoga Aug. 14; is a half to champion 2-yearold filly She Be Wild, who won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in 2009 at Santa Anita when the race was run on a synthetic surface.
THIRD RACE
Generally prefer backing male horses running for a tag in high-priced optional claimers...they often have an experience edge, and are usually in the race because they are a cut below stakes quality and have run through their allowance conditions. With that in mind, GALTON is the choice. A winner of 10 race and 5 of his last 13, he shows up most every time; second in a stake at Mountaineer on West Virginia Derby Day for Maker. The speedy MAJOR MUNNINGS has looked dynamite in dominating in a pair of races in as many starts, but bettors will see all that “blue sky” and pound him at the betting windows. CHILTERN STREET ran well in rich claimers in New York, winning a race at Belmont and running second at Saratoga; reclaimed for $50,000 by trainer Wesley Ward, who lost him for a single race.
FOURTH RACE
Northeastern shippers outperformed expectations at this meet last year, and Delaware invader DOUGLAS ROAD comes here with good credentials, winning one race there this summer and finishing a close second in his first allowance try; mediocre Beyers but otherwise attractive. MR CUB lost to stablemate and now stakes winner Giant Payday in a key allowance at Ellis August 4, showing vast improvement with blinkers added; ninth on this course last year but he raced greenly in that race, his debut, and experienced a troubled trip. Former claimer MONGOL G has solid form on turf and synthetic, only going unplaced when ambitiously spotted in the Grade 3 Stars N Stripes; third most recently after setting the pace in an off-the-turf race on Polytrack at Arlington.
FIFTH RACE
PROUD REUNION has never been worse than fourth in four starts since being stretched out to two turns; proved she belonged at Saratoga with a close fourth there Aug. 3 after a couple fine summer efforts at Delaware. AWESOME BOSS was graded placed in the Grade 3 Bourbonette at Turfway in March, and then returned from a layoff to finish a wide fourth at Saratoga; yet to win in three starts on grass, but has faced some promising fillies each time. INTO SUMMER failed to quicken
first time vs. winners with a fifth Aug. 3, albeit at the elite Saratoga summer meet; had previously won a maiden race at Belmont after a near miss on the grass at Churchill.
SIXTH RACE
Graded winner MY IMPRESSION in winless in five starts this year but check out her company lines she has raced against such top-class turf mares as Lady Eli, Fourstar Crook, Wekeela, and Dickinson; faces no such rival here. ZIPESSA weakened to ninth in the Grade 1 Beverly D after setting the pace; hit the board in two stakes that preceded that race; perhaps a couple lengths slower than she was in 2016, but still formidable. DADDY’S BOO has racked up an eye-catching 14-for-21 record on turf and synthetic, though she has capitalized many times by racing in starters; speedy and honest.
SEVENTH RACE
Although a maiden, ULTIMA D showed her potential with a close runner-up finish in a sprint on the grass at Saratoga; steady improvement in each of her three starts. MOONLIGHT RAIN was a professional first-out winner, making up three lengths in the final furlong at Woodbine to narrowly score; gives up seasoning. BEST PERFORMANCE is a graded placed filly that faced some talented dirt juvenile fillies this summer in New York; yet to race on the turf, and her works over it at Saratoga were slow - half miles in 51 seconds and change.
EIGHTH RACE
IRISH STRAIT has never been better, winning a graded stake two starts ago before a respectable runner-up finish to the classy Money Multiplier most recently; the latter returned to finish second in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer. HOOTENANNY had a troubled trip last out at Woodbine in graded company, though even so it was a disappointing effort compared to his preceding runner-up finish in a Grade 2 there in July; plenty of back class. WESTERN RESERVE virtually earned back his $62,500 claim price by winning a $100,000 stake at Indiana Grand last out; has long been an honest stakes competitor.
NINTH RACE
SNAPPER SINCLAIR dominated maidens when placed on the grass for his second start, winning by four lengths; by an elite turf sire in City Zip. TIGERBEACH was bought privately after a fast maiden victory on grass at Indiana Grand, and then ran respectably to be third in a stake on the Tapeta at Woodbine for his new connections; training quickly at Arlington. NORTHERN TRAIL held on for second at long odds in the Ellis Park Juvenile to be second to the promising Dak Attack, a race that followed a maiden victory on the grass there over next-out winner BANTU.
TENTH RACE
RUN TIME never fired last out at the Spa but had previously been competitive in maiden races on the grass at Gulfstream; doesn’t seem to care for the course and/or the company at Saratoga, but runs well most everywhere else. ICONIC has run competitively in the majority of his grass starts, including when third at Ellis Park; untested going 1 1/2 miles and has yet to hit the board in a race longer than 1 1/16 miles. KITTEN’S SOLUTION rallied belatedly to be a close fifth at Arlington last out, though never a major factor; well backed in a number of his races, though he has yet to live up to the public’s expectations; perhaps ready for a forward move on the stretch out to 1 1/2 miles.