ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 1, DUPIONI

FIRST RACE

First post 1 p.m. remainder of the meet. An interesting program begins with a N2X turf mile in which DUPIONI moves up in class following an impressive N1X win. She was shuffled slightly at the three-eighths, recovered, unleashed her rally on the far turn, angled outside in the lane and blasted home with an impressive turn of late speed. Sharp. The lightly raced (nine starts) Irishbred has come around nicely in the U.S. and can handle the class hike. MISS HOT LEGS stretches to a route for the first time. Not sure if she can stay two turns, but her pedigree is fine for the trip and she has run well against good sprint company. She is not the only front-runner in the field, but she can make the lead if she wants. Come catch her? COLONIAL CREED returns to preferred footing (turf) after misfiring on dirt. She figures to tuck into a cozy trip saving ground right behind the speed. MAXIM RATE makes her first start of 2020. She runs well fresh, both wins were on the Santa Anita turf. Look for her late.

SECOND RACE

The 2-year-old filly MISS BAYLEE is working like she means business first out, no surprise from this stable. Trainer Luis Mendez is already 3-for-7 this meet with debut juveniles (could be 4-for-7 if Smoothlikebuttah had broken well). MISS BAYLEE blew out three furlongs in a sharp team gate work on Monday, and looks ready to fire. Must recognize a pedigree challenge, however. Juvenile progeny of Dominus are just 5-for-47 first out according to Daily Racing Form data. MY GIRL RED makes her debut with works that hint she is ready to fire. Her gate work May 23 (viewed on XBTV.com) was okay, she came back with another gate work last weekend. This is the first crop sired by 2014 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Texas Red. On the bottom side, ‘RED hails from a family of winners. With the meet’s leading rider, she looks live. MIZ LOLA LA DARE, a Calbred facing open, has something the top pair lack. That is, racing experience. Her runner-up debut was okay. Improvement likely. SUPER STEAMY makes her debut for trainer Peter Miller, who won with a pair of 2yo firsters last week.

THIRD RACE

COMMANDER returned to form last out when he shortened to his preferred sprint distance, runnerup in a productive allowance/optional claiming race. The winner She’s So Special returned to win a stakes; seventh-place finisher Governance won an allowance route next out. COMMANDER faces slightly easier in this $50k claiming race for 3-year-olds, and would be tough to beat if he runs two alike. Trainer Peter Miller has won with 8 of his last 11 turf-sprint favorites. PROMISE NOTHING switches to turf, drops in class and picks up the leading rider. Sired by Street Boss, grass might be the right surface. His runner-up finish last out was in a wickedly fast race on dirt. One-two his last four starts, he can improve. BAD BEAT also returned to form last out when he returned to a sprint and was refitted with blinkers. That was a runner-up finish at Golden Gate. He ran well on this course in January, and is quick enough to establish position from the inside post. HYDROGEN switches surfaces and benefits by his comeback prep.

FOURTH RACE

CRYSTAL BALL gets the call in this maiden filly route, based on her creditable third-place debut in a maiden route won by her higher-odds stablemate Regal Beauty. CRYSTAL BALL posted three easy works since raced and is likely to improve second time out. She was purchased as a 2yo for $750k. Abel Cedillo replaces Drayden Van Dyke; the filly is trained by Bob Baffert, who also entered VIA ANGELICA. The latter’s third-place debut in a sprint was merely a schooling run. Sired by Quality Road and produced by a route stakes winner, VIA ANGELICA is bred to run long and likely to improve with a race under her belt. LAST FIRST KISS continued her improving pattern with a creditable runner-up finish last out, nearly three lengths in front of CRYSTAL BALL. Each start by ‘KISS has been better than the start before; she has a forwardly placed running style that should play well in a small field that is short on speed.