ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 6, CHAO

FIRST RACE

The penultimate 5-day week of the 4-month championship meet here at Gulf ends Sunday with an 11-race card expected to be run amid dry conditions and mostly sunny skies with a high near 80; the Rainbow 6 (races 6-11) is projected to offer a guaranteed pool nearing $1 million, assuming it wasn’t emptied Friday or Saturday by a solo winning ticket. Looking for the 12:40p ET opener to go the way of MAURO’S TEAM for young Jose D’Angelo, who’ll be watching from Dubai; gray dude validated his Jan. 17 awakening for this same $35k tag with a second straight 69 BSF when charging straight into the fray for $50k last month; aggressive Paco handling to be expected. GUNMAN goes from Saffie to Maker as a thrice-beaten favorite; been frustrating for his peeps, for sure, but pretty good at taking home a piece. MAKER OF AN EMPIRE has been third in both starts this meet; good enough for something similar today.

SECOND RACE

Wasn’t until deep stretch that CHISPITA threw out the white flag in what was an overall encouraging debut last month for Fawkes & Co.; maybe she and Javier can lay right off the flank of R LOVE ON THE RUN when getting first run on PIPER in what seems a pretty straightforward mid-range mdn.claiming dash for state-bred 3yo fillies.

THIRD RACE

Been a sensational championship meet for Corey Lanerie, whose penchant for saving ground from start to finish and overall polish has caught the eye of a national horseplaying audience who might not have noticed his skills when riding elsewhere. This would be a nice spot for a C-Lan rail rally aboard ILL WILL, who followed a $55 mdn. upset 6 Sundays ago with a decent effort at this same N2L level 3 Sundays ago; wouldn’t mind a pace meltdown up top. FLORADO is one to push the issue from the open-air outside box; did take her 15 tries, wow, to get thru a mdn. condition, but new connections seem to have haltered her at an opportune time. HOLD THE APPLAUSE has been 2nd and 3rd in her 2 tries since leaving Canada eh and that’s OK.

FOURTH RACE

Another long dry spell in the SoFla area meant FREAK was highly likely to be scratched Saturday from the Melody of Colors, but the weathermen probably did her and Arindel and Alvarado a big favor as she fits much more comfortably in this MSW dash, assuming first-timers such as Callen’s Charisma and Honorably don’t come armed to the teeth; a trio of 3rds already, including one in a stake; retains Zayas, who registered a natural hat trick Thursday and is rolling right along with his best-ever championship meet. LOVELORN LADY earned a 75 BSF in her first and only and surely will take plenty of action with Paco and Saffie in her corner; you can understand why. MOMENTITA is a bit shy in the Beyer dept., but worth noting those figs came at 2 and now she’s a big girl; not one to underestimate.

FIFTH RACE

A bit of an ask for WHAT A TRICK leaving the mdn.-claiming ranks to try maiden-specials, but she’s run pretty well in both starts when showing effective speed; Kuehn homebred may’ve caught a fairly soft group for the level; Paco surely will have her in the mix from the get-go. A. A. FAST LIDA essentially starts out all over for Team Casse