Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
ANALYSIS
FIRST RACE
DADDY D T not really my kind of horse switching surfaces off a pair of non-competitive races on turf, but he has landed in the right kind of field assuming he can handle it, and he has shown enough speed to keep up in this kind of race; lone dirt start to date came in a Grade 1 as a 2yo. DRIVEN BY THUNDER has earned Beyers in the low 80’s for both career wins, a level none of his rivals have managed to reach on dirt, but he also managed to get control of the pace in both of those races and that may not be the case today; class drop helps after trying tougher in first two starts off the claim. CANIFORM had no excuse when getting outfinished in his last two starts at this level, but he continues to hold form and he can race from just off the pace. BUDDY ANTHONY earned a new top figure when second-best on his most recent start, but he has no excuse there after making a clear early lead for the fourth straight time on dirt, and failing to hold any of them.
SECOND RACE
STEELERS FAN FOR LIFE debuting for a trainer who can be dangerous with his firsters on turf, as he proved once again a few weeks ago when sending out the impressive Colonel Tom to win his debut in a turf sprint here with an 83 Beyer, also for this owner; sire is underrated overall and can get turf horses, and there are class and turf on the dam-side of this pedigree. GOOD OLD BOY wound up fading late to get outfinished by THROW THE DEUCE last time, but only after doing all of the dirty work dueling with favored Chasind a money on the pace in a much improved second career start. THROW THE DEUCE finished well for third in his career debut behind a good horse, and he turned back to once again finish up gamely for 2nd last time, while no match for an impressive debut winner.
THIRD RACE
TEAK makes his career debut vs. couple of fast horses in SWITZERLAND and TOMMY T, though, while they are both fast, they have also both been at least somewhat disappointing overall; Clement strong with first-time starters overall, and while the best foals from this dam have so far been turf horses, she herself was a talented dirt sprinter who won her debut and ended her 3 for 5 career with a 93 Beyer win. SWITZERLAND lost each of his first three career starts as an odds-on favorite, and he dueled between and tired late when last seen finishing behind TOMMY T tries again with no choice but to go from the rail. TOMMY T kept running well without winning vs. some talented horses early on, but he was more disappointing than anything else in that last one where he just couldn’t find enough to contend; needs to rebound to his best.
FOURTH RACE
SPRING EMPEROR back to dirt in a nice spot after failing to make an impact on turf in his last two starts; repeat of his last dirt run, which was a solid win while carrying a long run from off the pace, makes him tough here. CITY TRAVELER has no dirt form to point to, but his lone start on the surface came in his career debut sprinting, and he has improved since; has some speed dropping for top connections. BENNY BIG BOY broke his maiden on dirt in a slow race, but he improved upon that effort while settling for 3rd in his next start; turns back out of pair of longer routes at Saratoga over the summer.
FIFTH RACE
MIGHT BE wasn’t an MTO in that race on 11/9, but she laid over that field once it was it came off the turf and she crushed that field without really being asked en route to a fourth consecutive new top Beyer; looks too tough for these is coming close to holding her current form. COOL AS YOU LIKE needs to improve to get a piece of this, but she has run a couple of nice races along the way, including a dominant maiden win from off the pace this summer; blinkers on after getting wired by a blowout winner last time. PROUD LILY a stablemate of
the top one shipping in from the Finger Lakes in good form; has won 4 of her last 7 up there, and the last two losses have come at the hands of Satin Frost, who is 6 for 8 so far this year.
SIXTH RACE
THE PRESIDENCY moved forward to chase a solid pace and then just went evenly in the stretch after failing to reach contention in his debut, but that appears to be a race he can build on with his pedigree for trainer who excels stretching out. WITCH DOCTOR gets a pass for that last one where he had no chance with the monstrous Analyze It, and he is going to be tough here if he can get back to something like that narrow miss two starts back with an 80 Beyer. WICKED TRICK went well in his debut while forging into 3rd late at a huge price, and he ran well again last time when held up to the back of the field early and then putting in a wide run around the turn, before flattening late. POWER OF ATTORNEY has a nice pedigree for turf and can be dangerous in this field if ready to go; trainer always one to keep an eye on, but he has really struggled with his first-time starters in NY (past five years: 0-47, though only three of those have come with turf horses).
SEVENTH RACE
CAUSE FOR SURPRISE back the level of the claim after failing to make a run in his first start for sharp connections following a bit of a layoff; has plenty of races to get to that make him a contender here, and he has bounced back from disappointing runs before. MARRIEDTOTHEMUSIC turns back to sprint after failing to see out the mile last time; has some speed to his inside to deal with as he adds blinkers off the claim. FRATELLO DEL NORD will need a trip to work out for him in order to contend for the win, but he’s a fighter if he can get himself into the mix in the stretch, and he will be a price in this race. FORESET clearly a danger taking the drop here after chasing a fast pace vs. some better horses last time, but this isn’t exactly an easy $25k claimer, and he has some other speed to deal with here.
EIGHTH RACE
CAROLINA SHAG couldn’t find enough in the stretch after a nice trip for this claiming tag last time, though that was a much tougher field for the level than the once she faces here; ran better than it looks in a couple of those stakes tries after winning her first start back from an extended layoff. TRUTH IN THE LIES really improved in her first start off the claim for this trainer, and she was way up against it when bumped up in class following that easy win; no excuses last time after getting control of that pace, but she fits here if she can hold her form, and she has sprinted effectively in the past. TRUE CHARM consistently competitive sprinting on turf, and she finds a much easier field for the level here than she has faced when jumped up to try it in the past; needs every bit of her projected early advantage.
NINTH RACE
PANAMA PAPERS made no late impact after a clean trip at this level last time, though it did appear as though he may have been a horse who didn’t care that much for the going that day, which was listed “firm” but was kicking up clops of turf throughout the running, and he was off the layoff there; second back with enough back form, most of which was compiled as a 2yo. HERE COMES YOUR MAN may be the one to beat here entering with two of the top figures in the field; 0-4 so far at this level, including a pair of losses at short prices, though he had no real chance with Fuel the Bern last time. COOKIE CRISP was given a perfect trip to reach even terms in the stretch last time, before proving to be no match for favored Wingman late; contender right back for hot trainer.