ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 6, COCKTAIL SKIRT

FIRST RACE

DON’T OVER LOOK rates a narrow edge in the opener based on two close losses in prior starts against similar this meet within the conditioned claiming ranks. He was third in one race and fourth in another - beaten a combined five lengths. BROOMHILL has been an honest performer on the grass, but is a bit of a tricky evaluation coming here from Tampa. Still, he lands Luis Saez and is well drawn in post two. BEALESTREET DANCER has been fifth in his two starts for a tag this meet but in deep fields of 11 and 12; rates behind the top two given that he can be one paced.

SECOND RACE

TAKEN TO CHURCH ran well to be fourth after a long layoff Mar. 10, and seems a logical candidate to improve in his second race since last summer; also picks up a more experienced rider in Zayas after ducking in an out down the lane last time with an apprentice up. MR. SULTANA came up empty against a classier group Mar. 8 in a dull effort but had previously performed well over this track; down a notch in class and can perhaps rebound. HYATT’S DUDE ran a distant second in a race like this one Mar. 16 and now adds blinkers following that defeat at 4-5 odds; starts for owner/trainer Angel Quiroz seemingly after being culled by his previous connections.

THIRD RACE

HEY HOWIE might finally be ready to clear the maiden hurdle after being the lucky recipient of an inside draw in this 7 1/2-furlong turf race; third in his last two races at this level when starting from post 5 and post 9. CRYOGENIC gets blinkers take off after being too forward in his latest when matched against Florida-bred straight maidens a race in which he faded to seventh; his preceding start Feb. 9 when a close second for maiden $50,000 was a far better effort; wide trip could loom from the outside post, however. ROCKY STRANGE is stepped up from maiden $20,000 off the claim and adds blinkers after rallying belatedly to be fourth Feb. 22; expecting more speed from him than what we have seen lately, and he could end up stalking the pace, as he did earlier in his career.

FOURTH RACE

SOUND VALUES recorded his first dirt finish in the exacta in six such starts in whipping lowend conditioned claimers by 5 lengths, and now shifts back to the grass, a surface on which he has earned the bulk of his earnings and on which he is 2 for 7; quick works and winning connections. BLACK JET and SMALL FORTUNE ran fourth and third most recently against a similar group of $16,000 turf sprinters, running just behind runner-up VERY COLORFUL, another contender in here; slightly prefer ‘JET and ‘FORTUNE given their overall records on the lawn.

FIFTH RACE

APPEALING LALIBELA scored her first victory in five attempts Feb. 21 against maiden $12,500, winning by a length after seeming to loaf after making the lead from a stalking position. UP THE ROAD has made significant progress this year at 3, managing a couple seconds at the maiden $25,000 level before earning her first victory against maiden $12,500 stock; came under an early drive last out and didn’t change leads - something also true last time of OPTIMISTIC SHOT. The latter came around quicker, breaking her maiden at first asking in one race last year, and has since been

fifth, fourth, and third in three tries vs. winners; tends to break a little awkwardly.

SIXTH RACE

COCKTAIL SKIRT ran sneaky well to be fourth first off the claim at this maiden $50,000 level Feb. 28, only losing by 1 3/4 lengths after a troubled early run into the first turn. Jockey Jose Ortiz seemed to want to tuck her in to save ground, but was unable to do so early, and after taking her back, she still ended up three wide; poised from a much better trip today from post three. BABAKNOWSEVRYTHING adds blinkers and is dropped in class after failing to threaten against Florida-bred straight maidens; above average times to her works leading into this race but concerned about how badly she has blown the start in her two races. TERMINOLOGY ran an even sixth against similar Mar. 7 when returning from a layoff, and though her performance that day was ordinary, she could very well improve second off the bench.

SEVENTH RACE

OX EYED DAISY was off a step slowly and bumped at the break when debuting Feb. 25, and recovered well to advance into contention before the victorious frontrunner pulled away. That winner, Mo Smart, acts like a talented filly. CONSIDER THIS sold well at auction in 2016, bringing $300,000, and though her last three works have been slow, she went quickly from the gate in a drill in February. FIRST MISTRESS adds blinkers after a second and third in a pair of slow straight maidens races.

EIGHTH RACE

TAKE A STROLL won two in a row before a second at this $16,000 N3L class level Mar. 8; has found her niche going five furlongs on the lawn. ARTHEMISA is aggressively dropped in class after failing to produce in her latest when 10th against N1X/25K claimers; been kept in longer distances for the most part, though she did manage to run second the last time she sprinted five eighths. LINDA NIN quickly fell back to last early in a Mar. 8 race here, though she did rally late to grab third, a length behind runner-up TAKE A STROLL; might be a little better suited to the longer grass sprints that are carded at other tracks going 5 1/2 furlongs.

NINTH RACE

21-time winner BLINGS EXPRESS won a pair of races at Gulfstream Park West in October before a second and a third in a pair of starter stakes. Although this is a quality starter affair, it seems a little easier than the company he faced in those defeats. HARRYHEE gamely lasted for a next-out winner in an optional claimer Feb. 19 and now moves back into the starter ranks, where he was a regular factor; behind BLINGS EXPRESS and SOCIAL ROY in matchups last year. SOCIAL ROY beat HARRYHEE by a length in a starter race Dec. 28 and has since run second and first in first-level Florida-bred allowance races.

TENTH RACE

BITACORA was beaten as the favorite in a similar race Feb. 14 but ran well in defeat, trying hard and losing by a length to a filly that sat a dream trip. This late-running mare is stakes placed and a good fit under these Florida-bred allowance conditions. TWO STEP BLUES is better than she showed when fifth Jan. 25. She had a wide trip that day and likely would have been closer if she had been able to save a little ground; still prone to seconds when she does get a good trip, though. SOBER ON SUNDAY joins a successful claiming trainer in Mike Maker after coming up a little empty when third off a layoff Mar. 14 after saving ground; perhaps needed that race after being out since November.

ELEVENTH RACnEd

SIGNATURE TWIRL ran decently to be second in his first race on dirt after previously running on synthetic and turf; perhaps ready to move forward in his second race over the main track. FOUR FREEDOMS is a quick breaking colt that chased the winner in vain last out to finish a clear-cut second in the best effort of his career; had previously retreated down the lane in his races. REPETITIOUS races on dirt for the first time after decent efforts in turf sprinters over the fall and winter; adds blinkers, which he wore to a pair of rear-half finishes early in his career; being outside, clear of dirt, is a plus given that he has never raced on the main track.