ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 3, SANAVI

FIRST RACE

POLITICAL goes from turf-to-dirt for trainer Mike Miceli, who has won with four of his last seven runners making that surface switch; three of those winners were also making their second starts off the layoff, as this gelding also is, and while the sample size is small it is indeed noteworthy. WENDIGO was off slowly once again in his latest but he was moving fairly well through the lane, possibly indicating he’ll appreciate today’s added distance; the move to two turns could help mitigate another slow start, at the very least. BIG CITY RALPH is out of a dam who posted all three of her wins in sprints (never routed) but she has produced at leas one two-turn winner in Dublin Girl; trainer Jose Delgado wins at a high rate but doesn’t send out many firsters — Twirling Fire, who finished 4th here on Independence Day, was the only other debut runner from the barn for the past five years — but he does lure leading rider Paco Lopez.

SECOND RACE

POOL WINNER did benefit from ideal positioning in that Delaware Park win last time out but that’s a byproduct of this gelding’s tactical speed, which he has used to post 19 exacta finishes in 30 tries at this distance and in his 5 1/2 furlong turf races; should be well spotted just off the speed once again for trainer Jorge Duarte Jr., who does well with turf sprinters, and under Jose Ferrer, who has been hot in the opening stages of the meet. VISION PERFECT was off the board against better at Belmont last time but that was at six furlongs, which is a different game than five panels, which is where this 8-year-old excels; clearly not the same horse he was in years past when he faced some of the best turf sprinters around but he is certainly good enough to win this. WHAT’S INSIDE regressed in his latest but that was likely due to the trip, as he pressed a fast pace before tiring late; better suited to a stalking trip, and he’ll likely revert to that strategy today on the class drop for trainer Jane Cibelli.