ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 4, BLIND AMBITION

FIRST RACE

TOAST THE KITTEN ran well in both of his races over this course and won’t mind being back on grass following a couple of solid races over Polytrack at Turfway. The lightly-raced 3-year-old has speed, but can stalk, and he comes out of a barn that does very well in turf sprints. ROAD WARRIOR MAX didn’t fire in his last two at Tampa but he is a much-better horse on turf and any of his races here last year put him in the mix. WONDER FROLIC never got involved in his first start for Fawkes but he is dropping to a new low, has had a couple of decent works, and could fire a big shot coming off the bench.

SECOND RACE

ALL ABOUT DIVA overcame a rough start and traffic trouble in the stretch to win at this level in his latest and if he stays in the zone should be tough to handle. He’s versatile and can stalk or take them all the way if he breaks on top. LITTLE AWESOME chased a very fast pace before fading in his latest and could rebound in a race where there should be a more reasonable pace. He could also improve in his first start for Creque who has solid starts with newly claimed horses. ZACHARY’S PITCH forced the issue and held on well coming off a layoff in the same race the top pick exits and could move forward in his second start back,

THIRD RACE

WOODBURN just missed in his latest sprint and shouldn’t mind the move to the distance his lone win came at. He could also be sitting on a big effort in the third start of his current form cycle. LEMON ROYAL will find these easier than he met in his first start for Abreu who is having a solid meet. He could also be the one they have to run down if he breaks alertly from his inside pot. HY DANDY might not have cared for the slop in his latest and could make some noise returning this quickly for a trainer who the past five years has a 12 percent strike rate with horses coming back in a week or less.

FOURTH RACE

BLIND AMBITION had excuses in both of his races, particularly in his debut which produced four next-out winners. The horse that nosed him out for second in his latest earned a 79 Beyer Speed Figure when he won a MSW race at Aqueduct in his next start. Castellano riding for Pletcher is an obvious positive. FORTY THREEO EIGHT N looks like the main threat. He took a big step forward in his second start and considering all four of his sibs are winners including $108K stakes winner Miami Heat, he could have a bright future. MR ATILA got off a step slow and then got bounced around soon after the start in his second start this year. He was a bit rank as well, and could be a threat if Reyes can get him into the race early without having to fight him.

FIFTH RACE

WAR CORRESPONDENT finished behind ALL INCLUDED in the Grade 1 Gulfstream Turf Handicap but he has better tactical speed and could get a nice trip sitting just off what should be a moderate pace. ALL INCLUDED followed up his solid effort in the GP Turf with a win in the Grade 3 Appleton where he was aided by a fast and contested pace. Not sure that will happen in this spot but nobody should be surprised if he does get up in time. The classy 10-year-old LUBASH can fire fresh, and the past five years Clement has a 21 percent strike rate and $2.45 ROI with horses running in graded

there to give game chase to 1/5 favorite Diversify en route to big new Beyer top in his next start, and he was then up close to a strong pace in Stymie that went to closers; cuts back after getting outrun in Excelsior that came back fast. HARD STUDY still feels like a tough read after six starts, as he has posted his two wins over weaker, and he got a perfect trip when coming away second-best last time; has been running competitive figures, and has fine tactical speed. RIVER DATE ran a couple of good ones on the inner dirt off the claim for underrated trainer, but do prefer him over the oneturn routes available here, and he may wind up on the early lead once again.

SIXTH RACE

SNAP DECISION did have a dream trip into a race that was falling apart to post lone career win to date, but he has also been improving from start to start, and thought he finished gamely in Grade 3 company last time; figures tough trying available condition back in NY. TRICKED UP hasn’t come forward since pair of progressive starts to begin his career, and that was an inexcusable loss two back after a perfect trip, but he has had a tendency to run in spots, so the addition of blinkers could do him some good; tough to want a short price on him. CONQUEST SANDMAN part of an entry for Maker, both with Carmouche named, but he is clearly the preferred one after finding improved form off the trainer change; no excuses in either of his last two starts, but he was game last time after cutting the pace, and he caught all kinds of traffic in that Januarry 22nd race.

SEVENTH RACE

IMPAZIBLE WOMAN shows up with steady stream of works for his debut, including a breeze over the track 10 days ago; dam was a good dirt sprinter in her day, and Klesaris is an underrated trainer with first time starters (22% with $3.94 ROI over the past five years overall, 7-for-30, 23%, $3.39 ROI with dirt sprinters). BARBIE ON A BUDGET owns valuable experience, and she looked like one who needed some when breaking very slowly in that debut, before improving her position in a fastpaced race to finish 3rd at the end; needs to break from the rail this time. SUNSET RIDGE debuts for excellent first-out trainer, and she has some pedigree being out of a dam who is a sister to the good dirt sprinter Voodoo; money usually shows when firsters from this barn can go, especially on dirt.

EIGHTH RACE

It has always been more about distance than surface for HAMMERS VISION, who is effective sprinting on both turf and dirt, and not quite as good going longer; needs his very best vs. this field, but he may be catching some of them at the right time, and he has only sprinted on turf twice - in his convincing debut win as a 2yo, and then when taking a tough beat over yielding ground off the layoff last year after contesting the pace all the way and falling to a perfect-trip winner. DISCO PARTNER just starting back with a trainer change to Clement, but he is going to be a handful here if close to ready; has run nothing but good races sprinting on turf, several vs. top competition in this division, and his two seven-furlong races are both good, including a no-chance trip behind a slow pace last summer. CALGARY CAT has done most of his damage on synthetic, but he is a Grade 2 winner sprinting on turf, and his run in the BC Turf Sprint down the hill was solid; contender at what may be a square price.

NINTH RACE

POWER NAP dropping back down out of tough LRL sprint on the main track and switching to turf, where he has run well from limited tries; needs a trip in big field, which he didn’t really manage the last time he was on grass, but he can come running if he gets one. TOO FAST TO PASS something off a wildcard off the claim for high-percentage trainer trying NY for the first time, but his recent dirt form is good, he has run well on turf in the past, and he has some speed to put to use, which may play well in this field. AKTABANTAY never panned after arriving from Europe, but he has been tough in the claiming ranks, and he has proven to be effective sprinting; goes off the claim for the best of trainers in wide open race.