ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 7, UNCLE SIGH

FIRST RACE

HATTIE L finds a nice spot in which to debut, catching a modest straight-maiden field, one filled with fillies that have one fault or another. HATTIE L, sent north from Pletcher’s Palm Beach Downs Florida setup, shows an extensive foundation of works, some of which have been quick. A couple works that appeared on xbtv.com seemed to also suggest ability. She is the first foal to race out of a dam that was a multiple stakes winner in Washington. THREAD THE NEEDLE also has been training in Florida leading up to this start, though in her case she is an experienced filly on the comeback trail after being away since the spring. She ran second a couple times in sprints, followed by a third in another sprint and a fifth routing. Reading between the lines, suspect her connections feel confident about her fitness level to ship her all the way to New York from Payson Park. COMMUNAL ran second first out before having a troubled trip and being eased in a subsequent start; adds blinkers for her return, and though her works have been slow, that is typical for Albertrani trainees.

SECOND RACE

MONTELEONE, a so-so third after a troubled start Nov. 30, seems a candidate to improve upon that race, his first start in over four months. He also goes second off the claim for a winning barn and drops from a starter $50,000 into a $40,000 N2L claimer. 9-5 morning-line favorite THUNDER’S HONOR is the one to beat off his latest, owning the top last-race Beyer, an 83, earned in finishing fifth in allowance company, no less. Still, while he ran pretty well last time at 43-1 odds, other races over the second half of 2018 resulted in him not performing to the public’s backing. CHANGE OF VENUE went to the sidelines after stumbling in a race this summer at Belmont and being distanced. If able to rebound from that race and immediately run back to two prior efforts, he should contend.

THIRD RACE

9-2 shot POTOMAC was not as prominent early in his latest and ended up running last of 10 against starter runners, but seems a bounce-back candi- date with the return to the claiming ranks and following a short freshening. He has performed well off following short layoffs, winning in August and running second in April. MAIMO has won two of his last three starts, though in restricted 3-year-old competition. His wins also came in off-the-turf contests that worked in his favor. Still, he has the speed and form to play a major role. FILLET OF SOLE, part of an entry with BIG THICKET, has been the runner-up against cheaper twice over the past couple months. He possesses back class and runs for a barn hitting at a 32-percent clip in the year.

FOURTH RACE

LONDON HOUSE did little first out when eighth of 10, though that was at Saratoga. Steady diet of works for this Asmussen trainee, who was a pricey $110,000 purchase earlier this year as a 2-year-old in training; likely better than what he displayed in his lone start. SHOW PRINCE, second and third in his first two races when sprinting, ran a well beaten fourth most recently, though going a mile in a salty maiden race. The runner-up, Not That Brady, came back to break his maiden by 11 lengths and the winner was fourth in a first-level allowance. HUSHION is a bit light on speed figures, but managed to run second in his debut before running fourth of five in a New York-bred stake; speedy but out of action since July; potential to show more staying power with Lasix.

FIFTH RACE

SALTY SMILE failed to contend when fourth, beaten 11 lengths, in a New York-bred allowance Nov. 7. Now she faces much easier $14,000 conditioned claimers and may also benefit from returning to Rudy Rodriguez, who trained her to her pair of victories earlier in her career. HONEY GRAEME is among the classiest in this lineup - she’s stakesplacedbut take note that her two victories came on the lead. If she is to make the front here, she

will likely have to work harder to do so than when wired $25,000 claimers last out on July 14 when getting away with a soft tempo. ESTHER THE

QUEEN is 12-1-2-2 on dirt but ran her fastest races over the past couple years on grass. Obviously the turf is not an option in New York in mid-December - so it is back to the main track for her. Her trainer, Michelle Nevin, does have fine numbers with horses going from grass to dirt.

SIXTH RACE

After going unplaced in his first couple races on turf, EXPERT has won two of three on dirt, though both times at 1 1/8 miles. He cuts back to a mile for this race, but may be versatile enough to handle the cutback in distance. His trainer, Jason Servis, is currently hitting at a 42% rate with first-after-claim runners. PLAYWRIGHT is a consistent sort, a horse that has been first or second in five of seven races this year. He scored his victories for maiden $25,000 and $16,000, however - so perhaps not as classy as others in this $40,000 claimer. TRANSISTOR pulled clear in early stretch last out in a $35,000 N3L claimer before weakening to be third. The winner, Blame the Thief, returned to win a New York-bred firstlevel allowance by three lengths, and is a threat in the seventh race on Sunday.

SEVENTH RACE

UNCLE SIGH has twice as many seconds (12) as victories (6), but he’s been more of a winning type when kept in New York-bred optional claimers such as this one. Three main-track starts this year against N2X/40K New York-breds resulted in a pair of a wins and a runner-up finish. He is also back with Rodriquez, who trained him to those victories. J J’S DREAMING possesses tactical speed and solid form. He has not been worse than fourth in nine races since being shifted from turf to dirt late last year. GIO D’ORO just ran competitively at this class level, though on turf, finishing third after setting a slow pace. Although by turf sire Gio Ponti, this one has compiled a fine 6-2-3-1 record on dirt, too.

EIGHTH RACE

THORNY TALE was disappointing when fourth in the Notebook, perhaps due to inexperience or catching a muddy track. Hopefully, it wasn’t the mud - since there is a chance of rain on Sunday. Look past the Notebook and this horse was a sharp first-out winner, and his price should rise off the recent failure. KOSCIUSZKO is the one to beat. He ran third in the Notebook after being pressured on the lead, and that race followed a blowout maiden victory. CARTWHEELIN LULU won her first two races before tiring to fifth in the one-mile Maid of the Mist. She seems better suited to racing today’s distance of six furlongs, though she is matched against males in this spot. She is also entered in a stake at Aqueduct on Saturday against her own sex. Not to be overlooked, BLINDWILLIE MCTELL merits attention despite being a maiden - having run second in his lone start behind repeat winner Le General, a promising juvenile.

NINTH RACE

IT’S A LOVELY DAY is modest ability, though that also seems true of her maiden $30,000 opposition in the nightcap. A distant third in her debut against straight maidens, she then finished second in a slow maiden $50,000 race. Aggressively spotted early in her career after fetching $185,000 at auction. RARE GIFT may improve second out after finishing fifth of eight against maiden special weight runners at Belmont in September. She ran evenly throughout, within six to eight lengths of the leaders at all four calls when sprinting; likely more forwardly placed on the stretch out from six furlongs to a mile. Barn hits at a 20-percent rate with second-time starters. GYPSY MAMA, twice outrun in maiden special weight races, ran fifth on turf before checking in seventh of nine in an off-the-grass race. Perhaps dirt racing is not her preference, though some recent works on dirt have been quick.