ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 3, YORKTON

FIRST RACE

MILWAUKEE THUNDER galloped out well after ending up fifth in her five-furlong comeback, which should set her up for the stretchout to seven-eighths. She figures to track the speed before making a bid. ABBY GRACE was beaten four lengths after racing wide over an inside-favoring track in her lone 2017 outing against tougher Dec. 10. Winter-raced TRIPLE CHOCOLATE should possess a fitness edge on most of these.

SECOND RACE

KOWBOY’S DEELITE ran competitively over the winter on the dirt in Florida. She’s 2 for 7 on synthetics, and should be dangerous in this $6.25K seller. STORMBEAM is another winter-raced runner from Florida who could have a say in the outcome. SPLENDID GLORY met tough $16K males in her dull comeback. She could make most of the running if she breaks cleanly, which she rarely does.

THIRD RACE

YORKTON spun his wheels in the slop last time out at Keeneland. There’s not much speed in this thirdlevel optional claimer, and good gate rider Da Silva could put him on the point en route to a gate-towire score. MAJESTIC SLEW finished third behind the future champion Pink Lloyd in his final ‘17 race in the G2 Kennedy Road. He was fourth behind that unstoppable rival when coming off the bench in the Jacques Cartier Stakes. CIRCLE OF FRIENDS had a productive spring last year before going over the top in the fall.

FOURTH RACE

KYSLIOS’S JUSTICE closed strongly in the final furlong to just miss second when coming off a three-month absence a week ago. He wintered in Ocala with a trainer who sent out a sharp shipper who placed on short rest here recently. EPILOGUE finished just a length back in fourth off a sabbatical in a shorter sprint at this price April 21, from which the winner exited to double up vs. $10K NW2 stock. SCARLET FORESTER could be a speed threat in his second race off the shelf.

FIFTH RACE

SWEET ESCAPE is arguably the class of this $10K starter. She rallied four-wide from off slow splits for fourth against tougher in her five-furlong comeback, which should set her up adequately for the stretchout to her preferred distance of a mile and a sixteenth. THALIAS FIRE wintered in Ocala for a trainer who’s begun the meet on a positive note with her Florida shippers. RINCE TAPAIGH rarely runs a bad one, and could hit the ticket in her first start since ending up fourth in a slow-paced $20K route Dec. 1. GABRIELS JOY is another possibility for the exotics.

SIXTH RACE

ELLAS MY LOVE was checked while in tight heading into the turn before closing for fourth in the April 22 Queenston Stakes. He wintered at Gulfstream, where he finished third behind a future stakes winner in a fast N1X in March. He worked nicely the other day, and doesn’t have much to beat in this NW2 OS allowance/$40K claimer. CRY BAO is moving out to a suitable distance after rallying for second in his five-furlong return. DAVKA struggled in his last two races on the dirt at Aqueduct, but he worked quickly on the Tapeta last weekend and could join the fray.

SEVENTH RACE

HEART RUSH pressed the pace over an anti-speed track before finishing a lapped-on second in a similar spot Oct. 15. She’s worked extensively for a trainer who’s fared well with six-month-plus comebackers, and can get the job done with Husbands retaining the mount. BIG MISTAKE found the mark with a 74 Beyer at first asking last summer, which

suggests that she can fire while fresh. Leading rider Hernandez is sticking with her. SKY VISION weakened to second after leading the way in her five-furlong opener. Use her underneath in vertical wagers, along with PRINCESS NIIGON.

EIGHTH RACE

MAGIC SPELL wound up third following a winter layoff in an N1X turf sprint at Keeneland. She was a visually impressive come-from-behind debut winner on the Tapeta Nov. 12, and could mow down all the speed in this 100-grander. DREAM IT IS had been laid up for over eight months with an ankle injury before finishing a flat fifth going about seven furlongs in the G3 Beaumont at Keeneland. She needed that race, and figures to take some beating on a surface over which she’s unbeaten. CLOSER STILL ran her first clunker last time in a G3 turf route at Tampa. She scored twice on the Tapeta last year under Husbands, who was 4 for 14 at the meet aboard Casse charges through last Sunday.

NINTH RACE

PERFECT FORESTER ran evenly along the inside in a stalking position for third when returning from the sidelines in a shorter N1X. Leading trainer McKnight has solid numbers second-time off a layoff, and top jock Hernandez retains the mount on the consistent gray. HIPP SMITT wintered at Penn National before checking in fourth behind the top pick in the aforementioned April 21 sprint. HOLD’EMFORRANSOM earned a big 86 Beyer when losing by a neck in his last race Nov. 19. He’s been working right along, and a hot Da Silva is subbing for the injured Wilson.

TENTH RACE

GIOVANNA PONTI just missed after battling threewide for the lead on the turn when competing with a $40K tag in her local bow. With blinkers on, she should have these $32K maidens within her sights. COLLUDING was surprisingly bad as the favorite in her comeback, a race she may have needed. JOSEPHINE is descending to a new low following a winter layoff, for her third start off a $40K claim. Consider her for the lower rungs of the exotics, along with CONQUEST BAD GIRL.