ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 7, SCANNO

FIRST RACE

WILD WEEKEND lacked speed and just went evenly in his sprint debut but he appeared to take a big step forward when stretched out for his second start while traveling strongly throughout; logically spotted for his first start with winners as he switches to the Servis barn. MONTATHAM improved in his turf debut despite proving to be no match for a dominant winner and he kept close to a strong pace last time, before taking over and staying gamely all through the stretch to hold; repeat of that effort contends here. BOURBON IN MAY has come up short in his last two races while earning figures that are going to make him tough in a spot like this; drops back down and has drawn well on the inside.

SECOND RACE

GO ZAPPEM was returning from a long layoff while making her turf debut last time and she ran pretty well there vs. MSW rivals, despite being pulled back off the pace after racing forward early; drops looking to build upon turf debut that may be better than it looks. DOUBLE HAPPINESS dropped to this level last time and got shuffled back a bit while down on the rail around the turn, before getting out into the clear and finishing gamely to get up for 2nd; tries again. COLD HEARTED CAT had trouble in the stretch both two and three starts back then stretched out for her NY debut last time and was along late for a no-threat 3rd; good fit here and the shorter distance benefits her.

THIRD RACE

PETER’S PROJECT lost position while down on the rail on the backstretch at Penn National two starts back then shipped back to NY and easily handled $12.5k claimers in the mud last time; looks tough entered right back in a logical spot off the claim. BLAME THE THIEF enters here on a bit of a losing streak but he goes off the claim for an excellent trainer making his second start off a short layoff and he won twice over this track and trip around this time last year with Beyers of 83 and 85. ARMAMENT and NEIGHBORHOOD BULLY finished in a photo for 2nd while no match for PETER’S

PROJEARMAMENT time in the mud; has speed as he goes off the re-claim for Gullo, for who,m he wired a field with an 80 Beyer at Saratoga over the summer.

FOURTH RACE

CROSS BORDER found himself suddenly when switched to Maker this summer and won three straight easily at Saratoga while rising in class, before running a surprisingly good race to be 5th in the Grade 1 Turf Classic last time, with a 101 Beyer. UHTRED has to prove that he can stretch out as he steps up in class but he is lightly-raced and he has run well in all three turf starts to date; has the pedigree to handle the distance and goes for a hot trainer. MR. ALEC has been right there in all three starts to date while earning competitive figures and he already has a win going long; was shifting ground awkwardly in the stretch last time while having dead aim on the front-running winner, and it cost him in the end.

FIFTH RACE

STRIKE facing a tough cut back in distance for this but he has shown some potential from limited starts and is second off the layoff for this after getting caught wide and tiring last time following over a year on the sidelines; has speed. MORNING BREEZ has proven to be an effective sprinter on both turf and dirt and enters here following a pair of fast recent races on grass; projects to be up close in a race that may not be that competitive early. FLED won the first two turf starts of his career over the summer and did it easily, including that strong allowance win at Saratoga when well-bet; couldn’t impact last time but that 1x to