ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 5, STELLA D’ORO

FIRST RACE

ACRE showed up for his dirt sprint debut looking like he might need a race then proceeded to chase the pace and tire in the stretch; threat to improve quickly if he just needed that race and he is all grass on the bottom of his pedigree. Like the top one BLACKBERRY WINE made his debut on the dirt after getting rained off and chased the pace before tiring; half to eight-time turf route winner Neoclassic can do better stretching out on this surface for a trainer who has a good record with

second-time starters on turf. ANACONDA debuts for Chad Brown with turf pedigree being a half to Stellar Agent, who was a debut winner up on the grass here last summer, before going to to get herself Grade 1 and 2-placed as a 2yo; dam Lawn Party was also a debut winner on turf. NO WORD a homebred full-brother to Silentio, who was a multiple graded stakes winner on turf in his career; not much else in the family but Pletcher can win with horses like this.

SECOND RACE

FIGURE IT OUT was no match for a couple of these fillies last time when catching another wet track and breaking slowly, then hitting a spot of traffic at the top of the stretch, but she was off the layoff there and she is 2 for 2 over fast dirt in her career; like this distance for her and she has enough speed to pull a better trip if she can break cleanly this time. SLIMEY has already won twice up here this meet and she came back with a third solid effort last Saturday when rallying through the stretch in a tougher spot; may prefer a wet track but she ran fine last time and won over fast dirt early in her career; think she might catch some pace to run at once again. CARRIZO was cut in half off the claim earlier in the meet and proceeded to blow out 3yo claimers with an 88 Beyer; now a stablemate of SLIMEY’s she has speed from a nice outside post and more than just that one figure to lean on as she steps back up. BREAK CURFEW has speed and may appreciate getting back over a fast track for this, though she might be a short price for no real reason. MISS IMPERIAL also has speed as she drops out of several stakes tries; under the gun from the rail and may not want to go much past six furlongs.

THIRD RACE

GAME BOY BENNY has improved from start to start so far and he ran his best race last time when pressing on to the lead and staying gamely in the stretch when challenged by the eventual winner after getting rained off the grass; sib to two turf sprint winners is eligible to improve again as he switches to turf and drops in to face maiden claimers for the first time. ALL ABOUT IT is clearly the horse to beat based on his two starts last year, first when coming wide to take over and racing subsequent Grade 1 winner Fog of War gamely to the wire over this track and trip and then finishing a good 4th in stakes company; returns for a $40k tag following after missing a lot of time and Weaver doesn’t exactly have strong numbers off of layoffs like this. HURRICANE HILL made his debut for this price and didn’t take much money before breaking slowly to get outrun, before making some ground to finish a no-threat 3rd; expect better from second-time starters out of this barn but this one has to really improve. EMBELLISHER ran a race that would likely best this field in his turf debut two back then faced a much tougher field last time; class drop helps but this is a tough turn back.

FOURTH RACE

LATIN LOVE BUG has had more chances than just about everyone in this field but he did seem to be in the best form of his career when last seen earlier this year and this distance may suit him better than some others; think there is enough speed in this spot to set up his run if he is ready off the layoff. DESERT LIGHTS has been consistent since being claimed by Gullo and has hit the board in five of his six starts this year while earning figures in a tight range; liked his win last March from a tracking spot and thought he took the worst of it two back when forced to chase the lone speed. SAMS LAST GHASP is two for three vs. claimers in his career and he may have run the best race last time when immediately hooked into a fast duel with favored THERE HE GOES and prevailing, only to give way to opportunistic closers late; got the best of the draw on the outside of the other speeds. GIANT BOO BOO makes a lot of sense in this spot as he drops a bit in class but there is some other speed for him to contend with here and he may not want to go much beyond six furlongs.

FIFTH RACE

STELLA D’ORO ran well in both starts last year in Ireland and easily handled a solid field in his lone turf start after a perfect trip; stateside debut came

off the layoff and he was dead game to prevail there while rating back to last early and taking a bit of a shuffle, before coming with a good finish and then digging in to hold a strong late challenge; distance no problem and he still holds plenty of upside. DEVAMANI has just been consistently solid since arriving from France having run nothing but good races with trips being most important to him due to his late-running style; stepped forward this year to win his first two starts back then caught some traffic in the stretch two back, before bumping into graded stakes-bound Annals of Time in that last one and finishing gamely for second-best. NAKAMURA was an improver last year as a 3yo and has now come back to win each of his first two starts of the year; needs to step forward again but has it in him and distance is not going to be a problem for him as he picks up Ortiz.

SIXTH RACE

LONHTWIST showed some potential last year during an abbreviated campaign and he has come back this year to start to build on that promise, especially when sprinting on turf; not sure what happened last time when shuffled out of contention and then taken under a protective hold but he was a good 2nd to Front Run the Fed in April before keeping after a good pace and prevailing when back on turf two starts later, and he just got a bad ride when rated and then losing position back to last behind a rated pace two back, before finishing gamely along the rail too late. BOURBON IN MAY ran well to be second-best in his sprint debut over soft turf then came back with a strong win in his second start going a bit longer; wellbred colt returns sprinting from the layoff with plenty of upside. SAYYAAF ran well in his first two starts over turf when going longer and failing to finish strong and he really appreciated the cut back up here on opening day when dominating weaker right on the front end; keeps improving and his speed makes him dangerous.

SEVENTH RACE

IRISH MIAS was entered for turf first time out but his pedigree is versatile and he ran a strong race to finish a closing 2nd after getting rained off; prefer his experience over this distance and he is going to be tough with any improvement off that first run; blinkers on. CANDY TYCOON brought $170k following a 21.1 breeze in April and he is by a sire that wins with 20% of his 2yo first time starters; Plether not as automatic as he once was with horses like this but he has sent out a pair of 2yo debut winners at the meet and this colt has put in a pair of fast works from the gate recently. UNPRECEDENTED by Bayern, who had four debut winners from his first crop already and this colt is from a dam who finished first three times (she was disqualified once) in her career, all in dirt sprints, and is a sister to Grade 2 winner Postponed; Kimmel underrated with first-time starters.

EIGHTH RACE

The Caress is the key race to assess regarding this race but not sure I really want anyone out of there and will instead take OLEKSANDRA shipping back in from Woodbine, where she was caught wide off a moderate pace and flattened out late; closing sprinter does not get outrun early and based on her two wins at Belmont upon her arrival, Rosario fits her very well; a little worried about the shorter trip but think she fits well here and there may be a more competitive pace than projected in this spot. BROADWAY RUN broke well from the inside in the Caress but elected to take a tracking spot and turned the longshot winner loose on the lead; she’s run better than it looks in each of her three starts so far this year and the addition of blinkers suggests that they are going to more aggressive with her this time, which is a good thing. MISS

GOSSIP was never a factor in the Caress while off the layoff but she had no chance considering the way that race was run and actually ran a deceptively good race; on the fringes of contention and will be a big price. MORTICIA likely the one to take out of the Caress after rating tactics blew up in her face; clearly a contender but her other races don’t make me want her at a short price.

NINTH RACE

VARENKA didn’t break her maiden until this past May but she flashed stakes potential as a 2yo and has clearly taken the step forward this year; got unlucky in the Regret when catching traffic behind a slow pace and she gunned down a talented rival under strong handling last time over this course and distance. FEEL GLORIOUS exits a new Beyer top for her while running the worst race of her four starts since arriving stateside; willing to give her the benefit of the doubt for that one as her other races are all good, including that unlucky trip in the Soaring Softly two back; may appreciate getting back around two turns. REGAL GLORY was the least-fancied of the Chad Brown trio in the Lake George but she proved best at the end after coming down the outside with a game finish to close down BLOWOUT; keeps getting better and can get any kind of trip in a race. WILDLIFE also holds an entry at Del Mar on Saturday but won’t dismiss her if she runs here; well-bred filly has been slow from the gate and still races greenly but her two wins on turf have been impressive.

TENTH RACE

CHAMPAGNE ANYONE did not run her best race in the CCA Oaks last time after pressing favored Guarana on the lead but that may have been a means to an end (remember preps?) for a trainer who knows how to point for a race following a short layoff; found more positional speed with blinkers on to become a Grade 2 winner over DUNBAR ROAD in March and she ran a deceptively good race in the Kentucky Oaks after encountering trouble in a couple of different spots and then making a run in a race that did not set up for closers; price may be too good to pass up. DUNBAR ROAD may wind up being the best of these as time goes on and she certainly did what she had to do in the Mother Goose last time when holding her position in some traffic, before coming clear and charging that field down with little fuss; bred to get this distance but she’s a short price in here without much of an edge on paper. POINT OF HONOR shows no distance limitations and exits a strong effort for 2nd in the CCA Oaks with that race not exactly setting up for her; can make an argument that she is the horse to beat and she is likely to only be the second choice in the wagering.

ELEVENTH RACE

TAKE ME TO HARDOON broke her maiden up here last summer over a rival who was in form at the time, then tried tougher spots at the end of the year; was chasing from the outside over a track that featured a strong rail when last seen and is eligible to step up following the layoff. MORE MISCHIEF also broke her maiden up here last summer and she has improved since starting back as a 3yo; set for best third off the layoff and she may not have to come forward all that much. TROUBLE FOR SKYLAR more of a claiming type but has some speed, fits on figures and goes out for a hot trainer.