ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 10, JOSDESANIMAUX

FIRST RACE

COOKIES ARE GOOD drops to the lowest level of his career and appears to hold a class edge for a $6,250 tag; third start of his current form cycle is another plus. GADSBY TAVERN has shown he fits for this tag with a win two back, followed by a runner-up finish most recently on July 27. CLEARLY A DEMON, making his third start of the year, is a late threat to rally for a minor award; far more experienced on turf but did run second in one dirt start.

SECOND RACE

STRAYANA hasn’t started since May but was in good form in the spring and won fresh last year for this barn when returning from a layoff; 6-1 morning line is attractive. MAGIC TWO moves from a high-percentage barn into a chilly one, but fits nicely on current form and retains Zayas. VENTINA couldn’t handle the rise to $25,000 and ran seventh against such classy stock first off the claim but had previously run well at the $16,000 level and now starts for $10,000.

THIRD RACE

BABY ALIDETT ram second first out and then finished fifth in the slop and was claimed; poised to rebound if able to catch a fast track. TEN CARAT DIAMOND is a candidate to improve after flashing speed and fading to fourth first out for $25,000; down to the $16,000 level. SOUNDS LIKE MUSIC is a speedy straight maiden dropper that comes here via Arlington, where she raced on Poly and turf; a grassy pedigree for the move to dirt.

FOURTH RACE

BOSSYATTA has been right there in two starts for this $10,000 tag after breaking her maiden in her fourth start; picks up Gaffalione and appears to have more upside than others being a 3-year-old that has only started six times. The speedy BRIANNA’S BUCKET, meanwhile, is a 4-year-old that is 1 for 21. Still, she is in good form and seems improved since blinkers came off; second in her last two. DOINTHEWATUSI chased a hot pace in her latest and grew tired late to be fifth; prone to retreating over the final furlong after appearing to have every chance at the top of the lane.

FIFTH RACE

FAITH N HOPE is razor sharp right now, having won her last two in blowout fashion; looks capable of a three-peat. MY SWEET DOVE is probably at her best sprinting five eighths on the grass, but she is a solid dirt horse, too; winning connections in her corner. LIRICA just missed with a late rally in the $75,000 Azalea on the Summit Of Speed card. Having run through so many of her conditions, she starts for a $62,500 tag today under the optional claiming conditions.

SIXTH RACE

Nine-time winner DIAZ has only started once since May, winning a June 22 starter. Difficult to gauge his fitness with just one slow work showing in his PPs since, but this is a horse that won his latest with a skimpy worktab, too. LASSELL was a non factor in an off-the-turf race in the slop July 4 but is a horse with fine turf form, though he is prone to running second. THINKINQUALITY ran like he needed his latest on June 22, flattening out after

a midrace move; that marked his first race since January; turned in some nice performances in 2016, winning 5 of 10.

SEVENTH RACE

COAL MINERS SON improved second out with a third July 26, earning a 35 Beyer. That isn’t a flashy figure but it is still the best any of these 2-year-olds have run. TY WEBB is a straight maiden dropper that should appreciate facing easier maiden $16,000 stock after two distant losses. ZIONSVILLE sold poorly at auction for a son of Bodemeister, bringing only $9,000, but he debuts for a winning barn and he has turned in a couple respectable half-mile breezes.

EIGHTH RACE

AMERICAN FROLIC, twice second in a pair of turf sprints, has the pedigree to stretch out to a route, being by Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Blame. AMERICAN HALO and GIFT OF GLORY have not run as fast as the top choice on the Beyer scale, but they’ve routed already. They ran 2-3, respectively in a July 9 race, and GIFT OF GLORY followed that race with a near-miss second July 30.

NINTH RACE

TAKEN TO CHURCH has twice finished second for his current connections since being claimed; perhaps ready to finally clear the maiden hurdle. PURE COTTON take a notable class drop to maiden $10,000 after racing in higher-priced maiden claimers and even a maiden special weight this summer; comes off three straight fourths. BRASS BADGE ran third in his last two races, finishing behind TAKEN TO CHURCH on both occasions; been mired in the maiden ranks for 12 starts.

TENTH RACE

JOSDESANIMAUX is the class of the field and returns to her favorite course, over which she has recorded four of her five victories. BONITA won a pair of allowances before a fifth and a sixth in two restricted stakes. Though she was unplaced in those, she ran her highest speed figures. MY GIRL COREY showed some potential earlier in the year with a couple wins here and a stakes placing at Tampa, but has underachieved in her last two races; didn’t have a smooth trip last out on July 15 and now is reunited with Gaffalione, who rode her to a pair of victories over the winter at Gulf.

ELEVENTH RACE

ONLY IN AMERICA ran second first off the claim for his new barn July 30, and has back class going back to earlier in the year. BANCO DINERO rolled in his latest, albeit vs. an easier N3L claiming field; now in with open $6,250 claimers. ROYAL MILE is a rare invader to these parts in the summer from the Northeast, where he has been first or second in 5 of 7 starts this year.

TWELFTH RACE

TZI OUR DESTINY has been competitive lately and moves into a high-percentage able after racing for a low-percentage one; bullet work since his last start when third on July 9. HOLLYWOOD TOMCAT fits off form but is drawn on the outside in post 10 and could lose some ground; 3 for 8 this year after being 0 for 17 in 2015-2016; makes his first start for trainer Barry Croft after being claimed. WHO’S THAT CHICK finished in front of the top choice when second July 9. Her trainer, Peter Walder, has been colt since returning from a training hiatus, though a bit unlucky with a large number of seconds and thirds.