ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 3, WINGS OF THE WIND

FIRST RACE

GENUWINE WINE has enough speed to be in contention all the way here. He’s coming off a strong second where he grabbed the lead in the lane only to be outfinished. He had another strong race three back but a puzzler between the two good ones when he was forced wide. He’s drawn to the inside here and should avoid that problem. He has a nice work since raced. FOREVER THE CHIEF has been given a seven-week freshener and will be asked to sprint for the fist time in his career. Has decent fractions when routing and should prove a factor in the lane. STARTING LINEUP is a stablemate of the top pick. He’s trailed that one twice in his past three starts but did beat him the time his rival had his bad race.

SECOND RACE

FINISH WEALTHY has won two of her past three starts and is coming off her best race yet. She’s part of a group of runners that has proven contentious when meeting each other of late. She has three easy maintenance drills since her last win. She’s stepping up a notch here. CROWN ON TAP ran second to the top pick and was claimed last time after being given a big drop and scoring a game victory while holding on desperately. She has never missed a paycheck since coming here from Southern California. CONSTANT CRAVING has been meeting better of late and won her 2017 debut against better here. The big drop could prove the key here, and she does have enough speed to make her rail draw work perfectly.

THIRD RACE

WINGS OF THE WIND is sharp. He’s running for his third barn in his past three starts, which include a win and a second at this level. He’s hit the board in seven straight and is at his best here where he’s won four of eight career starts with a pair of seconds. He handles both the main track and turf with equal ease. MY FRIEND GEORGE has hit the board in four straight but has trailed the top pick in his past two starts. He, too, has been successful here. He’s a contender, but the top pick has his number thus far. MANA STRIKE was a stakes winner here as a 2 YO. He’s cutting his claiming price in half after running third here in a tough race two months ago against proven veterans. Has a bit of class to him, but barn does not show much success after similar layoffs.

FOURTH RACE

KEIHL CRISSIA has shown improvement of late and is dropping to the bottom maiden level today. She’s earned paychecks in her past four sprints after a disappointing route try three months ago. She has stalking speed and looms tough in this heat. WILDCARD DEB showed improvement in her second start, flashing more speed and holding on fairly well. She, too, drops to the bottom level. Her dam has been productive, and she is the full sister of a stakes winner. Third time could be a charm. FIRST SICILIAN is getting the biggest drop among the contenders. She’s been the beaten favorite in her past two starts, but go back early in her career and her best would horrify these. She’s worked nicely since her last start and is cutting her claiming price in half.

FIFTH RACE

DIXIE PISTOL has turned things around since coming north. He graduated on the turf in his debut here. He tired a bit after setting the pace and didn’t have much left after jock lost whip in his debut against winners. He was give a big drop and won last time when he was claimed. He seems nicely placed here despite doubling his claiming price. He’s going to be a pace factor again. SOUL PRINCE was also claiming last time when her ran for this price and had to settle for second after winning his previous two races. He’s never failed to earn and check and has hit the board in four of five starts here, all four at this distance. He’ll get a good stalking trip from the rail. LOMA CAT makes his debut around two turns today after graduating last time in a good sprint effort. A stalker in sprints, he’s drawn outside the top pick and will be a pace factor here. Breeding suggests he’s capable of handling a mile.

SIXTH RACE

MALIBU ALEX has turned in a pair of solid efforts since returning to the races after a 10-month layoff, winning his return and then running fourth while losing a photo for third in a stakes. He’s never run a bad one and has shown a bit more speed since

his return. PURE COMEDY has won at this level this year and is coming off an even effort in the Lost in the Fog when finishing one-quarter length behind the top pick. He seems to have brought his game to another level of late. The stakes-placed WESTLEY ran second in his debut here when returning from a five-month break and freaked out last time with a totally dominating front-running performance as the favorite. He’s meeting tougher here but is sharp after the best race of his life.

SEVENTH RACE

FLOATING FEATHER returns from a six-week freshener. He’s hit the board in four straight starts, including a pair at this level. He likes the track and the distance and has seemed content to settle into a stalking role of late for high-percentage barn. NAHEM did little in his comeback, but we’ll attribute that to the fact he was sprinting against better. Past classer is better around two turns, and barn does well in second start following layoffs. He hasn’t won in some time, but his potential value makes him worth a long look here. BARUCH is a pretty consistent performer who picked up a confidence-building win after a big drop last year. He’s getting a similar drop here and is another that could prove to be a value play. Smokin’ Steve makes his first start in nearly four months and carries a three-race win streak against easier into this.