ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 8, QUIET COMPANY

FIRST RACE

First post is 12:40 ET. Remember 12% takeout on Pick 5 wagers. It’s hard not to root for OAK BLUFFS, a venerable 10-year-old that notched his twentieth lifetime victory under a perfect Paco Lopez ride at Gulfstream on May 29. Saved ground at the back of the pack, received a beautiful railskimming run in the lane and was up in the shadow of the wire. Multiple stakes-winner will have to be close to his best if he is to upend this salty group and the late-kicker is hoping he gets plenty of pace to attack late. Conversely, TEAK has excellent early speed and he should be in the thick of things when the real racing begins as he drops in class for the dangerous Jamie Ness barn. Broke well most recently in a tough “two other-than” at Delaware, raced three wide through the turn and never made a dent. Should go better against this group as he makes his third start of the form cycle. COLONEL TOM won his last two turf sprints by a combined 9 1/4 lengths and has the tactical speed to lead or sit depending on his break. Don’t think he emptied the well in seasonal debut 15 days ago as he set a three-ply pace along the inside and scooted clear of that outclassed group in the stretch. Lightlyraced gelding earned a big “fig” over this course and distance last fall.

SECOND RACE

WILLMAKEYOUHAPPY hasn’t run well in both starts since the layoff, but one could make excuses for both races. May simply have not been ready to go in first back from 105-day break when

a ground-saving beaten favorite behind next-out 80-Beyer winner Bullets Child, then didn’t seem to appreciate the turf experiment in most recent outing. Think he’ll show improved speed in first start for Farrior barn that won with three newly-claimed runners this month at Charles Town.

CROUCHELLI needs class relief and he gets it as he makes his first start for a claiming price this afternoon. Late-runner had virtually no chance last time once the aforementioned Bullets Child shook loose on an uncontested early lead, but he ran on a bit in the stretch when also behind next-out 74-Beyer allowance runner-up Air On Fire. Both wins have come around two turns but he gets a little bit more ground to work with here and can fire late given a proper amount of pace up front. FORFIFTYFIVEROCKET should be tough as the lone three-time winner in the field. Didn’t have the easiest trip in first race off the break yet still finished ahead of next-out seven-length winner Walk Away Joe (68 Beyer in $16,000 ‘beaten’ offthe-turf claimer).

THIRD RACE

EJE GAMA might not have much upside after 15 losses, but this will be his first turf sprint and he seems to be coming into it in good form. Pushed favored Embrace the Grind (finished fifth) through some very fast fractions going two turns last out, put that horse away turning into the stretch and held on for a piece despite coming out sharply under left-handed urging. The first- and thirdplace finishers were 13 and 17 lengths off the pace, respectively, after the opening half-mile so Eje Gama deserves extra credit for lasting as long as he did. NEXTSTOP POKIPC gets back to preferred surface after fitness-building off-the-turf run against $25,000 sellers. Earned very competitive Beyer in debut for this barn when pushing a slow pace at Delaware before succumbing late to favored Bold Trek. The pace could be quicker in this spot. HAIR OF THE DOG showed improvement with addition of blinkers as he went a blistering opening quarter in company with 2 to 1 shot Palace Kid (finished ninth) and kept on trucking to finish a good second. Expect him to get forward again and could prove tough to catch.

FOURTH RACE

IN HIM WITH HIM gave a game performance when coming through as the favorite in a conditioned nickel claimer earlier in the month. Shuffled back a bit on the final turn, he re-rallied in between horses to just get up in the shadow of the wire. The fourth-finisher from the race returned to Beyer 68 when second in a similar spot. Has enough tactical speed to stay close to the expected moderate pace. QUIT YOUR MOANIN finished seventh last time out, but might have been best. He didn’t break very well from the gate, dove down to the inside on the backstretch while in last position, then was stymied in terrible traffic for the majority of the stretch run. The runner-up from that race returned to win an open $12,500 claimer at Delaware with a 67 Beyer. Interesting spot for RIDGEMONT HIGH as the mare takes on the boys while racing for the waiver condition. Drifted out considerably during the stretch run of recent victory at Penn National and has been away 147 days. BATTLE READY looms a super-dangerous threat dropping from an entry-level allowance at Charles Town with excellent early speed.

FIFTH RACE

ZOLA B should benefit from solid learning debut going short. Last on the rail turning into the straight, she eventually altered course to the far outside and was running on late. Half-sister to seven-time stakes-winner Alwaysmining shouldn’t have any issues with the additional distance and it’s nice to see her back on relatively short notice for sharp barn. MOSALAH improved by leaps and bounds in second lifetime start. She saved ground behind a slow pace and finished decently for second while in a bit tight in between rivals. Another back in two weeks or less, she should save valuable early ground after breaking from the inside post. BECKON could be the one to catch for Ann Merryman. This filly went very fast early in her first start following a 159-day layoff and understandably got a bit leg-weary in the final furlong. Figures to show more stamina in second start back and might not need to go as quick to grab the early advantage in this spot. Still believe this half-sister to Grade 2-winning miler Nefertini and stakes-winning dirt router In the Navy Now can get this distance given the proper rating. GALE sold for $175,000 as a weanling, for $200,000 as a yearling and for $450,000 last year, and is out of a stakes-winning dirt sprinter. SWEET TALKING GIRL’s dam went 2 for 2 on turf. HETTY LANGE is a half to three black-type earners including stakesplaced turf sprinter Karakorum Fugitive.