ANALYSIS

JBEST BET: RACE 5, OCEANS OF LOVE

FIRST RACE

PLANET TRAILBLAZER won going long up here last summer while taking advantage of a perfect trip but his effort sprinting this distance later in the meet was a better effort while closing from last to get 3rd and he had no chance when last seen vs. better in a race run at a moderate pace; has to be ready off the layoff. KENYAN is rapidly approaching the two year anniversary of his last win and has lost 19 in a row since defeating twolife claimers back in October of 2016, but he is much better off turning back to this distance and he did post his two career wins back to back, including a maiden win over this track and trip. BEST SURPRISE turf to dirt and turning back with some speed from the rail; was part of a contested early pace when last on the main track in March at Aqueduct.

SECOND RACE

SECRET QUALITY finished gamely for 2nd in a race that was controlled on the front by Acorn Street first time out and she came with a nice run to contention and prevailed in a stretch duel before getting outfinished by a closer last time; dangerous off the claim for Maker. AMAZING AUDREY dropping in to face maiden claimers for the first time and cutting back to a better distance after trying to stretch it out in her last two for Pletcher; faced a strong field of maidens three back at this distance and her effort prior to that at Gulfstream was solid while setting/contesting the pace all the way. RED CURLS facing maiden claiming company for the first time off a bit of a layoff for her underrated trainer; faced some much better horses in NY last summer.

THIRD RACE

YOU KNOW TOO landed in a tough spot going long off the layoff and was no match in the stretch after being part of the pace all the way; hasn’t done much sprinting in her career but her best races have come going shorter. TREBLE was on a good run heading into the Princess Rooney at Gulfstream where she added blinkers and failed to fire at a big price; steps back looking to rebound while reuniting with a hot rider. LUZ MIMI matched her career best figure when posting a hard-fought win in her return to NY two starts back, then caught a muddy track and was outfinished by next-out stakes winner Your Love at this level at Belmont; holding good form for this trainer dating back to the claim at the end of 2016.

FOURTH RACE

TRUSTWORTHY contested the pace in the slop vs. a much tougher field up here early in the meet and tired in the stretch as the closers came to take over; owns a versatile running style and looks tough on the drop after running well in his only two prior starts vs. claiming company. MALIBU STRINGS worked hard to win his career debut sprinting at Gulfstream and hasn’t gotten any better from there but he is lightly-raced and dropping in class for a trainer who wins with these horses and he is one of the few with a chance to improve. LOOKIN AT BLESSING has faced much better than this throughout most of his career and while he didn’t run particularly well vs. two-life claimers at Keeneland two back, he was off the layoff there and he did get himself into position to run before tiring; drops back down from a good post and he should be set for his best with two races behind him as a 4yo.

FIFTH RACE

OCEANS OF LOVE didn’t have much to offer in her debut at Churchill but she also didn’t look like a dirt horse while lacking speed and racing greenly in that spot; one of only two in the field with a prior race to lean on and she is bred to move way up

on turf for a trainer who has a good record with horses like this (Casse, past five years, maiden, second start, first turf: 21%, $2.15 ROI). TWO

SHAKES a half to two stakes winner from this dam, including Sunset Glow who was graded stakesplaced three times on turf and was a debut winner sprinting on turf for this trainer a few years back.

KENAI COOL doesn’t have a huge pedigree for grass though her sire has gotten some decent turf sprint performers and she is debuting for a trainer who has been sending out nothing but live horses at the meet so far; Sharp 19% with a $2.92 ROI with first time starters in turf sprints over the past five years.

SIXTH RACE

ELIOS MILOS had a pace to close into when upsetting maidens first time out, but he made a strong run into the race and then was forced to stay closer last time in a race run at a rated pace over a speed-favoring track; giving him another chance vs. this field for a trainer who has made to most of his opportunities so far at the meet. CANDY ZIP lost his rider in his debut up here as a 2yo before returning to Belmont to score in his only other start of the year; caught a sloppy track and failed to get involved after a slow start off the layoff. ALTESINO has had his chances already and has never managed to really improve after running well through some tough luck early on in his career; good try last time when away last from the gate and forced to race wide throughout before falling short.

SEVENTH RACE

VIOLET BLUE was set to try the Grade 3 Waya last weekend before that race was canceled and rescheduled, so we’ll see if she elects to run here or if she is re-entered when that race is drawn. Distance no issue for her and she appeared to take a big step forward off the layoff, before taking the worst of it while wide all through the final turn last time at Belmont. EMPRESSOF THE NILE hasn’t quite classed up in stakes competition but she put in a strong effort to break her maiden up here last summer, and the closed out her 3yo campaign with another easy win over allowance rivals; gets some class relief after trying tougher in all three starts so far this year. BENGALA got loose and wired a field last time to post her first stateside win, but she had also run well in his first two starts over here and her versatility gives her options in this race.

EIGHTH RACE

SHE DOESN’T MIND was running races as a 3yo that would make her hard on this field, and she got unlucky more than once along the way, but she missed the entirety of her 4yo campaign and hasn’t exactly come back to form so far this year; taking the right drop in this spot. ALLEY TO

CALVARY has yet to make a real impact in three turf attempts, all of them at big prices, but she did not have a good trip in the first of those and she was wide throughout and chasing in that last one, which was dominated by a horse who is better than anything she faces here; can have one more chance in a race where it’s difficult to trust anyone at a short price. QUESTEQ has already had her chances but she has run well enough to contend here several times over and exits one of her better races when putting in a good run for 2nd up here last time.

NINTH RACE

MY BOY TATE off the layoff to face open company for the first time in his career but he is undefeated since turned back to sprint and he was on a strong run when last seen over the winter; has improved his figures in every start so far and doesn’t need the lead to be effective. MR. CROW dropping back down after proving to be no match in the Grade 1 Vanderbilt last time; has yet to return to his best 3yo form since switching to this trainer but he ran two big races over this track last summer and he has speed. ALWAYS SUNSHINE has been well-managed from the start and finds another spot here where he can do well from a nice outside draw; has yet to find success in NY while mostly trying tougher races than this, but he runs his race when shipped here. Union Avenue Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 (518) 584-6200 Main track: One and one-eighths mile, oval. Mellon turf course: One mile, 98 feet. Inner turf course: Seven Furlongs, 304 feet. Distance from last turn to finish line: 1,144 feet.

TAKEOUT INFORMATION ■ Win, place, and show: 16% ■ Daily Double, Quinella, and Exacta wagering: 18.5% ■ Trifecta, Pick Three, Pick 4 and Superfecta wagering: 24% ■ Pick 5 wagering: 15% ■ Pick 6 wagering: 24% (15% on non-carryover days)

TENTH RACE

BYDAWNSEARLYLIGHT by More Than Ready and he is out of a dam who, while she never tried turf, ran well in all five of her career starts and was a stakes winner and Grade 3-placed on synthetic; trainer has a good overall record with turf sprinters. LOST IN MANHATTAN got outrun by a sharp winner in his career debut on dirt last month; bred to improve on turf being by Freud and a brother to three turf sprint winners from this dam. VETERANS BEACH is a half to the stakes-winning dirt sprinter April Gaze, but he is also a half to two turf sprint winners, including Saratoga Treasure who scored on debut up here last summer at a big price for this owner; Big Brown a solid influence with turf sprinters.