FIFTH RACE

VETERAN returns from a layoff as possibly the one to catch in this maiden turf sprint. He showed speed before fading in his career debut last summer on dirt; his comeback workouts suggest he is sharp and ready. Turf should be fine. Sired by Quality Road, his dam’s two wins were on turf. SOLO ANIMO showed plenty of promise in his third-place debut. He broke last of 12, unleashed a middle move through the turn, hit traffic and steadied slightly into the lane, split horses in deep stretch and finished with run. Solid debut. With a rider switch to Cedillo and a race under his belt, improvement is likely. ABSOLUTE UNIT is a six-start maiden returning to his preferred surface. His career-best performance was his only sprint on this course, a runner-up finish in January. The Oaklawn Park maiden race he exits produced at least two next-out winners. TWIRLING THE GOLD is a second-start maiden whose debut at Los Alamitos was nothing more than a prep. He produced no speed, and finished on his own. Sired by Twirling Candy, turf should be his deal. Upset candidate?

SIXTH RACE

Third start back from an extended layoff, graded winner LAW ABIDIN CITIZEN cuts back to an allowance sprint after a solid runner-up finish at a mile. He set a strong pace while making his second start back, fought back, and missed by a head in a sharp effort. He did benefit from the speed-friendly surface, but his runner-up finish marked a return to form. The versatile veteran is good on turf and dirt, sprint and route, and has speed to keep the pacesetter to his outside in his sights. Since racing resumed last month, trainer Mark Glatt and jockey Abel Cedillo teamed in nine sprints: four wins, three seconds, two thirds. BLAMEITONTHELAW was only prepping last out when he trailed at 70-1. That was his first start in nearly a year, he is more effective on dirt. One year ago, he scored an impressive allowance win here with the same turf-to-dirt pattern. Improvement likely second start back. MCKALE is the aforementioned pacesetter drawn directly outside the top choice. MCKALE set a fast pace and finished third last out in a G2 sprint. That race, and his N2X win two back, makes him the one to catch. JUSTINIAN has ability, but he is his own worst enemy. Last out he was restless in the gate, bobbled, got keen and misfired. Habitually slow from the gate, he will be ridden for the first time by the circuit’s top rider.

SEVENTH RACE

SABINOS PRIDE, who ran like she needed the start last out in a similar $25k claiming N2L turf route, gets the call returning at the same level. She chased a strong pace last out, loomed a threat in the lane, then flattened out. Not bad. That was her first start in nearly three months, she finished in front of four of these rivals, and benefits by a pace scenario that came up soft. SABINOS PRIDE can either make the lead or press easy fractions. Either way, she is the one to beat with an up-front trip. INVINCIBELLA split the field in the same race the top choice exits, while racing for the first time in four months. Her runner-up finish at this level in January puts her in the hunt. DESTINY’S JOURNEY is the only entrant in this six-runner field that exits a race other than the May 17 contest. ‘JOURNEY has a pressing style that should lead to a comfortable trip forwardly placed in a race likely to unfold at a soft pace. Not sure about turf for her, but this field came up weak.

EIGHTH RACE

Class dropper SHOW BUSINESS and last-out runnerup STREET IMAGE top this maiden-20 sprint. The call is the dropper. Last out in a maiden-40, SHOW BUSINESS dueled on a solid pace before he tired and split the field. He drops to the bottom level, gets an outside post and will be ridden by Prat for the first time. STREET IMAGE also dueled on a solid pace last out, albeit maiden-20, and finished four lengths clear of third. That was his first start since changing trainers; the front-running gelding probably is the one to catch. GOBOLDLY looms an upset candidate, second out dropping from maiden special-weight to the maiden-20 bottom. A win would be a surprise, of course, because he did not show much in his tenth-place debut at 92-1 odds. ROSSMAN did not have a great trip last time from the rail post. Beaten favorite three straight, he should be finishing.

NINTH RACE

Taking a shot at a price in this mile-and-a-quarter turf stakes. PRETTY POINT is the least accomplished entrant, just one career win vs. maidens. However, she finished well last out in a mile race won by the pacesetter, and stretches out to the distance of her career-best effort. That was a third in the G1 American Oaks on “good.” If she can reproduce that effort on “firm,” she can score an upset against rivals that are mostly unproven at this distance. Can we get 8-1? DOGTAG is the likely favorite, and likely pacesetter. She pressed a fast pace last time in a N2X mile and scored a decisive victory over four rivals she meets again here. Not sure if DOGTAG really wants this distance, but they’ll have to catch her to beat her. STRIKE AT DAWN ran like she needed the start last out, fifth behind DOGTAG after chasing the strong pace. OUT OF BALANCE benefits by the longer distance.