ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 1, I’M IN A HURRY

FIRST RACE

I’M IN A HURRY has some speed but can also rate, and he could fall into a nice stalking trip behind a contested pace in this opener; obviously fits well at this level, and with 19 career wins he’s always easy to like. GO TO WIN was in front of the top pick last time, rallying for the show after benefiting from a favorable stalking trip; main threat given a similar set up. SHACKLEFORDS STORM has seen her Beyers regress with each start since the win here four back but she did endure a difficult trip in his latest.

SECOND RACE

DOG SOLDIER and REEDER clearly have an edge on the others in this field, and the former handled the latter fairly easily in their last meeting, making DOG SOLDIER very difficult to beat in this spot; the extra distance is a bit concerning but he will be tough to reel in if he is able to shake loose easily enough. REEDER has the best shot at beating the favorite, and he does have a win at seven panels; may look to sit off his main rival and make the first run in the lane. EL GRANDE ROJO would benefit most if the top pair were to hook up in the opening stages; 18 career wins, and he’s way down in class for this.

THIRD RACE

T’S SOUTHERN DUDE might be the main speed in this seemingly paceless race, and with a loose lead he could get brave at a very playable price; worth a shot if he is in fact overlooked in the wagering. WHAT A HOOT and DELTA LEVY exit the same race, won in gate-to-wire fashion by a horse who returned to score again in his first start against winners, albeit in an off-the-turf race; the former was behind the latter in that meeting but DELTA LEVY may be overbet despite the fact that he seems to prefer settling for lesser awards.

FOURTH RACE

STORMY LEO lost his best chance at the start of his local debut, as a slow break cost him posi- tion, and early speed is a big part of the game; also against the race flow in his last start prior to the layoff, when caught up in a duel. MILLION HEIR closed with interest to get the show last time, a much improved effort after he apparently “bounced” in his 2nd start back off the long layoff two back; dangerous here with another move forward. SWEET TEA JACK has also been hampered by tardy breaks in his last couple; clean getaway could help him get early position, and that could make a big difference for him.

FIFTH RACE

BELLAS EYES adds blinkers and Lasix for this, and she has license to move forward in her 2nd start over the grass; also making her 2nd start off the five-month break. STRATOSPHERA impressed in that maiden score in her latest, and the Beyer she posted gives her the credibility to win here in her first start vs. winners; in against an above-average group of maiden claimers in her prior try. THRU STREET was caught up in a duel in her first start off the long break but she can also rate if need be; that versatility should help her work out a trip regardless of race flow.

SIXTH RACE

JOYFUL NIGHT is kin to three previous starters and all of them were winners, including Joyable, who won six races and earned over $132,000; sports a couple of nice works for this, which hint at some speed. HOTTALABAMBA ships east and joins the barn of Mike Stidham, who wins at a high rate; away since May but working well enough to suggest she’s ready. HEATHER HILLS has proven early speed and could be the one to catch; hasn’t

had the luxury of a loose lead but if she is clear in the opening stages she could go all the way.

SEVENTH RACE

HOORAY FOR HARVEY once again has to deal with a wide draw but he does have the tactical speed to get position; that last Beyer he posted puts him in the mix. LAKE NAKURU is clearly the one to beat, with runner-up finishes in each of his two career starts; obviously tough if he runs to those figures but the layoff raises some concerns. CRYPTO GOLD was also 2nd in each of his first two starts; adds blinkers for trainer Christophe Clement, who sports a positive ROI with that angle.

EIGHTH RACE

LION CHARMER is out of a dam who won four races, and though she was best on the grass she did produce a dirt winner and sire Animal Kingdom scores at a high rate (nearly 20%) with all of his firsters; worth a shot if overlooked some in the wagering. KING LEONARDO comes off turf races going longer but he does have the speed to get involved from the start regardless; most recent sprint try was a race that featured a final time that was exceptionally fast for the class and distance. GOLD FOR THE NEW YEAR clearly has license to improve at this reduced level, though the move into a claimer off the layoff could be construed as a negative.

NINTH RACE

EPIC JUNIOR was behind GRAYS IMAGE in his last appearance on the grass but he was left with a lot to do there, trying to come from last in a race that didn’t feature all that much pace; good effort in defeat on the dirt last time in his first start against winners. FADE AWAY beat maiden claimers in his most recent with another career top figure; has to be considered despite the class rise, as his positional speed should mean he’s well spotted behind the speeds once again. BIG RIG scored with a late rally under similar circumstances last time and he’s clearly capable of repeating here with the same type of set up.