BEST BET: RACE 6, POLYGRAM

FIRST RACE

FAST ANDREW has speed and the rail, and he’ll be tough to reel in if he can break alertly and shake loose; he tired against better in his latest but he shortens up again and is back down in class. FORTUNATE FRIENDS is the main threat in the lane after that decent debut; any kind of duel up front will obviously help his cause. REAGAN’S HEART is wide but quick enough from the gate; he’ll get first run at the top pick, and he comes off the best figure of his short career.

SECOND RACE

JO SWEETNESS stretches out to two turns for the first time but the barn does well with this angle, and the running style she displayed in her sprints suggest she may not be the type that will be looking for the lead despite the added distance; dangerous if she can in fact take back and make one run. BUSY SIGNAL is another who seems capable of rating off the pace, though this is her first try going long, and that could change things; either way she’s a clear threat on the strength of that last Beyer. ARTS AND CRAFTS comes out of abbreviated sprints and figures to be involved from the start, along with likely pacesetter ABUELA’S LOVE.

THIRD RACE

R SHOWGIRL tries grass for the first time but she should be expected to handle this surface, as the barn is sensational with turf sprinters (six winners from last 12 grass sprinters); tactical speed another plus. TRI DELTA BAE was far back on the wire in her first start on the green but she did set a quick pace under pressure there, and she weakened only late; takes a step down in class for this. MAGIC MAKER will be a factor if she scratches in off the Also Eligible list, as she ran well enough in her grass debut despite some traffic trouble; threat with a similar effort/figure.

FOURTH RACE

VINCERO had been turfing prior to the short layoff but his lone try on the main track was fine, even

if he did benefit from a favorable race flow and trip; working well enough for his return in his first start off the claim, a 33% angle for the new barn.

JUAN AND BINA makes his third start off the long break and could be set for his best effort yet after the classic “bounce” following a good-but-taxing effort in his first start back. OH MY WARRIOR was overmatched in his latest but he license to rebound back in against older non-winners of two.

FIFTH RACE

WHO’S YOUR DRAMA is a little obvious, coming off a win at Gulfstream in his latest, but he should be well spotted for a repeat here as he figures to sit behind expected speeds CHIEF EXCHANGER and SWAGGER JAGGER, who sit to his immediate right; looms tough today given that scenario and a clean trip from the hedge. CHIEF EXCHANGER draws inside SWAGGER JAGGER and will likely be looking for the lead as a result, as that is his best game; short layoff a plus, as the barn shows a profitable ROI with horses off this type of intermediate freshening. SWAGGER JAGGER has speed but doesn’t need the lead, giving Jaramillo some options; pace excuse in his latest, a race which set up well for the closers.

SIXTH RACE

POLYGRAM might be the deceptive clear speed in this seemingly paceless sprint, and a loose lead would be a big edge for him under these circumstances; needs to beat OVER LIMIT to the lead if that is in fact the strategy. The latter has some early zip of his own, and given a clean start from the rail he may be the one to catch; otherwise, he at least should be able to get first run at the pacesetter. WILD WINTER was far back in recent tries at Presque Isle but he has more speed than that when he’s sent seven fulongs; main threat in the lane.

SEVENTH RACE

ARTIST benefited from a forward trip when 2nd in his latest but he has to be respected off the Beyer he posted there, a figure that gives him strong credibility vs. this field; he seems better when he’s able to take back further off the pace and make one run, and given the pace scenario today that figures to be his plan. NO DINERO is easy to like off his return try, even though it was on the turf, as it was a solid effort considering the layoff; regression is a slight concern but he meets a seemingly average group and he does fit based on his best figures. RANGER’S COMING isn’t a viable win candidate given his overall record but he should be considered for underneath slots in exotics, as he ran a deceptively good race against the flow in his latest.

EIGHTH RACE

COLIN A WINNER was off the board in his return from a short break but he posted a representative Beyer in defeat, one which stamps him as the one to beat in this reduced-level claimer; needs pace as a closer but should get a better set up than he did in that last one. CHOP CHOP CHARLIE was far back in the early stages of his latest but he closed well in the lane, and posted the best figure he’s put up yet; another stretch threat. SIMMARDSTRIKE takes the blinkers off and moves back to the grass, and the figures he posted last year and early in 2018 under these conditions put him in the middle of this nightcap.