ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 9, MUSICAL HEART

FIRST RACE

RUVIES IN TIME had the advantage of being the best speed a strong rail en route to victory last time, but her overall form since getting back on track following a long layoff has been solid and she is capable of a race that would make her tough right back in this spot; likely to go from the start with main rival MALIBU MISCHIEF right to her outside. MALIBU MISCHIEF won six in a row prior to stepping up to face stakes rivals at Laurel two and three starts back to no avail; back on track last time while dominating weaker on a loose lead. LEM ME HAVE IT’s top race doesn’t compare with the top two; hoping to get them to race early as she tries to pick up pieces making her second start off the layoff for a new trainer.

SECOND RACE

AMERICAN POWER has always been solid but he has been in the best form of his career since being claimed by Atras, winning three straight on the way in here, including the Grade 3 Toboggan last time; has found improved speed for his new trainer and is the horse to beat right back over a distance he handles without issue. MAD MUNNYS cut back to this distance last time and finished gamely to just miss 2nd behind a clear-cut favored winner; capable of a big race when in the mood and he is not slow early. PETE’S PLAY CALL just missed after a long battle with AMERICAN POWER in the Toboggan two back, then failed to factor behind the speedy Chateau when returned in another Grade 3 three weeks ago; consistent 8yo more than capable of turning the tables here.

THIRD RACE

LETMETAKETHISCALL bombed in her first start off the claim for these connections late last year, but she got back on track quickly to win her next three starts with the best figures of her career; exits a game try contesting the pace vs. colts last time, where she only failed to last for 2nd in the late stages. JUMP FOR JOY defeated the top one when they met at Saratoga last summer, and she has continued in good form since then while hitting the board in each of her next six starts, two of them wins; has speed from the inside. DOVEY LOVEY hasn’t won a race since going back to back over this track more than a year ago, but she has not been embarrassed while up in class recently and has held her own behind the top two several times; needs the right trip to pull off the upset.

FOURTH RACE

STORM ADVISORY parlayed a perfect trip into a victory off the claim for a red-hot trainer here two weeks ago and returns quickly looking to make it two in a row from a nice outside draw; backclasser has plenty of races that make him tough in here if he can keep it going for Atras. BEARS MAFIA won five in a row immediately after leaving this circuit last summer, then returned to Belmont to make it six straight while earning a new top Beyer of 90 last October; makes his first start in over 130 days after being vanned off vs. a better field when last seen. SQUARE SHOOTER rallied gamely into a good setup and just missed to fellow closer Control Stake in an improved effort two back, then scored easily over a wet track in his next start while off the claim for Potts; had the claim voided out of that win and has been listed as a vet scratch since, but he is a major player in here assuming everything is okay.

FIFTH RACE

SISTER PATRICIA weakened off the layoff in January to get run down by a rival she will meet up with again in this spot, and she hasn’t run as poorly as it may appear in her two starts since, especially that last one when trying to take the race to Fair Regis on the lead and paying the price; bounceback candidate has won going longer so the seven

furlongs should not be an issue. CARAMEL CREAM shipping in off of a closing win on the cut back last time at Parx; each of her last three wins has come over this distance and she is tactical from the outside draw. DUBLINORNOTHIN ran down SISTER PATRICIA when that one was returning from a layoff in January, and she has continued in good form since with a close 2nd in her next start and then an allowance win over this distance shortly thereafter; versatile mare had little chance with the streaking Malibu Mischief in a pace-dominated race last time.

FAMILY BIZ came wide and rallied strongly to win off the claim two back with a 94 Beyer that matches his career-best, and he ran better than it looks last time while kept very wide and staying on late to no avail over a track that was strongly favoring the inside; lands in a race that is not lacking for early speed as he cuts back to sprint. CAUSE OF ACTION’s top figures pale in comparison to some of his rivals in this spot, but he has been racing in the best form of his career of late and may have been very unlucky not to make it three in a row last time after getting jammed up on the rail in the stretch; steps up in a race that could be run to suit his closing style. TWELFTH LABOUR ran well off the claim two back while only second-best to the in-form Heirloom Kitten, then ran ever better while dominating three-life claimers last time; cuts back.

SEVENTH RACE

MALIBU PRO has been on a good run lately despite having just the November win to show for it, a race he backed up strongly when just missing in his next start; ran better than it looks two back after being rated all the way back to last behind the aggressively-ridden Mad Munnys and is a rebound threat off the Rudy claim in this spot. DARK STORM took a step forward when cut in half two back to post an easy win and he did his best while under pressure over a distance that may be beyond his best last time; cuts back. CHIEF KNOW IT ALL wasn’t approaching his best figures in his first few starts back from the layoff last summer despite racing competitively; good try two back when dropped in class and he was away from the strong rail last time when weakening late.

EIGHTH RACE

MISS MI MI was game to prevail off the layoff at the end of last year and she has some excuses for her recent races, including that run two back when having no chance with Sirenic speeding along on a gold rail; tried gamely last time while once again having no chance with a dominant winner and she gets this distance. MIA BELLA ROSSA a new face shipping in off of three straight wins out of town, most recently with a new top figure; new-found early speed has served her well during the current streak. SIRENIC took advantage as the speed on a gold rail day to put up a significant new Beyer top two starts back, but she exited that race to run well again last time while chasing heavily-favored Invaluable to no avail; stretches out with speed.

MUSICAL HEART has hit the board in each of his last eight starts on dirt and, despite showing only two wins in that span, has run well vs. competition that dwarfs what he will be meeting in this spot; won going 10 furlongs at Gulfstream last year and he ran very well last time while chasing Mr. Buff on a strong pace from early on, which ultimately cost him 2nd. DOUBLY BLESSED has been a revelation since switching to dirt for his last three starts, all of them wins with improving figures; has the distance question to answer and he did ride a strong rail to victory en route to that new top figure last time. SUPER DUDE has won each of his last two starts around two turns and went well off the claim last time despite being no match for the in-form HEIRLOOM KITTEN; distance may be to his advantage this time.

TENTH RACE

SEVEN LILIES did well to overcome a spot of trouble in the stretch to get up with a new top figure over this track and trip last December, then took another step forward when finding a strong finish to overwhelm allowance rivals two starts later; had no chance last time after steadying on the backstretch over a track that was favoring speed.

DIRECT ORDER has not been hampered by the wet tracks he has been faced with recently, but his form after fast dirt is just as good and he came with a good finish to just miss getting up over this distance last time; threat off the claim for a highlyunderrated trainer. TOWN JAK has hit the board in 12 straight starts out of town (4 wins in that span) and most recently handled a difficult cut back in distance to get up going shorter; scored over this distance off the claim in January and just missed making it three straight sprints while on short rest two starts back.