Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
ANALYSIS
FIRST RACE
LA MANTA GRIS won a three-turn grass allowance at Saratoga going 1 3/8 miles two starts ago at Saratoga before a third behind in the Dueling Ground Oaks going 1 5/16 miles; the class of the race and seems better able to stay the 1 1/2 miles of this contest than others in the lineup. CLEVER GIRL consistently posts Beyers in the mid 70s, and on a relative scale, her numbers are even better with TimeformUS. Still, she couldn’t clear the N2X condition in three tries between Indiana Grand and Arlington, with two fourths and a third; untested beyond 1 1/16 miles but starts for a winning turf barn. YAHTZEE QUEEN failed to threaten in a salty second-level allowance off the bench at Kentucky Downs Sept. 7, running fifth of 11, but that came after a short layoff and this race has less depth; often hangs late in her races but is stakes placed at 1 1/2 miles on the grass.
SECOND RACE
This baby race is inundated with speed, yet with no real established closers seemingly ready to capitalize...settled on frontrunner JUST BLAZE, who after a couple speed-and-fades to begin his career went on to romp in a maiden claimer at Arlington on the Poly. Trainer Larry Rivelli shows confidence by shipping him here from Chicago. NUCLEAR OPTION was a fast maiden claiming winner at Churchill on dirt, and looked poised to run well in the Skidmore Stakes Aug. 18 at Saratoga when that race came off the grass, but he instead threw in the towel and lost by 15 in the mud; back with friends in the claiming ranks but difficult to back him at a short price given his inconsistency. STONEWALL BOY won in a romp against maiden $16,000 claimers first out at Ellis, but considering his 10-length margin of victory, his 52 Beyer was quite ordinary; gets a class test at the $40,000 claiming level.
THIRD RACE
Typically not keen to pick a first timer breaking from the fence, but making an exception with Klein homebred CALL ME in the third. He appears well prepped for his debut after a long diet of drills for trainer Brad Cox, and his works have been swift for a maiden $50,000 claimer. MONTELEONE goes turf to dirt after showing speed and fading in a pair of grass races, once in a route and later in a sprint, with both coming within the straight maiden ranks; seems a good fit against maiden $50,000 sprinters on dirt. GAMBLER’S CHOICE and TIMEISNOTOURFRIEND are other logical contenders, with the former having run third first out for this price at Churchill and the latter being a fast-working first timer for Wesley Ward.
FOURTH RACE
NOBADEER has been with a number of trainers over the years, but seems to run best when with his current trainer, Kelly Ackerman. He is 3 for 7 in two stints while racing for him; in sharp form, speedy. and favorably drawn outside his primary pace partner, COMO SE LLAMA. The latter, a quick breaking veteran with 13 career victories, has proven popular at the claims box when he has been eligible to be claimed; joins a new barn yet again after being claimed for a nickel by trainer J.R. Caldwell from a race at Churchill in which he was second. GOOD SAMURAI is a tricky horse to evaluate, stepping up from a conditioned $5,000 claimer at Indiana Downs off the claim after mostly racing at smaller tracks such as Arapahoe and Fonner Park. Horses from Arapahoe and Fonner rarely make their way here.
FIFTH RACE
DADDY IS A LEGEND showed vast improvement second out with a clear-cut second to Rushing Fall in a fast maiden race at Belmont Park; ‘FALL is likely to go off favored in the Grade 3 Jessamine later on this Wednesday card. BRIDALED TEMPER has twice run second in as many starts, first at Saratoga and then Kentucky Downs; yet to route, though bred to relish the stretch out. CLASSY ACT was a troubled second when debuting at Churchill Sept. 16, though that race came on dirt, not turf; would become the most likely winner if inclement weather results in this race getting moved to the main track.
SIXTH RACE
C Z ROCKET overcame a slow start to dust maidens at first asking in a good-looking performance at
Saratoga this summer; cut out to be a good one, having cost $800,000 at auction in 2016. SPEEDMEISTER has largely underachieved since a blowout victory over this track in the fall of last year, but is a candidate to move forward in his second start off a long layoff after a fourth in a comeback race at Kentucky Downs; posted a fine 86 Beyer when he won here last year at 2. LENSTAR is back on his preferred surface on dirt after fading to 11th in a grass route at Saratoga; blinkers, which were on earlier this year, are added back to his equipment.
SEVENTH RACE
RUSHING FALL, off slowly and in traffic when debuting at Belmont last month, caught the eye with a turn of foot to go from seventh to first in the span of roughly a furlong, and then seemed to idle upon making the lead; well drawn and plenty of speed to aid her rally, though there will be plenty of traffic in a large field. MISS MO MENTUM closed with a flourish to win a maiden race on the grass at Churchill Sept. 23 by 2 lengths, though Churchill maidens on the grass are not typically on par with those in New York. That noted, This one was second to eventual P.G. Johnson winner Orbolution in a turf race at Saratoga in July. LAYLA NOOR graduated from the maiden ranks at Saratoga in her second start, though with a modest 68 Beyer; perhaps capable of getting a piece.
EIGHTH RACE
NEAPOLITAN has recorded above average works for a maiden $15,000 claimer for a barn that is hitting at a 17-percent clip with debuting runners; also lands Lanerie for his debut. WORTHY keeps dropping in search of his level after flashing speed and fading in all three of his races; in with a much softer maiden claiming field that he caught last out at Churchill. CRENSHAW has twice run third vs. cheaper maiden claimers, and was interestingly claimed by high-percentage owner Maggi Moss last out at Churchill.