Blog

This weekend’s version of the Magna 5 is an interesting proposition.  Hopefully the weather for Saturday at Laurel will allow for the card to be run because there doesn’t appear to be a heavy favorite in any of the five races.

Race 10 at Laurel is the Miracle Wood with Turf Melody and Don’t Blame the Cat the two morning line favorites, but don’t count out Deputy Daney and Turbo Speed.  Our Commander is a perfect three-for-three at Laurel.  The outside post should be a problem as this is a one-turn mile.  Race 4 at Santa Anita is wide open.  Even 10-start maiden Cee’s Closing Time has a chace.  His one start down the hill was behind Red Sun and Amazombie, who both came back to win.  The third place finisher Hot Damon came back a couple starts after to break his maiden too.  Next is the The Very One from Gulfstream and that is another wide open affair.

A Golden Gate race, race 4, makes it into the sequence this week and Wild Yankee is a must use.  He is making a drop in class while others are moving up, but his form is from 2008.  With a start off the layoff and a 35% second off layoff trainer Wild Yankee should put in a good run.  Last is race 5 from Santa Anita, a $12,500 claimer around two turns.  Phantom Strike and Marquet Rebel are likely to take money, but check out Country Tough.  He is dropping in class and his only win was with Garrett Gomez, who will be aboard on Saturday.  This weekend’s Magna 5 has the potential to pay pretty well.

There are three graded stakes on Saturday at Gulfstream Park with the Grade 2 Davona Dale the feature race.  The stakes action starts with the Grade 3 Sabin, a one-turn mile race for older fillies and mares.  Jessica Is Back appears to be the class of the field, but a closer look would suggest Justwhistledixie gets top billing on the class ladder.  Jockey Julian Leparoux seemingly had his choice and took Justwhistledixie.  The race also came up with a lot of pace, which would benefit Justwhistledixie.

The Davona Dale is next and Bickersons is the horse to beat.  She made a triumphant return to dirt sprinting in her last and has been working well since that win.  Amen Hallelujah is making her first start on dirt, but finished ahead of Bickersons in the two-turn Hollywood Starlet.  Christine Daae just broke her maiden, but did so impressively and had excellent final time and final fraction in that race.  Corey Nakatani is named to ride and all he has done is become the leading rider at Oaklawn since moving his tack there.  Comic Marvel is the threat from off the pace.  She is a perfect two-for-two and was able to overcome a troubled trip to win her last.  On speed figures she needs to improve a lot, but just might be the one to back.

The Very One is the final graded stakes on the day and it drew a full field of 14 going 1 3/8-miles on the turf.  This race looks to be wide open and is a spread in the pick-4.  Changing Skies hasn’t race since October, but she won at 1 ¼-miles in England in 2008.  Proud Lisa won at 1 ½-miles in October and was fourth in a 1 7/16-mile race behind Kiawah Cat earlier this month.  Zaskar is going to try to go gate-to-wire and did finish second by a nose in a 1 ½-mile race.  The weather is calling for scattered thunderstorms on Saturday so check the weather report and any possible scratches.

The biggest Kentucky Derby prep race this weekend is the Grade 3 Sham from Santa Anita.  The Sham is nine furlongs on the pro-ride surface and drew a field of 10.  There isn’t really one horse that lies over the field so it should be a great betting affair.

The Program is likely to be the lukewarm favorite for the Bob Baffert barn.  Baffert and Martin Garcia teamed up this past weekend to win with Conveyance and the trainer/jockey combination has been on fire recently.  The Program nosed out Indian Firewater in his last and Indian Firewater came back to finish an okay second in the Turf Paradise Derby.  The Program is the only horse that has raced in a graded stakes and finished less than two lengths behind Lookin At Lucky.  Two back The Program wasn’t able to contend with Kettle River, who is also entered in the Sham.

Kettle River is by Congaree, who was trained by Bob Baffert, and is two-for-two around two turns.  The Eoin Harty-trainee has been impressive in both of his wins and comes into this race with a lot of upside.  Another horse that seemingly has a lot of potential is Outlaw Man.  He hasn’t been out of the money since being switched to turf routes, but in his lone dirt try he finished behind Winslow Homer.  Outlaw Man gets Garrett Gomez to ride and should be sitting a good stalking trip.

It took Setsuko five race to break his maiden, but he did so in impressive fashion.  He sat off the pace, made the lead in the stretch and drew off.  In his next start he wasn’t disgraced in finishing second to Alfarabi.  Trainer Richard Mandella trainer Setsuko’s sire Pleasantly Perfect, who was better with more distance.  This nine-furlong distance should be right up his alley.

Make Music For Me was the top horse in Alexis Barba’s stable last year and was even on the books for the Derby Future Pool 1, but Alphie’s Bet is out to make a name for himself.  He just broke his maiden, but two back was second to Caracortado.  Caracortado just went on to win the Lewis against American Lion and Tiz Chrome.  Alphie’s Bet needs to improve his speed figure, but is a threat from the back of the pack.

Nextdoorneighbor is an interesting horse, but did draw the outside post.  His speed figures are consistent and is out of a dam that did her best running around two turns.  Straighttomidnight is more than likely going to the front and The Program will be just off the pace.  Nextdoorneighbor will have to clear from the outside, but could get the garden trip just off the speed.  Mike Smith may be known as a rider who comes from off the pace and wide, but he may be more effective on the front end.  If the pace is slow don’t be surprised to see Nextdoorneighbor on the lead.  If Mikey goes left handed down the stretch, it may all be over.

With the Risen Star on Saturday the Fair Grounds offers a guaranteed pick-4 pool of $150,000.  It begins with the Colonel Power Stakes in race seven and ends with the Risen Star in race 10.  Chamberlain Bridge is the class of the Colonel Power, but there is plenty of speed to keep the six-year-old gelding company.  Free Brave is the entry mate of Chamberlain Bridge and their styles complement each other nicely.  Trainer Steve Margolis also sends out an entry and their styles are complementary as well.  Storm Treasure hails from the dangerous Steve Asmussen barn and he is hoping for a very fast pace to set up his late kick.  He finished third in this race last year behind Chamberlain Bridge and Grand Traverse.  Grand Traverse is entered again this year and comes into the race off a similar patter as last year.  He has never been out of the money in four career starts at this distance.

The Silverbulletday is next and Devil May Care is going to be tough.  She is two-for-two on the dirt and is a Grade 1 winner.  She should be able to sit off the pace of several runners to her inside.  Tidal Pool finished third in the Tiffany Lass and came back on Thursday to be an impressive winner at Oaklawn.  Bella Medaglia and Jody Slew finished in front of Tidal Pool in the Tiffany Lass, but may not get the same pace set up.  Quiet Temper has to be better than her last and perhaps she can be given a mulligan. She adds to the pace, but the feeling is that they won’t go as fast this time around.

The third leg is the Fair Grounds Handicap for older horses on the turf.  Giant Oak was on the Kentucky Derby path last year, but that didn’t go well.  He hasn’t won since May of last year, but is always in a good position.  He will probably be over bet, however.  Acting Zippy wired the Connelly, but may have trouble doing so on this turf course.  Gretsky made up a decent amount of group in the Connelly and will appreciate running on this track, which does favor closers.  Blues Street can’t be ignored for trainer Todd Pletcher and grass specialist Javier Castellano.  Pletcher and Castellano will try to sweep the Silverbulletday, FG Handicap, and the Risen Star.

The Risen Star ends the sequence and that is a great betting affair.  Devil May Care may be the single in the pick-4 and hope for value in the other three legs.  One race after the Risen Star is the Mineshaft, which puts General Quarters up against Friesan Fire once again.  In the Louisiana Handicap they drew the two inside posts and finished one-two.  On Saturday they have the two inside posts and General Quarters will try to reverse the outcome.

In addition to the Fountain of Youth, there are three other stakes races on the Saturday card.  All four of them are in the late pick-4 and the Canadian Turf Stakes and Fountain of Youth are in the Magna 5.

First up is the Hutcheson for three-year-old sprinters.  Two horses exit the BC Juvenile and both are trained by Rick Dutrow.  Radiohead took good support in his U.S. debut and finished seventh in the Juvenile.  He was a sprinter in England, but this will be his first start on the dirt.  D’ Funnybone was one of the favorites in the BC Juvenile, but didn’t take to two turns or the synthetic track.  The two Dutrow horses probably have talent, but they face a couple of “now” horses.  Wildcat Frankie has won two of three with his only loss coming to A Little Warm.  Both of those are entered in the Hutcheson and both rate a good chance.  The nod may go to A Little Warm who goes for Tony Dutrow and is making his second start off the layoff.  Wildcat Frankie will set the pace again today, but without a workout after his previous race, he may be vulnerable.

Canadian Turf up next and a horse exiting the Breeders’ Cup Mile, Courageous Cat, should start favored.  One negative is that the majority of horses who ran in the BC have come back to lose the first start of the year.  Blind Luck last weekend was able to win, but only by a short nose.  Jet Propulsion wired the field in his last, but may face pressure today from Le Grand Cru and Rahy’s Attorney.  Star Plus is an interesting horse making his second start off a layoff.  Trainer Angel  Penna  Jr. is having a great meet and has a positive ROI with jockey Rajiv Maragh.

The Fountain of Youth is race 10 and the Honey Fox is race 11.  The Honey Fox is a Grade 3 for fillies and mares on the turf and it appears to be a wide open affair.  Romacaca scratched out of the turf stakes last weekend at Tampa Bay when the turf came up less than firm and is entered here.  She will try to lead them gate to wire at a distance she is two-for-two at.  Bluegrass Princess and Afternoon Stroll have run races that are good enough to win, but those races were at Keeneland.  Quiet Harbor is trying for her sixth win in a row and she has won her last two at double digit odds.  Wasted Tears has won her last six grass races and has won seven from 10 on the turf overall.  She will make Romacaca work for the lead as both want to be on the front end.  Backseat Rhythm is a threat from back of the pack and Belmont Cat is an interesting shipper for trainer John Sadler.  Sadler has yet to saddle a winner at Gulfstream Park, but this is his first shipper not running in the Sunshine Millions.  Not mentioned is Akilina who is the morning line 7-2 favorite.  This race could spice up the pick-4 and late pick-3.