ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 3, SILENT FLASH FIRST RACE

WILLED is dropping off a third in a $16K turf route at Delaware. The lightly-raced 4yo worked a halfmile on the Tapeta here the other day in preparation for her first synthetic track excursion. AILIS shook loose up front before tiring last time in a $15K turf event on the inner course. VINYASA is also exiting a fringe finish in a two-turn turf tilt for $15K maidens on the inner course, and that Sept. 14 event contained two next-out winners.

SECOND RACE

A SONG FOR ARTIE battled four-wide for the lead on the turn before fading to fourth over an insidebiased track in a longer sprint Nov. 2. A hot Stein takes over, and he won a race for trainer Mike DePaulo last weekend. PINK LEMONADE prevailed in the aforementioned four-way front-end fracas when third after racing in the two-path. STROLLING POSSE is a wild card off the long layoff in his first try as a gelding and just his second start ever. BIG ROCKET MAN was disqualified from purse money in his Oct. 11 triumph due to a positive test for Acepromazine.

THIRD RACE

SILENT FLASH pressed the pace from a three-wide position last time en route to a close second behind the venerable 11yo Occasional View in a turf sprint at this $20K class. He could be the dominant speed in this 5 1/2-furlong Tapeta dash. CALL ME WALLY is plunging to a new low off a wide-closing third in a second-level optional claimer. The flashy 7yo is making his third start off a hefty $62.5K claim by McKnight, and should be along for another share. LOKINFORPURSEMONEE is moving up off a $15K claim and a rail-skimming third in a key optional starter. Use him in the lower rungs of the exotics, along with CHIRICAHUA SIGNAL.

FOURTH RACE

TWO TIMING came from fifth to finish second for the third straight time in a slow-paced sprint on a speed-favoring track Oct. 27. He may finally have found a field of NW2 stock that he can handle here.

BERNOTCHIE is dropping back down to the price at which he was claimed off a flat fourth in a $15K turf event. ZOOMER MUSIC is coming off a troubled run behind the top pick where he wasn’t far behind the fourth-place finisher, MAJOR KELLY.

FIFTH RACE

GRAY PHANTOM had a quick pace to chase when he rallied wide from the back of the pack to win an all-gray starter handicap for the second year in a row Oct. 27. A similar pace scenario figures to play out in this $10K seller. BOLD ANIMAUX made an early three-wide bid from a stalking position before flattening out to fourth as the favorite Oct. 20. He worked a bullet three-eighths last Saturday, and should be prominent with Husbands taking over. DECISION DAY beat BOLD ANIMAUX when scoring for $7K that day, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him double up.

SIXTH RACE

At 32-1, TAKOTA took virtually no support in her $25K opener, in which she broke on top before stalking the pace on the outside en route to a narrow loss. The half-sister to Bull Page Stakes winner Latonka shouldn’t be out of her league vs. these OS/$40K maidens. BLONDE COURAGE is a full-sister to the 2yo debut winner Miss Forester, a sprinter who banked $168K. She’s worked fast on occasion for a trainer who can have one ready. WINE NOT BOURBON is adding blinkers while shortening up and changing surfaces. GIZMO FLASH is exiting a fourth behind the subsequent maiden breaker Silver Dahlia.

SEVENTH RACE

LILIBET went four-wide on both turns during a subpar showing vs. $15K NW2 types Oct. 14. Contreras takes over from the retired Campbell on the turf expert, who could get back on track in this Tapeta sprint, while dropping and shortening up to three-quarters. Off three straight chalky seconds, HEART RUSH will be favored under leading rider Da Silva, but obviously isn’t worth backing at a short price. J M R BOLD VISION got cooked in a speed duel when seventh behind HEART RUSH two weeks ago. Her previous form under Salles was better, and she will compete with bar shoes again.

EIGHTH RACE

Droppers from $25K non-winners of three company could dominate this $7.5K NW3 tilt. I LOOK INCREDIBLE is adding blinkers and Contreras off a lackluster performance on the main turf. HURRICANE EMILY came up empty after stalking a fast pace in a surprisingly flat effort most recently. She should be prominent as the chalk. NEVER SOBER, a need-the-lead type, has landed in a spot where she could dominate the front-end proceedings. PRINCESS BRIE is making her first start for a hot trainer.

SCRATCH BOARD

Here are the horses entered today who have been scratched in the last 45 days and have not raced since the scratch. Definitions: Off the turf: Turf race switched to main track. Trainer: Any scratch made by a trainer, including ones for weather, medical issues, a decision not to run in a stakes race, a horse entered back the next racing day, or a conditional entry (i.e., main track only for a turf race). Vet: Injury or illness. Steward: Administrative issues like medication and eligibility.