ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 9, WHAT DOES A SHARK SAY

FIRST RACE

SHOUG rallied for second when returning from an extended layoff a month ago. She should take some beating in this identical spot with blinkers on, a 25% angle for trainer Ralph Nicks. COMPETENT is by a high-percentage first-out sire. Her unraced dam dropped turf expert Miss Munnings ($235K) and stakes-winning sprinter Aarons Orient ($100K). She’s been working on the Palm Meadows green. MAY I is tagged for the first time following a layoff after posting mixed results in the maiden special ranks.

SECOND RACE

DIVINE MARTHA’s fast (78 Beyer) maiden-breaking performance two back on the dirt sticks out like a sore thumb in this $20K NW2 tilt. Throw out her fading fifth going a mile around two turns on the grass Dec. 10, when she was claimed by a trainer who’s overdue to heat up. CAFFEINE RUSH is also back on the surface over which she crushed maidens in her penultimate race following a flat effort on the lawn. FREEZER BURN is worth a look off a long layoff in her first try in the lower ranks. Her trainer scored at a 14% clip with six-month plus comebackers during the past five years ($2.15 ROI).

THIRD RACE

TAKE PROFIT was a distant but respectable third behind two nice prospects in the $100K Central Park at Aqueduct, which was more like a G3 than a listed stakes. The son of European champion 2yo Air Force Blue worked a bullet at Palm Meadows the other day and is a good fit in this N1X over 7 1/2 furlongs, the distance over which he graduated at Delaware. KITTEN’S FIRSTLOVE is back on the surface on which he broke his maiden at Churchill after coming up empty on the synthetic Tapeta track at Turfway. TRADE DEAL possesses most of the best Beyers in the field, which were earned in stakes and a maiden special at Kentucky Downs.

FOURTH RACE

SCOTTY BROWN reversed his speed style and rallied for second when cutting back to fiveeighths at this $35K class Dec. 18, from which the third horse exited to wire another $35K field going a mile with an 80 Beyer. That was his first try for Cibelli, and accomplished turf rider Alvarado retains the mount. MONTE NE finished a lapped-on second against easier in his latest while scooped up by Breen, who has solid stats first-time off the claim. LADY BOSS is coming off a flat fourth in a first-level allowance for females where the winner came back to run third in a listed stakes.

FIFTH RACE

GAGA OH LA LA raced wide from post 12 while a bit green when a clear second in her $12.5K debut. She’s adding Lasix for this $16K contest, which didn’t come up all that tough. I’M A COCO PEBBLES was competitive in each of her last three outings at this price, ending up a distant second most recently behind the front-running favorite, who came back to finish a well-beaten third in a stakes. ELLIEREESEASTON, who’s adding blinkers and Lasix, is sent out by a hot trainer who’s a little better second-time out than at first asking. R TENDERONI is another possibility off a chalky third in her opener in the slop at Tampa.

SIXTH RACE

APACHE BRAVE had a troubled run when a chalky fourth last time in his first start for high-percentage trainer Baxter. He could be more prominent here with Jose Ortiz taking over for his second start off the bench. COLONEL TOM won the aforementioned $16K claimer, his seventh victory from 15 starts, under a fine ride from Zayas. DISCRETIONARY MARQ landed on the edges

after racing wide in the same race, and wouldn’t be much of a surprise off the Breen claim with Paco up.

SEVENTH RACE

DON’T GET KHOZY merits top billing in this N1X/optional event for state-breds off a game second in a claiming crown event won by a sharp Descente, who came back to win her fourth in a row convincingly in an optional starter. The closer doesn’t have much speed to chase and should be closer to the pace than usual more making her move. DIZZY looks next best off a runner-up placing on the stretchout from six furlongs to a mile in her second start off the bench. TIZ ENOUGH was out-finished by DIZZY for second when returning from a freshening in a similar race Dec. 17. MISS PEPPINA disappointed as the favorite when coming off a break in her first start against Florida-breds Dec. 10, a race she may have needed.

EIGHTH RACE

INFINITE was in good Kentucky form, including a close fourth in an N2X at Keeneland, prior to a nonthreatening fourth on the synthetic Tapeta surface at Turfway Dec. 5. The son of Scat Daddy is at his best as a turf sprinter and should be dangerous with his tactical speed in this $16K starter, with JR riding for Ward. KRSTO SKYE brings all of the highest recent Beyers to the table, which were earned in dirt stakes prior to his victory in a Dec. 5 claiming crown event on the main track. The 14-time winner is no slouch on the grass and should be the controlling speed with Irad back in the saddle. FULLY LOADED failed to duplicate his solid second to the talented Fiya in a Dec. 5 claiming crown tilt most recently in an optional claimer, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him topple the lot.

NINTH RACE

WHAT DOES A SHARK SAY has been sidelined since running competitively in longer N1X turf routes in New York during the summer. The Animal Kingdom mare is the obvious speed in this 11-furlong N1X/optional claimer and may never look back under Saez, who was aboard for her third-place finish at the Spa. SHE THROWS HEAT broke her maiden two back over nine furlongs at Belmont, and wasn’t beaten far as the favorite in a subsequent starter allowance at the Big A. CAIRA’s last two turf races were both okay. Use her underneath in the exotics, along with CRYSTALLE and WOODFIN.

TENTH RACE

SENSE A MILLION checked in third at this level last time in her debut for Velazquez, who had a 28% strike rate second-time off the claim over the past five years ($3.50 ROI). She has a decided edge on most of her rivals in the Beyer department. DIENDA is descending to a new low off a fade job and the front-runner could get back on track with Saez riding for Casse, a hot combo. TREVESS was claimed when a prominent third behind the top pick in an $8K seller Nov. 25. Put her on the bottom of vertical wagers, along with REGGAE REVOLUTION.