ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 3, SHARING

FIRST RACE

MAJORITY RULES is ni star but he has run well in both starts so far and did well to hold 2nd over this distance last time while facing a better field; has the speed to get a trip and has earned a pair of figures to starts his career that ensure one of his rivals has to really improve to catch him. ONE EYED JACK a stablemate of the top one and thought he made a promising debut when rating behind modest fractions sprinting and staying on for 3rd behind a pair of promising colts; stretches right out with pedigree to handle it. LIBERTY’S PURSUIT debuted in a very live maiden race at Keeneland last year and was nowhere, then took a step forward over this distance while 3rd in the slop; well-bred colt makes his 3yo debut going long without a prep but he has plenty of upside.

SECOND RACE

NOBLE THOUGHT has been tough in the claiming and allowance ranks over the past couple of years and he had a good winter at Fair Grounds while handling dirt several of times after getting rained off; has gone longer in his two starts so far for Maker and ran quite well while only second-best to the talented Devamani off the claim, before getting in over his head going two miles in the Belmont Gold Cup; back to a better spot here over a distance he is comfortable with. MO MAVERICK has hit the board in a pair of stakes since being claimed by Cannizzo while putting his ample early speed into play on enterprising paces; has to get nine furlongs but he has some quality to him and expect him to be out there on the lead once again. SENTRY ran pretty well with little chance to impact a sharp winner on a loose lead two back and he got a look at that race last time after a better trip, only to get outfinished at the end; cuts back a bit and gets some class relief while holding form.

THIRD RACE

SHARING debuted sprinting up here early in the meet and got shuffled back while rating down inside early, before angling out in the stretch and coming with a game finish to be gaining ground all the way to the wire; Speightstown filly out of Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Shared Account is bred to relish the added ground. MORNING GOLD made her debut over this course and distance opening weekend and tracked front-running Sweet Melania on a slow pace before settling for second-best; tough in here with any improvement for a trainer who improves them through racing. LEEWAY has turf pedigree top and bottom; Clement hasn’t been as strong with his first time starters on turf recently but he is more than capable of having one ready. WINDFALL PROFIT is all turf on the bottom of her pedigree being a half-sister to five-time turf winner Profiteer from a mare who was a multiple Grade 3-winner on grass; her second dam is a sister to Grade 1 turf winner Honey Ryder.

FOURTH RACE

SHARPIN looked good winning at Keeneland three back with a good finish on a class drop and she has now caught two wet tracks in a row for her new connections, most recently when up in class and chasing on the outside; drops back down and draws a good post once again looking for a fast track. DOVEY LOVEY exits the same race as the top one where she was getting the turn back she needs, but she also failed to make an impact before tiring in the stretch; was off a bit of a layoff there and she can do better with this class relief. MALIBU MISCHIEF is another who has been compromised by wet tracks recently, as she just can’t run her race over that kind of surface; got back over fast dirt last time and used her speed to clear off early, before just holding on to the wire; logically spotted off the claim.

FIFTH RACE

FIRST APPEAL had no real excuse in her return to

NY last time, though that winner is pretty good and seven furlongs is not her best distance; got back to one of her better figures first time for Cox and like her cutting back to this shorter distance in a race that is not lacking for speed. MAMA MARY managed to get just one turf start in last year, that an underrated effort up here when compromised by a slow pace; finally got back to grass for her 3yo debut and she improved more than it may appear while taking care of favored SADIE LADY up front and then holding off a closer to the wire. SARATOGA TREASURE worked a clean trip from off the pace and out-closed FIRST APPEAL to get 2nd two back, then ran a similar race last time going seven; handles this shorter distance and will also benefit from any pace that develops in front of her.

SIXTH RACE

PLEA from the first crop of Lea, who already has a 2yo debut winner at the meet (also trained by Mott) and this filly is from a strong Claiborne family on the bottom that includes the likes of Flatter, Congrats, Sea Hero and many other graded stakes winners; Mott capable with juveniles when properly stocked and he has a pair of 2yo debut winners already this meet. MUNDAYE CALL a $950k purchase by top sire Into Mischief (wins at 16% with 2yo first time starters) and there is class on the bottom of this pedigree (family of Better Than Honour, the dam of Rags to Riches, Jazil, etc); may want more distance down the line but shows up with a strong line up on works on display. LOTTA OTT got bet for her debut early in the meet but could only chase that pace from the start before coming with a three-to-four wide bid and flattening out; didn’t love that race overall but Asmussen excels with horses like this - past five years, 2yo, second start, MSW, dirt sprint, Saratoga: 10 for 20, 50%, $3.75 ROI. HARLEM HEIGHTS may need a race for a trainer who doesn’t push but this filly has tons of pedigree being a half to Grade 1 winners Point of Entry and Pine Island, from the family of Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Pleasant Home and champion filly Sky Beauty.

SEVENTH RACE

GRADED ON A CURVE has to improve to beat this field but prefer him as a lightly-raced NY-bred in this field and thought he won his 3yo debut much easier than it may appear while racing as a new gelding; distance should be no issue and he is perfectly drawn inside. SOUTHERN KING appeared to have some potential as a dirt horse as a 2yo before bombing when last seen in the mud and going to the sidelines; returns on grass with some pedigree being by grass sire Animal Kingdom and a full-brother to Wicked Boy, whose four career wins have all come routing on turf. EL HERMANO another lightly-raced 3yo in this field, though he didn’t draw particularly well on the outside; game win in his turf debut when late to clear along the inside and he improved in his first start at this level when rallying for 2nd.

EIGHTH RACE

TALK VEUVE TO ME was a promising 3yo for top connections, winning a Grade 3 routing and getting Grade 1-placed over a one-turn mile in the Acorn, but she has, so far, not taken the step forward expected this year; thought her first start back was a good starting off point, even though she didn’t win that race impressively, but she has since lost that win to a medication violation and she has not run well in her two starts since; suppose she can have a wet track excuse for that last one, where she was no match for Saratoga-lover Special Relativity, but she needs to get it done here if she is going to make her way back to the stakes ranks. SKAMANIA was no match for TALK VEUVE TO ME last time while trying to rally along the rail in her first start over a wet track; liked her first start off the claim for Stall when overcoming a tough trip to get 2nd and she then won her next two starts with improved figures. COOKIE DOUGH getting the right class drop here after running in five straight graded stakes as a 3yo, and hitting the board in four of them; like her sprinting and she has speed.

NINTH RACE

ELSA started off her career as a turf sprinter and won impressively over a good field on debut, before getting a questionable trip and ride up here in her second start, and then catching a bog of a turf course in the Selima; won a Grade 3 over a mile at the end of last year and has has a pair of miserable trips in her first two starts as a 3yo; can handle this cut back off the layoff and there is speed in this race to set her up. BROOKE MARIE has come back an improved filly as a 3yo with the addition of Lasix and she is another in this field who can take advantage if a contested pace develops; good effort off the layoff when closing gamely into a moderate pace after being rated back to last, and she earned a new top figure when easily taking care of a weaker field last time. KARAMA a speed but one that has put plenty of talent on display in her brief career so far; turned back to sprint on turf last time and dominated that field while showing sharp speed right from the start.

TENTH RACE

LISBON hasn’t really gone on since making a somewhat promising debut late last year but his figures have improved as a 3yo and he has shown more speed in his last two starts; class drop may do the trick. DURESS debuted sprinting up here on opening day and was racing on gamely late behind an odds-on, front-running winner; don’t love the immediate drop into the claiming ranks but he is bred to stretch out. SANDY LANE KITTEN raced on the outside over yielding ground first time out and went evenly while gaining mild ground to the finish, then got into some traffic in his second start and failed to make an impact behind LISBON; gets needed class relief for a hot trainer.