ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 2, MNEMBA ISLAND

FIRST RACE

FINEST JEWEL had a productive winter/spring stint at Tampa, a track which has yielded a host of live shippers on the inner turf at this meet. The winner of her last race returned to double up in an open $20K claimer at Monmouth (72 Beyer). BENEVIDA and POST TO POST are both likely to improve second-time off a long layoff.

SECOND RACE

MNEMBA ISLAND came from off sleepy fractions to romp on the stretchout to a route second-time out here at 2, after which he ran once on the Gulfstream grass. The gray/roan is well-spotted in this NW2 OS/$40K tilt on the Tapeta under Contreras, who broke his maiden. TORPEDO MAX is increasing in distance with the pedigree of a miler off a belated third in a fast sprint. SELF INFLICTED should be along to pick up some of the pieces following his encouraging comeback on the lawn.

THIRD RACE

ARI GOLD SPEEDWAGN is moving out to the distance of his last triumph, and the half-brother to champion Pink Lloyd should be prominent in his second start back. NESTLETON HUSH is back competing over his preferred track and distance following a pretty good comeback on the inner turf. CALL IT A WRAP has worked fast on the Tapeta in preparation for his first start on it. He was one of the leading 3yos in Western Canada last year.

FOURTH RACE

FORT HOPE stalked a slow pace en route to finishing second in his seven-furlong opener behind Golden Wave, who subsequently ran second in the Queenston Stakes. The son of Fort Larned and G2 winner Sugar Swirl is bred to go long, top and bottom. BOLD VICTORY failed to fire going seven-eighths in his return to the local scene, a race which should set him up for the stretchout to a more appropriate distance in this 1 1/16-mile event. First-time gelding CURLIN’S THRILL could wake up in his first non-turf start. Use him in the exotics, along with ARTIE MY BOY.

FIFTH RACE

DESIGNED BY KITTEN ships in from Keeneland for top baby trainer Wesley Ward. The daughter of 14% 2yo debut sire and 14% turf sire Kitten’s Joy is out of a debut winner who was a turf expert— she produced two grass winners. PURRSUADE ME is another daughter of perennial leading turf sire Kitten’s Joy. Her trainer went 2 for 3 with firsttimers last year, with a huge ROI. ROTARY has been working right along. AMERICAN INDY is by excellent turf sire American Pharoah.

SIXTH RACE

MOONLIT GARDEN bombed in a recent dirt stakes at Churchill that came up tough. The G2-placed mare is meeting much easier in this nine-furlong optional claimer on the Tapeta under Hernandez, who’s 2 for 2 at the meet for Casse. GET EXPLICIT was a hanging second in her last race on the grass and in her last Tapeta excursion in November. BOLD SCRIPT, another win-shy type, set moderate splits before weakening to third behind GET EXPLICIT June 21, when she earned a career high 85 Beyer.

SEVENTH RACE

GRAY’S FABLE flirted with the 6 1/2-furlong course record while going coast-to-coast in a recent N1X, when he turned back off two consecutive good one-mile races at Gulfstream. The late bloomer drew outside the other speed in this G2 under Hernandez, who swept both stakes last Saturday. OLYMPIC RUNNER closed strongly for second behind the favored Silent Poet when coming off an extended layoff in an open allowance on the inner turf, from which Skywire and Avie’s Flatter exited to run one-two in the G2 Eclipse. Belmont shipper WHITE FLAG checked in third in both of his

local excursions, most recently in last year’s G1 Highlander. Stein replaces the injured Boulanger on SILENT POET.

EIGHTH RACE

LAPOCHKA mowed down all the speed to capture a sprint on the main turf at this level following a freshening June 19. He could strike again in this inner turf route with Wilson back aboard. FORESTER’S DESTINY chased the top pick home in each of his two most recent starts under Fukumoto. BODE’S MAKER wired $15K NW3 rivals off a long absence June 19. The new gelding could be the dominant speed in this acid test.

NINTH RACE

MUCHOKOVA was a visually impressive winner coming from off the pace in his season opener in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special, getting a solid 86 Beyer in the process. He seems poised to double up in this N1X, which has a Beyer par of 83. ROYAL LASER got away slowly before closing for third behind Connaught Cup Stakes contender Gray’s Fable in his comeback. TIMESKIP landed on the edges behind the latter after a wide/stalking trip in his return, a performance he can build on. Firsttime gelding PEACE OF EKATI could rebound off his dull June 20 effort.

TENTH RACE

RIDE THE WIND worked quickly in company June 28, five-eighths in 1:00.60. The daughter of 14% first-out sire Society’s Chairman is out of the stakes-winning sprinter Shilla, who’s been a modest producer. TARA DAWN is dropping out of the tough Star Shoot Stakes, which yielded nextout stakes winner Curlin’s Voyage and next-out N1X winner Ima Beast. QUEEN BEACH, another debuting daughter of Society’s Chairman, is a half-sister to stakes winner Listenlindalisten and the useful Timeskip. Use MARIPOSA BELLE on the bottom of vertical wagers.