ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 6, TASHKENT

FIRST RACE

French Empire seeks to win her fourth consecutive race in the Friday feature that also drew the talented Headland. In the opener, MAJESTIC DAY has reason to move forward in his second start since June. REINSURE finished in front of top choice last time and now moves back to the distance of his closest career finish. MR. PETERKIN has been favored against steeper in each of his last two starts.

SECOND RACE

GIGGING stretches back out around two turns following the sprint comeback race last time in his first start since July. The race went quite quick. This one is appealing for the fact that he has been facing steeper. CHICORY BLUE moves to a mile and an eighth here and he gets pedigree support for the distance from the bottom side of his family. ALTITO would seem to be well-served by the mile and an eighth distance on offer this afternoon, and adding to his appeal is the fact that he gets in lighter than these under apprentice Morales.

THIRD RACE

BABY CLOUD ran a credible second in her debut and the start gives her a racing experience edge on most of these. She’s from a Grade 3-winning mare who has produced a stakes winner in Coastline ($466K). GRAVITRON is another with racing experience and note back in January she hooked a next-out takes winner in Windmill. POLYESTER BRIDE is appealing for the five-eighths work from the gate here March 6.

FOURTH RACE

HAMAZING LACE has more natural speed than most of these and that would seem to give her a tactical advantage. It also could help keep her up out of trouble in this large field. A threat to wire these. LINE OF FAITH could get a tracking trip off top choice on the move from five-eighths to six panels. She also is back with Arkansas-breds after running a credible third against open company at Delta Downs. The race was her first since September. SAILAWAY AND HIDE has moved forward with each of her starts at the meet.

FIFTH RACE

EURO ME was second last out to a talented sort in Miss Antioch, who was winning her second race at the meet. MANY SWEET TREATS comes off a dominant win for which she earned what ranks as this field’s best last-race Beyer Figure. FLORIDA BIRD exits same race as EURO ME.

SIXTH RACE

TASHKENT moves back into the claiming ranks off a close-up third against starter foes. He also is moving back to the mile and a sixteenth distance of his last win, and his best career Beyer Figure. The accomplishments came in two different races, both at Oaklawn. BELIEVEINHOLIDAYS returns to the claiming ranks after facing allowance rivals and his last win came for a tag. STREET TO INDY should be sharp for the move back to two turns off the sprint comeback race. He was a closing fourth in what was his first race since November. STREET TO INDY’S most recent win came at this mile and a sixteenth trip.

SEVENTH RACE

HOP KAT has won three of his last four starts to improve his career record to an impressive 5-for11. His natural speed should serve him well in race that ends at the sixteenth pole and adding to his appeal is the fact that he owns this field’s best last-race Beyer Figure. LORD DRAGON hooked a tough group last out led by millionaire Snapper Sinclair, who is scheduled to run in the Godolphin Mile on the Dubai World Cup program. The runnerup from the race this one exits is a Grade 3 winner. LORD DRAGON might be sitting on a peak effort here, in his third start since October. CHAMPAGNEONME should be sharp for the move back to two turns off the sprint comeback race. The blinkers

go back on here and he wore a set in his last two winning races on form.

EIGHTH RACE

FRENCH EMPIRE, who has won her last three races by a combined margin of nine and a half lengths, is the one to beat. She could get a decent setup behind a few of these. FRENCH EMPIRE also owns the field’s best last-race Beyer Figure. HEADLAND brings good speed to the table and could show the way or track the other pace runners tucked to her inside. She might be tough to contain with a repeat of her stellar performance two back at Remington. SUNNY DALE has speed and the rail and is making her third start since October.

NINTH RACE

PRESLEY was second last out in a race that has become a key one. The winner came back in her next start and captured the Downthedustyroad Stakes at Oaklawn with a Beyer Figure of 70 and the seventh-place finisher, Too Pretty, an allowance at OP, with a Beyer of 66. The stakes-placed SUPERSTAR BEA gives up recency to most of these as she is making her first start since December, but like that she is back with fellow Arkansasbreds. She’s from a mare who won four races and placed in two stakes. WILLOW MOON was second two back to the talented Miss Antioch, who is a two-time winner at the meet. This one might benefit from a fast track after catching a wet surface lat time. WILLOW MOON is from a mare who won five races, earned $80K, and produced a multiple stakes-placed winner in Explosive Shoes. The debut winner HEATED ARGUMENT is a half-sister to Ministry, a stakes winner of $303K.