ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 1, PRAY HARD

FIRST RACE

The card Friday is led by an allowance sprint for fillies and mares. In the opener, PRAY HARD gets the nod for a runner-up finish against similar last out at Oaklawn. He also might get an ideal tracking trip off the rail horse. CHUBBLE MAKER was second to a stakes-quality runner last out and for the effort earned what ranks as this field’s best last-race Beyer Figure. INTERNET SUCCESS has moved forward with each of his starts at the meet and could be sitting on a peak effort in his third out since October. He is looking for career win No. 15. Hickory.

SECOND RACE

SUPREME COMMANDER did well to close in the slop last out when just edged against steeper and like that he gets in light under apprentice Morales. WILDWOODSGREATEST hooked a blowout winner last time in Paganol, who is a half-brother to multiple Grade 1 winner Miss Temple City. MATCH UP exits same race as WILDWOODSGREATEST, finishing third. This marks MATCH UP’S third out since September.

THIRD RACE

SING HIM A SONG has shown improved speed in recent times and also like that he owns the field’s co-highest last-race Beyer Figure. BYE CRAZY EYES finished right behind top choice last time and note this trip will mark his third start off a layoff. SOUL P SAY has seen some quality rivals, including Bravazo, eventual winner of the Grade 2 Risen Star, and Greyvitos, a stakes winner in Southern California. RIO NORTE is out of a mare who won four stakes and $199K and who has produced a stakes winner in Hard Way Ten ($164K).

FOURTH RACE

REMEMBERING RITA raced over a wet track for the first time last out and popped a career high Beyer Speed Figure. The number is the co-highest last-race Beyer in the field, in a distinction he shares with SUPER DERECHO. The latter could show the way or get a tracking trip off a few of these. TELETAP is from the same mare as Grade 1 winner Pyro ($1.6M) and is a full brother to Grade 3 winner War Echo ($284K). AIR ON FIRE is a half-brother to Grade 2 winner I’m Boundtoscore. The race he exits has become a key one, with the runner-up returning to take a maiden allowance at SA with a Beyer of 83 and the seventh-place finisher, Oiseude Guerre, another maiden special weight at SA, with a Beyer of 86. ROYAL EDITION is from a multiple Grade 1-winning mare who ran out $668K.

FIFTH RACE

RUNAWAY KING was fifth last out in a race that has become a key one. The sixth-place finisher, Dr. Philan, came back in his next start to account for a $5K conditioned claimer at Hou with a Beyer Figure of 55, and the seventh-place finisher, Bowman West, a $10K conditioned claimer, at OP, with a Beyer of 73. BESTED owns the field’s best last-race Beyer Figure. LORD TURNEM will add blinkers, a high percentage move for Broberg, according to Daily Racing Form statistics. Another of interest is SPEZIA.

SIXTH RACE

VINYL has an age edge on these as he is 4 and he also gets pedigree support for both the return to dirt and the stretch out to two turns as a son of Arch. SANDVILLE ran a close-up fifth to a quality sort last fall in High North. GRADE hooked a quality debut winner last out in Tenfold. GRADE can be closer to the pace than SANDVILLE, which might serve him well at this mile distance, a race that will end at the sixteenth pole. SONNY SMACK is a halfbrother to Grade 3 winner Smack Smack ($982K) and stakes winner Smack Ridge ($336K). CADUCEUS is from a mare who won four stakes and earned $344K and who has produced a Grade 2 winner in Majestic River ($258K). LIGHTHAWK is out of a Grade 1-winning mare who banked $365K. Triple Crown nominee is by Tapit.

SEVENTH RACE

TIZWAY THAT WAY picks up a bit more real estate and the last time she raced over a mile and a sixteenth she won off by 15 lengths. On a pedigree point, TIZWAY THAT WAY is a half-sister to Gettysburg, the Gun Runner workmate who earlier in his career ran second in the $415K Sunland Park Festival of Racing Stakes. DESERT MADAM ran a strong race off the bench last out and has reason to move forward in her second start since November. SUGAR CUBE is looking for career win No. 17. Racehorse.

EIGHTH RACE

PRIZED BOURBON has a chance to take these wireto-wire, depending on how things fall at the break. She’s further appealing as a three-time winner facing some less-experienced rivals. PRIZED BOURBON also exits a key race. The fourth-place finisher, La Key, came back in her next start to account for an OP allowance with a Beyer Figure of 76, and the seventh-place finisher, Angelo’s Ashes, a $40K starter allowance, also at OP, with a Beyer of 70. TREBLE was just edged last out when she came rolling in the slop. She might be sitting on a peak effort here, in her third start since May. On a pedigree point, TREBLE is from a stakes-winning mare who ran out $340K. HONOR WAY has tactical speed and could track PRIZED BOURBON, who is

NINTH RACE

ME N LOGAN RAY moves back to two turns for his second start off the layoff and note he popped one of his best Beyer Figures at this mile and a sixteenth trip. The race also accounted for his closest finish to date. I AM draws a useful post and looking for him to be closer to the pace than usual on the stretch out to two turns. Earlier in his career he was just edged by eventual statebred stakes winner Five O One. MAGIC ERASER has stepped up his game with the move to two turns. EAST MOON LAKE is a half-brother to Catholic Cowboy, a multiple stakes winner of $485K.