ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 2, MY RAY OF SUNSHINE

FIRST RACE

ONE MORE DRIFT has worked okay for a hot trainer. He’s by one of the continent’s leading freshman sires, Jimmy Creed, who’s gotten 29% debut winners, and is bred for turf on the dam’s side. DISTINCT PASSION checked in third over an anti-speed track at first asking in a maiden special that came off the grass Nov. 11. SANDY BAY has worked extensively for a trainer who scored with a rapid first-timer by Animal Kingdom in September—Grace and Dignity, who went on to finish second in the Glorious Song Stakes.

SECOND RACE

MY RAY OF SUNSHINE rallied wide for second over a speed-favoring track in her penultimate outing, and then finished a troubled/close third most recently. She should have clear sailing on the outside before going in for the kill on this occasion. SWEET RHAPSODY is plunging from $20K B company to where she figures to get back on track. LOOKINGFORANEWSPOT beat two nextout winners when she woke up at 34-1 to win her latest. SILVER RING is also in with a shot.

THIRD RACE

SUPREME COMMANDER has performed like an in-and-outer this fall. If the pattern continues, then this should be his day to shine here off the McKnight claim. VINTAGE TIME is plunging from $25K to where he probably belongs for his second start outside the conditioned ranks. MIND MAGIC broke awkwardly before closing for third over an anti-speed track last time at a notch lower. CLEVER SOUL is capable of rebounding off a recent subpar showing.

FOURTH RACE

AFTER PARTY nearly beat $10K maidens traveling nine furlongs the last time he went long three starts ago. He possesses the highest recent Beyers in this $10K NW2 route, and his trainer has decent stats with stretchouts. HYTHE rallied for second behind a classy rival in a fast-paced event at this level Nov. 10. FINE GRIT is a must-use underneath in the exotics, along with a dropping HE STARTED IT.

FIFTH RACE

SAMS DESTINY placed in each of her last two starts, in a pair of maiden-claiming routes. She could have these $25K maidens over a barrel with leading rider Da Silva taking over. SOUTHERN DANCER made up ground in a recent gate drill, and is bred to run long on both sides of her pedigree. SOUTH BEACH SASSY wasn’t far behind the top pick in fifth after saving ground vs. $32K maidens Nov. 8, which was after finishing second at first asking in another route.

SIXTH RACE

ROYAL INTRIGUE came close to finding the mark in a nine-furlong N1X the last time he competed on the Tapeta Oct. 29. The closer landed on the edges after a tardy start most recently on the grass, and has some speed to run at here with Husbands back aboard. ARTHUR’S PASS came three-wide for third in a recent N1X turf event. The versatile hanger shouldn’t mind going back to the main track. GRAY PHANTOM is moving back out to his preferred distance off a surprisingly flat effort in a sevenfurlong starter allowance. NARROW ESCAPE was softened up in a speed duel Oct. 29, in a race from which the runner-up exited to capture an N1X at Churchill (90 Beyer).

SEVENTH RACE

ROCKET PLAN stalked a hot pace in fourth before going on to beat $10K NW2 opposition comfortably Nov. 10. After tracking all the speed, he could double up in this $20K conditioned claimer. SEIZE THE BAY has been knocking on the door at this level. He’s being reunited with Da Silva, who was aboard for his half-length loss two back. DEXTER ROAD checked in just behind SEIZE THE BAY in fourth Nov. 17, from which the winner exited to prevail in another $20K B tilt. His trainer has solid numbers second-time off the claim over the past two years.

EIGHTH RACE

QUEEN’S FATE is experimenting on the Tapeta off a game maiden victory on the grass at Keeneland. She’s worked quickly on the dirt of late for trainer Mike Maker, who’s sent a host of live stakes shippers to Woodbine in recent years. DIXIE MOON was in excellent local turf form prior to ending up sixth in the G1 BC Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar. She won a key maiden special as the big favorite the only time she started on the Tapeta in her debut. GOSUDARINA closed four-wide for second against easier OS rivals in the Nov. 15 South Ocean Stakes, which was her first venture around two turns. Consider LUNAR GARDEN for the bottom of intra-race wagers.

NINTH RACE

CITY BOY stalked four-wide on the turn last time en route to finishing second to the hard-knocking Ikerrin Road, who subsequently ran second in the G2 Kennedy Road. That allowance served as the prep for the Kennedy Road, and he’s meeting easier in this second-level optional claimer. SAN NICOLA THUNDER was arguably the second-best claim of the meet, after Ikerrin Road. The versatile stalker was second to the mighty Pink Lloyd in his last Tapeta outing in the restricted Shepperton Stakes in August. The flashy chestnut CONSTANTINO is capable of rallying for third under Hernandez, who rode him in a second behind SAN NICOLA THUNDER in October.

TENTH RACE

SUMMER FALLS is halving in value for her third start on this side of the pond, and could get the job done while stretching out with blinkers off. Her one-mile synthetic races in England weren’t bad. KINZUA was impeded at the break before ending up eighth for the second straight time against tougher Nov. 22. She’s going from seven-eighths to a mile and a sixteenth, and is bred for the task at hand. BLUE PEARLS is also stretching out with some stamina in her pedigree. OCEAN COURT and ELDORADO’S SOUL are candidates for the lower rungs of the exotics.