ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 5, ARIZONA

FIRST RACE

Colonels dark temp er, winner of last year’s West Virginia Derby, launches his season in the featured eighth race Sunday. In the opener, siding with SOPHISTICATE DB LING. He’s been knocking on the door at this level all meet and owns the field’s best last-race Beyer Figure. HUGH B. has natural speed and a competitive series of Beyers. RECKLING has some back class.

SECOND RACE

NORTH OF EDEN ran a big race off the bench last time when beaten just a half-length for everything. The start also came against more experienced rivals. ABBY IN PINK is back at two turns after the sprint start off the layoff and note her two wins have come in routes. This marks her second start since September. BIG AXE moves to two turns and gets some pedigree support for the task at hand. The blinkers come back off and note for both of her wins she did not wear the equipment. FOR ALL THE GRANDS is back at two turns off the sprint comeback. More than capable.

THIRD RACE

AWESOME DAY has speed and a post that might give Court options. She’s also back in the claiming ranks after facing starter foes and could be sitting on a peak effort in her third out since November. GETUPBABYGETUP was a sharp debut winner over a demanding kind of distance. As for the race she exits, the winner was to test stakes rivals Saturday at Oaklawn. HONOR WITH PRIDE also exits a race won by a filly going back in a stakes Saturday at Oaklawn. This one is a class play as she has been facing steeper.

FOURTH RACE

GOOGLEADO looks like a chief player in this spot were he to draw into the body of the field. He is currently on the also-eligible list. MYSTERIOUS STORM is a class play as one who has been facing steeper. He has tactical speed and should be sharp for the task here off the five-eighths of a mile race at Delta. SWORD OF DAVID cuts back to one turn after showing speed around two, and that can be an effective move with a horse.

FIFTH RACE

ARIZONA is a logical choice off a third-place finish against similar. He also draws a useful post and owns the field’s best last-race Beyer Speed Figure. CAPTAIN CHAOS must overcome the wide gate, but like that he was favored for this price back in February. PRAY FOR KITTEN looks like a nice fit with these.

SIXTH RACE

SHANGHAI TARIFF was a romping maiden winner two back then stepped up in class last out and represented herself well when second to a winner who was to run back Saturday at Oaklawn in the Grade 3 Honeybee. GOOD MOVE is the one to beat off a six-length debut win for which she earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 83. She might be tough to contain with a repeat of that performance. THREE

CHORDS can make a real impact with a repeat of her effort from Feb. 2. In her most recent start she dueled over a laboring kind of track. THREE CHORDS seems best served by a fast strip.

SEVENTH RACE

HEIDI’S WISH ran a big race in her debut last out and note the winner was to run back one race earlier on the card, in an optional claiming allowance. HEIDI’S WISH owns what ranks as this field’s best career Beyer Figure. SHE BEAST did not get the break from the rail in her debut last out but came rolling for third in a solid start to her career. This time around she draws off the fence. ETERNAL BLING might be best served with a fast track.

EIGHTH RACE

COLONELS DARK TEMP ER gives up recency to these as this marks his first out since September, but what he lacks there he makes up for in class as the winner of last year’s Grade 3 West

Virginia Derby. He exits the Oklahoma Derby and note the runner-up from the race returned in his next start to capture the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. As for COLONELS DARK TEMP ER, he’s worked a bullet five-eighths over the local strip as part of his preparations for his 4-year-old debut. ZULU was the runner-up in the 2016 edition of the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth. This race marks his third start since September, and suspect he could be closer to the pace than he found himself last time, when he encountered trouble. STICKS STATE LY DUDE is proven class as a Grade 3 winner. He’s back in the overnight ranks off back-to-back stakes starts.

NINTH RACE

DUTCH TREAT moves back to two turns and she put up her best Beyer Speed Figure in a local route. In that race she hooked Eskimo Kisses, who returned one start later to romp in an N1X at Oaklawn. SHE’S TOO COOL exits same race as top choice, and has an age edge on that one. SUPERSTAR BEA could be sitting on a peak race in her third out since July.