How to play

RACE 4: MUCHO ARMOR went down as the favorite in each of her last two but those were not instances of her getting beat with no excuse, as she was game in defeat each time. She prompted the pace last time and was gritty through the wire in a race which set up well for stone closers, and she was under pressure from the start in the Kent two back. There’s speed to her inside but she showed in her latest that she can rate if need be (1).

RACE 5: RALLY CAT benefited from ideal positioning when 2nd in the Seattle Slew but his inside post and tactical early foot could mean another perfect trip for him here in this Muckleshoot Derby. A LITTLE LESS TALK was off the board in the Irish Day but a premature move cost her; she tries males here but can improve with a better timed run. EL BORRACHO wasn’t pushed hard through the lane in the Seattle Slew once it was clear he would do no better than 5th; expecting him to rebound in terms of Beyers off that regression. MY GRANDPA held well for the show in that same race after pressing the issue from the start, a solid effort for his first try around two turns (4).

RACE 6: Using them all in the 1 1/8 mile Emerald Distaff, a fairly competitive race that’s difficult to plot. Several of the main contenders in here come out of the same race, the Boeing Stakes, a race where the top five finishers were within three lengths of each other on the wire. Trips could dictate the result, and that means most any of the nine can win it (9).

RACE 7: SOLID WAGER has steady recent figures and strong back Beyers, and though he’s a stone closer he should get enough pace to set him up for a late run. ROCKY TOUGH was beaten a neck in that $50,000 claimer but that was a solid effort, as he closed nicely against the race flow; meets better but his best figures give him credibility. BRAVE NATION was 2nd in his latest; versatile enough to lead or rate. Can ANY PORTINASTORM carry his speed going a mile? On the plus side, he ran well at a mile on the turf at Golden Gate, and he doesn’t necessarily need the lead (4).

THE PLAY: 5 / 1,2,4, 6 / ALL / 2, 4, 7, 8 = 144 Combinations ($72 Ticket)