Santa Anita – Robert B. Lewis Stakes

Liaison Headlines the Grade 2 Field

Three stakes races on the card this Saturday at Santa Anita and right smack in the middle is the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis Stakes for three-year-olds. This is an important step for the connections looking forward to the Santa Anita Derby in April and further down the road the Kentucky Derby.

A field of eight was drawn for the mile and one-sixteenth race with Liaison, the expected morning line and post time favorite, drawing post two.

The Bob Baffert-trainee ran four times as a two-year-old in 2011 with three wins and a third. The highlight of those wins was a neck victory in the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park. Prior to the Futurity win he won the $100,000 Real Quiet at Hollywood and a maiden race at Santa Anita.

In the CashCall Liaison stalked the early pace from fourth then made a move to be within a neck of the lead after six furlongs then gamely held on to win by a neck over Rousing Sermon. Looking at the CashCall on paper may make one think Liaison was lucky to hold off the late charge of Rousing Sermon, but the most impressive part of the race for Liaison was the gallop out. At no time did the Indian Charlie-colt let his rival past him.

Of course that is not stopping the connections of Rousing Sermon as well as the others from the CashCall Futurity from trying their hand at revenge in the Lewis. In addition to Rousing Sermon the other horses coming back to face Liaison on Saturday are Groovin’ Solo, Sky Kingdom and Empire Way.

Rousing Sermon is cut out to be a true two-turn horse so it was a surprise to see him win his debut at five-furlongs over the synthetic track at Hollywood Park. The Luck Pulpit-colt has yet to finish worse than third in his six-race career, which includes two wins. Aside from the maiden race Rousing Sermon won the Cal Cup Juvenile, which was at Santa Anita over the mile and one-sixteenth distance.

Groovin’ Solo is likely to be a long shot on Saturday as is Empire Way, but Sky Kingdom may give his stablemate Liaison a run for his money.

In the CashCall Sky Kingdom “pulled early” then was three-wide coming into the lane. It was the first time since his debut the Empire Maker-colt had been farther than a length off the early pace and it showed in the early stages. Jockey Garrett Gomez was able to get him to settle, but at that point he was just looking for the minor awards.

After the CashCall trainer Bob Baffert looked for an easier spot and he found one in a four-horse allowance field. Baffert also went back to his go-to jockey Martin Garcia and Sky Kingdom responded with an authoritative win by over four-lengths. With a bullet workout in his holster Sky Kingdom could be on the muscle when the gates open.

The pace of the race is an interesting one with two runners coming out of sprint races. Isn’t He Clever drew the rail and has yet to be farther than seven furlongs. He won his last race, a $104,000 stakes race at Sunland Park by over eleven, but has to prove himself on this circuit. I’ll Have Another has not run since a disappointing sixth in the Grade 1 Hopeful at Saratoga and may be the speed of the speed in the Lewis.

Chips All In rounds out the field and he has a stellar four wins and one second in five career starts. His last was his best race yet, but that was a stakes race over the Santa Anita turf course. He does own a win on the dirt, but that was at Arapahoe Park.

Chips All In is going to need to step up his game if he is going to ruin the Bob Baffert exacta.

Post time for the Robert B. Lewis, race six on the ten-race card, is 6:05 ET.

Santa Anita – Strub Stakes

Tapizar Gets Tested

The final stakes race on Saturday at Santa Anita is the Strub Stakes for four-year-olds at nine-furlongs on the main track. The Grade 2 race drew a field of eight led by Tapizar.

Tapizar is a horse with a lot of talent as evident by his sensational win in the Grade 2 San Fernando last month. In the San Fernando Tapizar broke from the gate, made the lead shortly after then never looked back on his way to an easy three and one-half length victory.

Prior to the San Fernando the Tapit-colt was fifth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile after winning an allowance race by over two-lengths at Belmont Park. Tapizar started 2011 with hopes of running in the Derby, but after a disappointing fifth in the Robert Lewis he was taken off the trail when he was diagnosed with a chip in his knee.

In three career starts at Santa Anita Tapizar has two wins with his only defeat coming in the Lewis. The concern for the colt on Saturday is the distance and the presence of another front-runner.

Ultimate Eagle makes his dirt debut in the Strub after starting his career on the Hollywood Park synthetic track then running his last five races on the turf. Of the eight entrants, Ultimate Eagle is one of two horses with a Grade 1 win on the resume. The Mizzen Mast-colt won his Grade 1 at Hollywood Park in the Hollywood Derby at ten furlongs on the turf. Based on his work tab this will be the first time his trainer Michael Pender has put Ultimate Eagle on the Santa Anita main track.

The other Grade 1 winner in the field is the Bob Baffert-trainee Jaycito. Jaycito, by Victory Gallop, won his Grade 1 for trainer Mike Mitchell in the Norfolk Stakes in October 2010 when Santa Anita was using the synthetic surface. After a disappointing run in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and a layoff of 4 months the colt was transferred to Bob Baffert, who has run Jaycito twice.

The problem with Jaycito is not ability, but that another layoff shows up again on his form. He came back with a second in the Grade 2 San Felipe then was off another five months and ran fifth in an allowance race at Del Mar. Jaycito has not run since the trip to Del Mar, which came nearly seven months ago.

Prayer for Relief is the first to benefit from a pace duel between Tapizar and Ultimate Eagle. Prayer for Relief finished three and one-half lengths back of Tapizar in the San Fernando, but that was his first start since late-November and Tapizar was left alone on the lead. The Jump Start-colt has come back with a bullet work over the track and can spring a mild upset with a good trip.

The horse that benefits from a complete pace meltdown is the outside horse Balladry. Balladry was second in the San Fernando to Tapizar and was just able to get up for second over Prayer for Relief by a nose. The Strub will be his third start off the layoff, which has been a good angle in his past races. The nine-furlongs also helps his late run.

Beer Meister, shipping west from Arizona, Clubhouse Ride, off since January 2011, and Indian Winter, sprint to route with the blinkers on, complete the field.

The Strub Stakes goes as race eight on Saturday with a scheduled post time of 7:07 ET. It is the second leg of the late pick-4, which starts in race seven at 6:36.

Tampa Bay Downs – Sam F. Davis Stakes

Eleven Three-Year-Olds on the Oldsmar Oval

The second major three-year-old prep race this weekend is the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. The mile and one-sixteenth race drew a full field of eleven with every horse looking for their first graded victory on the dirt.

Two colts come into the race with graded victories, but they were on the turf at Saratoga and the synthetic track at Woodbine. Ironically enough the two, State of Play and Prospective, book end the Davis on Saturday.

State of Play will break from the rail and will be making his first start since a twelfth place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Churchill Downs. The Graham Motion-trainee is bred for the turf being by War Front so the move to the dirt is a big question mark. The positive for State of Play is that he has been stabled on the grounds since early January and has four works over the track.

Prior to the Juvenile Turf, State of Play won the Grade 2 With Anticipation around two turns on the Saratoga turf course and a maiden turf sprint over the same course. Alan Garcia ships in for the ride and should be one of the betting choices when the games open.

Prospective has something that State of Play does not have and that is a race over the track. Prospective also race on Breeders’ Cup day, but he ran in the Juvenile on the main track. That did not go as planned, finishing last by over 20-lengths.

The biggest win before shipping down from Canada for the Malibu Moon-colt was the Grade 3 Grey Stakes over the Woodbine synthetic track. After the last place finish at Churchill the connections regrouped and entered Prospective in the Pasco Stakes at seven furlongs at Tampa.

In the Pasco, Prospective ran near the back of the pack early, made a move to get up to fourth after six furlongs then just got up by a half-length at the wire. He will need to improve and get a good trip from post eleven to win on Saturday.

Neck ‘n Neck and Reveron have something that the top two choices don’t have and that is a win around two-turns on the main track.

Neck ‘n Neck broke his maiden by widening lengths in a maiden special weight race at Churchill Downs while Reveron won the Gulfstream Park Derby in nearly wire-to-wire fashion on New Year’s Day. With Todd Pletcher having a strong contingent at Gulfstream it would appear both Neck ‘n Neck and Reverson have found an easier spot, but they couldn’t duck Pletcher.

The Pletcher barn is represented in the Sam F. Davis by Ecabroni, a Smoke Glacken-colt who has won one of two races in his career. The speed figure earned in his last in only topped in the field by Neck ‘n Neck and Reveron. It is likely Ecabroni and Reveron will be disputing the early pace when the gates open.

Burning Time is the threat from off-the-pace if the speed is not holding. He finished fourth, beaten just over three lengths, in the Pasco and won the Foolish Pleasure around two turns at Calder in mid-September. Top jockey Leandro Goncalves takes the mount on the Burning Roma-colt.

Battle Hardened is an interesting maiden for trainer Eddie Kenneally with Julien Leparoux named to ride, but he is also entered for a race at Gulfstream Park on Saturday. He adds more pace should he stay in this race.

Completing the field are Holy Highway, Moroccan Brew, Fox Rules and Ravelo’s Boy. Post time for the Sam F. Davis is 5:10 ET.

Tampa Bay Downs – Endeavour Stakes

Grade 3 Turf Fillies and Mares

One race before the Sam F. Davis on Saturday is the Grade 3 Endeavour for fillies and mares, four-years-old and upward on the turf course. The mile and one-sixteenth race drew a field of ten and contention runs deep.

Zagora may be a heavy favorite in the race, but the five-year-old mare is vulnerable in her first start since mid-September at a distance that may not be her best.

Prior to the layoff Zagora has really done nothing wrong since being shipping across the pond from France. In her native country Zagora won four of eight races including wins in the Grade 3 Prix de Psyche at Deauville and the Grade 3 Prix Vanteaux at Longchamp. Both those races; however, were at distances longer than the Endeavour,

In six U.S. starts the Green Tune-filly has only one win with three seconds and a third. Her lone win came over a turf course at Saratoga rated “good” and was at nine-furlongs. She comes into the Endeavour as the mare to beat, but may need a start for her best and most handicappers love beating the favorite.

One mare that won’t have a problem with the distanced is Keertana for trainer Tom Proctor. The six-year-old mare has six starts with three wins, one second and two thirds at the one-and-one-sixteenth mile distance. Keertana comes in to the race off of back-to-back wins, but her last race was in May at Churchill Downs. That day she won the Grade 3 Louisville Handicap against the boys at twelve furlongs on the turf.

The top two choices have faced either other before with Zagora getting the best of her rival by almost two-lengths in the Grade 3 Hillsborough over the Tampa turf last year.

Exclusive Love has the edge of having a recent race over her two rivals as she is making her second start off a layoff after finishing seventh in the Grade 3 Marshua’s River at Gulfstream Park. She was only beat two lengths that day and will improve with the race under her belt.

Two new shooters to the graded turf stakes in the U.S. are the Irish-bred Crying Lightening and the Italian-bred Master Shade.

Crying Lightening has one start in the U.S. for her trainer James Toner and that did not go as planned. Bet to 10-1 the Holy Roman Emperor-filly was never in contention and finished tenth of eleven. The race was somewhat flattered when Hooh Why, second in the race, came back to win the Sunshine Filly & Mare Turf last weekend. In 2010 Crying Lightening was good enough to be second in a Grade 3 and will need to find that effort to hit the board on Saturday. One positive is the presence of top turf jock Julien Leparoux.

Master Shade only made two starts in Europe before coming over to the U.S., Crying Lightening made eight with four in Dubai, but has done a lot better. The Team Valor-owned, Graham Motion-trained filly has three wins in her five U.S. starts highlighted by a win in a $60,000 stakes race at Aqueduct in early November. That was the last time she ran, but her trainer is capable of getting one to run well of the layoff.

The remaining fillies and mares all have a claim on hitting the board on Saturday and could even upset with the right trip.

Dundalk Dust won the Grade 2 Fall City Highweight in 2010 over the Churchill Downs main track, but is bred for the turf and is two-for-five over the lawn.

Martita Sangrita makes her second start off a long layoff and runs for a high percentage trainers who is hitting with 20% of her second-off-layoff runners. Before the layoff Martita Sangrita ran well enough to be fourth and fifth in a pair of Grade 3 turf races.

Jenny’s So Great won the Grade 3 Royal North over six furlongs on the Woodbine turf course and may be better suited to a sprint, but she does have a win at nine-furlongs.

Blue Angel Express and Abuela look to be the two longest shots on the board.

Post time for the Endeavour is 4:40 ET and is the second leg of the late pick-4, which starts with a good maiden sprint in race nine at 4:12 ET.

Thoroughbred Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

Great racing action from across the country this weekend.  Watch these races all on BetAmerica.com.

Saturday – February 4

• Santa Anita: Robert B. Lewis Stakes – G2, $200,000, 3yo, 8.5f
• Santa Anita: Strub Stakes – G2, $200,000, 4yo, 9f
• Santa Anita: Arcadia Stakes – G2, $150,000, 4yo & up, 8f turf
• Tampa Bay Downs: Sam F. Davis Stakes – G3, $250,000, 3yo, 8.5f
• Tampa Bay Downs: Endeavour Stakes – G3, $150,000, 4yo & up f&m, 8.5f turf
• Tampa Bay Downs: Florida Oaks, $125,000, 3yo f, 8.5f turf
• Gulfstream Park: Needles Stakes, $60,000, 3yo, 5f turf
• Oaklawn Park: Essex Handicap, $100,000, 4yo & up, 8.5f
• Laurel Park: Marshua Stakes, $75,000, 3yo, 6f
• Turfway Park: WEBN Stakes, $50,000, 3yo, 8f
• Sunland Park: Budweiser Handicap, $50,000, 3yo & up, 5f
• Sam Houston: Jersey Lilly Stakes, $50,000, 4yo & up f&m, 8.5f turf
• Delta Downs: Louisiana Premier Night, 10 Stakes race, over $1-million purses

Sunday – February 5

• Santa Anita: San Antonio Stakes – G2, $200,000, 4yo & up, 9f

No related posts.

Gulfstream Park – Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf

Start of the Luck Pick-6

The start of the Luck Pick-6, which carries a $1-minimum, on Saturday is the Filly & Mare Turf at Gulfstream Park. The nine-furlong race drew a field of nine; let’s take a look.

The morning line favorite for the race is Unbridled Humor at 5-2. The Graham Motion-trained mare is coming off a fourth place finish in the Grade 1 Matriarch at Hollywood Park in late November and while Motion is not known to have his horses cranked off the layoff, Unbridled Humor is two-for-two off breaks. Add to the fact that the Distorted Humor-mare won her debut and she enters the Filly & Mare Turf as the one to beat.

Unbridled Humor started her career off at four different tracks in three different states with four straight wins. After an allowance win at Delaware by eight lengths she was thrown into stakes competition and was seventh in the Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga. After that she won the Grade 3 Noble Damsel at Belmont before finishing second in the Grade 3 Athenia at Belmont and fourth in the Matriarch.

The drop in class for the mare helps her chances, but she will need to bring her A-game on Saturday to contend with the other mares.

Romacaca is the second choice on the morning line and she will try to get back into the winner’s circle after a third place finish in the Grade 2 Ballston Spa at Saratoga. Prior to the Ballston, Romacaca had won five straight and seven of her last ten. In seven career starts over the Gulfstream turf course Romacaca has four wins and one second making her a must-use in the pick-6.

With Speak Easy Gal and Hooh Why expected to set the pace plus Unbridled Humor, Romacaca and Trip for A.J. pressing the pace the race may set up for a closer. The best of the closers appear to be Askbut I Won’ttell and Romin Robin.

Askbut I Won’ttell put in a “dull effort” in her last race, an eleventh place finish in the $60,000 South Beach at Gulfstream Park in mid-December, but is a Grade 3 winner and has a win over the course. In last year’s Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf she was second behind Trip for A.J.

Romin Robin only has one win in her last ten starts and is only one-for-twelve over the Gulfstream turf course, but she was fourth in the race last year and she can pop with a big race. In July she was second in the Grade 3 Modesty Handicap at Arlington Park. She will most likely be a long price on Saturday, but could hit the board.

Zapparition, cutting back from eleven-furlongs, and Ventania, the longest shot on the board, round out the field. Zapparition ran well in her last race, but that was a slow run marathon. It is good that jockey Javier Castellano stays with the Ghostzapper-mare.

Post time for the Filly & Mare Turf is 4:10 ET.

Santa Anita – Sensational Star and Valentine Dancer

California-bred Turf Stakes

The bookends on the Santa Anita Sunshine Millions card are both on the turf with the Sensational Star for four-year-olds and upward on the downhill turf and the Valentine Dancer at one mile over the main turf course.

The Sensational Star is up first, post time 4:30 ET, and is expected to have one of the shortest prices on the card. It is the second leg in the Luck Pick-6.

Caracortado made his first start down the hill an impressive one and the past performances on the paper do not do the run justice. The five-year-old gelding was a pole behind in the early stages and coming into the stretch prompted track announcer Trevor Denman to call that the just did not fire, but Caracortado was far from being done.

After a wicked pace duel between Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint Champion Regally Ready and course specialist Mr. Gruff the race was set up to be won from off-the-pace. Caracortado exploded the final sixteenth of a mile making up six lengths and drawing off to win by just over a length.

He is the horse to beat on Saturday and would have won for fun if not for the entry of Compari, who is five-for-six at Santa Anita including a win down the hill. Compari will get first run on the leaders coming into the stretch and will have to hold off Caracortado’s late run. Ain’t No Other is the pace of the race and could round out the trifecta.

Two races later is the Valentine Dancer for fillies and mares and drew a field of ten. Unzip Me is the morning line favorite at 5-2, but will be making her first start on the turf around two-turns and is not the race mare she once was.

If this race was also down the hill then Unzip Me would be just as heavy of a favorite as Caracortado, but at one mile the race opens up a bit.

Halo Dolly is the second choice on the line shipping south for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer from her Northern California home base. She has won eight of fourteen career races including one at Del Mar in August.

La Sombre comes off a sprint race and could be the pace-setter in the Valentine Dancer. Her win in her last race, a state-bred allowance, was flattered when the second place mare Meltarib came right back to win in her next start.

With Unzip Me and La Sombre with Halo Dolly, Antares World and California Nectar not far behind, the pace should be a decent one. Secret Cove could also add more pace from her inside post so let’s look at the best of the closers.

Chokecherymary is a solid 10-1 on the morning line and picks up a good turf jockey in Corey Nakatani in the irons. Cayanna is 15-1 on the morning line and has only been out-of-the-money in two of her thirteen career races.

The Valentine Dancer, post time 5:30 ET, is the finale of the two-track pick-6 and looks like the a race to spread and hope for a price.

Gulfstream Park – Sunshine Millions Turf

Little Mike, Big Talent

The third leg of the Luck Pick-6 on Saturday, after the Sensational Star at Santa Anita, is the Sunshine Millions Turf for older horses. Like the fillies and mares the boys will be going nine-furlongs for a purse of $150,000.

The morning line favorite for the race is Little Mike, who is looking for his fourth straight win and fifth in six starts at Gulfstream Park. Off since April 2011 to December 2011 Little Mike came back to the races with a gutsy nose victory over Yankee Fortune in a high-level allowance race.

Prior to the layoff Little Mike had won the Grade 3 Appleton Turf and Canadian Turf at Gulfstream Park. The only two blemishes on his turf record were a sixth place finish in the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap and a second in a $60,000 turf stakes at Aqueduct.

Little Mike is the pace of the race and horse to beat, but still must prove he can get the nine-furlongs.

Teaks North beat the favorite last year in the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap and will try to do the same thing on Saturday. After the Turf Handicap Teaks North would go on to win the Grade 3 Monmouth Park and Grade 1 United Nations, both at Monmouth Park, later in the year.

Eddie Castro and Jose Valdivia won on the five-year-old gelding last year, but the jockey on Saturday will be one of the country’s leading riders John Velazquez. He is going to have his work cut out for him and will need to time his ride just right to run down the favorite.

The toughest part of this race is trying to figure out which horse or horses can complete the tri and superfectas.

Slews Answer is 6-1 on the morning line and has run well over the turf course, but has yet to really face horses of this caliber. In his last race, a $125,000 stakes race on the Calder turf, he finished fifth behind Bad Debt, Roman Tiger and Livingston Street. Roman Tiger was disqualified and put behind Slews Answer, but the point is that the Graham Motion gelding needs to step up.

All three of those horses as well as Stay Red are in the Sunshine Millions Turf and each could hit the board. Roman Tiger probably does not want to go this far, Stay Red might want longer and Livingston Street is winless in 14 starts at Gulfstream.

Bad Debt is the most likely candidate to pick up the lead if Little Mike fades down the lane. He has made a living sitting just off the pace-setter in his prior races and you can’t count out a horse that has won ten of 26 career starts.

Beckham Bend will be right there with Bad Debt and gets a rider upgrade to Kent Desormeaux. Look for Kent to put his mount in the race early and is a good number at 15-1 on the morning line. Not sure if this matters, but only Beckham Bend and Stay Red are the only non-geldings in the field.

Allie’s Event has been second or third in five straight starts and will be running late under jockey Daniel Centeno. Two starts back the gelding was third behind Little Mike in the allowance race.

Bell by the Ridge and Blazen are the 20-1 outsiders.

The Sunshine Millions Turf race goes to post at 4:50 ET, up next is the Crystal Water at Santa Anita.

Santa Anita – Crystal Water

Can Thirtyfirststreet hold off Holladay Road?

The middle Sunshine Millions race at Santa Anita is the Crystal Water for four-year-olds and upward going a mile and one-sixteenth on the main track. The $100,000 race drew a field of six led by 2-1 morning line favorite Thirtyfirststreet.

Thirtyfirststreet is coming off the most impressive run in his thirteen-race career. In the two-turn allowance race the colt by Good Journey stalked the early pace then drew of down the lane to win by over six lengths. It was his second win in three starts over the Santa Anita main track and will be tough to be if he runs back to that race.

The concerns with the favorite is that he has not won back-to-back races since his second and third career race and he has not had a published work since that last race. When he did win back-to-back in late 2010 he had a month in between starts, but the race on Saturday is only sixteen days later.

Thirtyfirststreet showed a new dimension in the allowance race with his early stalking position and that may be the trip he gets in the Crystal Water.

Bluegrass Reward has route speed and has been on the lead in two of his last three races while Legal Separation and Macho Dorado are stretching out from sprints.

Bluegrass Reward has won two of his last three with the only loss coming when he did not make the lead. The best of his two wins came at Santa Anita in a state-bred allowance race in October. Jockey Joe Talamo has been riding lights out recently and you can never count out a Mike Mitchell-trained horse.

Legal Separation will always give you fight down the late and will try to take that two-turns for the first time in his 24-race career. The five-year-old gelding is not a win machine, but has been in-the-money in sixteen of those 24 races.

Macho Dorado freaked in his first start over a fast dirt track and was claimed by Bob Hess Jr., who immediately throws him back into stakes competition. In two stakes for his previous trainer the four-year-old gelding was eighth both times. Jockey Corey Nakatani has found himself on a couple of speed horses this meet and with Macho Dorado is likely to be battling with the early lead again.

The expected fast pace sets the race up for the two closers, Spud Spivens and Holladay Road. In six career races at Santa Anita Spud Spivens has only hit the board twice with no wins. Holladay Road, on the other hand, loves the Great Race Place.

Five times Holladay Road has run at Santa Anita with two wins and one second. Four of those races were when the track was synthetic, but his run in early October over the track proved he can be as successful on the dirt. Since being claimed by Julio Canani in July, Holladay Road is less than two lengths away from being four-for-four.

If Thirtyfirststreet is going to win then he has to avoid a pace duel and will need to hold off the late-running Holladay Road.

Post time for the Crystal Water on Saturday is 5:00 ET and is the fourth leg of the Luck Pick-6 between Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park.

Santa Anita – Grade 1 Santa Monica

Teddy’s Promise Looks for Four Straight

The Sunshine Millions is only one aspect of the Saturday card at Santa Anita as there are two others stake races on the day. Early in the card is the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel for three-year-old fillies, but the highlight of the day is the Grade 1, $300,000 Santa Monica for older fillies and mares.

The seven furlong sprint drew a field of seven with two fillies coming off of impressive scores. The first of those fillies is Teddy’s Promise, who will likely be the post-time favorite.

To begin her career Teddy’s Promise was under the care of trainer David Hofmans and ran well enough to score two wins in eight starts. Since being switched to the Ron Ellis barn; however, the Salt Lake-filly has really thrived.

After finishing third and second in her first two races for Ellis Teddy’s Promise has visited the winner’s circle three times in a row. She started her streak in October at Santa Anita then won an allowance race at Hollywood Park before taking the Grade 1 La Brea over the track and distance in her last.

In the La Brea Teddy’s Promise was one of the longest shots on the board, but was an easy winner, drawing off to win by just over two lengths. In fifth place that day was Include Me Out, another Ron Ellis-trainee, who came right back this past Sunday to win the Grade 2 La Canada.

Also behind her in the La Brea were Home Sweet Aspen and Sugarinthemorning, who are both back to try to turn the tables on the favorite. Home Sweet Aspen will be forcing the pace under jockey Joel Rosario while Rafael Bejarano will have Sugarinthemorning at the back of the pace early on.

The other filly who is coming off an impressive win is the Richard Mandella-trained Rumor. Rumor was always cut out to be a star for the Hall-of-Fame trainer after winning her debut by almost seven lengths in 2010 at Santa Anita. The Indian Charlie-filly has run seven times in her brief career and has yet to finish worse than second.

Her most recent win was in the $79,000 Kalookan Queen Handicap at Santa Anita on New Year’s Day. In the Kalookan Queen she was mid-pack early on, but made a strong move to hit the lead coming into the stretch then drew off to win by just over two.

Trying to separate the two is going to be difficult, but note that the La Brea and Kalookan Queen came in back-to-back days with Rumor scoring the higher speed figure. The pace in the Kalookan Queen was also quicker, but both fillies ran their six furlongs in about the same time.

The difference between the two was in the final part of the race. If you just take the raw numbers then Teddy’s Promise would have blown right by Rumor late in the race. It’s going to definitely be a jockey’s race on Saturday with the top two looking best.

Bella Diamante and Big Tiz round out the field and both have races that would put them in a position to get third.

Post time for the Santa Monica is 7:00 ET and goes as race nine on the ten-race card.

Thoroughbred Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

Great racing action from across the country this weekend.  Watch these races all on BetAmerica.com.

Saturday – January 28

• Gulfstream Park: Sunshine Millions Classic, $400,000, 4yo & up, 9f
• Gulfstream Park: Sunshine Millions Turf, $150,000, 4yo & up, 9f turf
• Gulfstream Park: Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf, $150,000, 4yo & up f&m, 9f turf
• Gulfstream Park: Sunshine Millions Sprint, $150,000, 4yo & up, 6f
• Gulfstream Park: Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Sprint, $150,000, 4yo & up f&m, 6f
• Gulfstream Park: Sunshine Millions Distaff, $300,000, 4yo & up f&m, 9f
• Santa Anita: Santa Monica Stakes – G1, $300,000, 4yo & up f&m, 7f
• Santa Anita: Santa Ysabel Stakes – G3, $100,000, 3yo f, 8.5f
• Santa Anita: Crystal Water Stakes, $100,000, 4yo & up, 8.5f
• Santa Anita: Sensational Star Stakes, $100,000, 4yo & up, 6.5f turf
• Santa Anita: Valentine Dancer Stakes, $100,000, 4yo & up f&m, 8f turf
• Sam Houston: John B. Connally Turf Cup Stakes – G3, $200,000, 4yo & up, 9f turf
• Laurel Park: Dancing Count Stakes, $75,000, 3yo, 6f
• Oaklawn Park: King Cotton Stakes, $50,000, 4yo & up, 6f
• Turfway Park: Forego Stakes, $50,000, 4yo & up, 6.5f

Sunday – January 29

• Gulfstream Park: Holy Bull Stakes – G3, $400,000, 3yo, 8f
• Gulfstream Park: Forward Gal Stakes – G2, $200,000, 3yo f, 7f
• Santa Anita: Wishing Well Stakes, $75,000, 4yo & up, 6.5f turf

Harness Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

Great racing action from across the country this weekend.  Watch these races all on BetAmerica.com.

Saturday – January 28

• The Meadowlands: Presidential Stakes, $100,000, 3yo & up open pace
• The Meadowlands: Complex Stakes, $75,000, 3yo – 5yo open pace
• The Meadowlands: Clyde Hirt Stakes, $75,000, 4yo h&g pace

Related posts:

1. Players Edge Newsletter – January 20, 2012
2. Players Edge Newsletter – January 28, 2011
3. Players Edge Newsletter – January 6, 2012

Fair Grounds – LeComte Stakes

On the Derby Trail in Louisiana

The first big test for the three-year-olds in Louisiana with dreams of running on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs comes this Saturday with the 68th running of the LeComte. The Grade 3 race is part of the three-year-olds stakes series at Fair Grounds, which culminates in the Louisiana Derby on April 1.

This year’s LeComte drew a full field of thirteen with one entry and will go as race eleven on the thirteen-race card. Post time 5:55 ET.

The morning line favorite for the two-turn race is Shared Property at 4-1. Shared Property has not run since early October when he was sixth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland. In the Grade 1 the gelding was void of any early speed before putting in a late run. Prior to that race Shared Property won the Grade 3 Arlington Washing Futurity over the synthetic track at Arlington Park and a maiden race over the conventional dirt at Ellis Park.

Off of his two stakes races Shared Property is the class of the field, but contention runs deep. After the top choice there are five betting interests between 9-2 and 6-1 on the morning line.

Seven Lively Sins is 9-2 on the morning line coming in off of back-to-back Grade 3 races. Two starts back the Stormy Atlantic-colt ran in the one-turn Iroquois and finished a respectable second. Then, in his first start around two-turns he was fourth in the Jackpot at Delta Downs.

Exfactor is next at 5-1 on the line and he exits the local prep for this race, the Sugar Bowl. In the Sugar Bowl Exfactor stalked the early pace then was game down the lane and just prevailed by a nose of Laurie’s Rocket. Laurie’s Rocket just finished fifth in the Smarty Jones at Oaklawn Park on Monday, which did not exactly flatter the form.

The entry of Dan and Sheila and Z Dager as well as Hammers Terror and Capetown Devil are all 6-1 on the morning line and all have a shot.

Dan and Sheila comes out of a maiden score at one-mile at Gulfstream Park and is an attractive enough mount for John Velazquez to come over for trainer Todd Pletcher. Z Dager goes for the same owner, Zayat Stables, but is trained by Steve Asmussen. Z Dager broke his maiden in his last race, which was at Fair Grounds over the distance of the LeComte.

Hammers Terror and Capetown Devil also have wins over the course and distance and both look like good three-year-old prospects. Hammers Terror has been on every one’s radar since his debut in late September at Arlington Park and even though he is bred for the turf he proved in his last he can run well on the dirt.

Capetown Devil ran a better speed figure than Hammers Terror in his last race, but they were run on different days about a month apart.

The other interesting horse in the lineup is the 8-1 Mr. Bowling for trainer Larry Jones. Mr. Bowling has not run since finishing third in the Grade 3 Iroquois at Churchill. Prior to that he won the Dover Stakes at Delaware Park, which was at the same distance of the LeComte.

The pace scenario is going to be the most important aspect in handicapping the race. Many of these horses have run their best races on or near the pace, which could set it up for a closer. Ted’s Folly doesn’t have the graded class of the others in the field, but he will be doing his best running late. The third place horse in his last race came back to win his next start, an allowance race at Oaklawn Park, and the second place horse was a very good second to the perfect trip winner in the Smarty Jones.

Ted’s Folly may be a lot higher than his 10-1 morning line and could be a bomb in the gimmicks.

Santa Anita – Palos Verdes

Amazombie Back to the Track

The feature race on Saturday at Santa Anita is the 60th running of the Grade 2 Palos Verdes. The six-furlong sprint drew a field of eight led by the Eclipse Award-winning Amazombie.

Amazombie had an outstanding 2011 campaign with five wins in nine starts including the Grade 2 Potrero Grande, Grade 1 Ancient Title and Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint. For his efforts the gelding was recently named Male Sprinter of the year.

A winner of ten races and over $1.5-million in his career, Amazombie is likely to be a short price on Saturday. In five career starts at Santa Anita he has three wins and a second. Both the Ancient Title and Potrero Grande were over the track as well as the Sunshine Millions Sprint, which he won in January 2011.

Those looking to beat the favorite should look to a couple of speed horses as the track has been playing very well to speed since the meet opened in December.

The speed of the speed is Euroears, who drew post eight for the six furlong sprint. Euroears is an eight-year-old who has made have of his 22 starts since turning six in 2009. The Langfuhr colt won the Palos Verdes last year in wire-to-wire fashion, but must improve off of his last three races, two of which were last place finishes by double digit lengths.

Courtside is another speed horse and when left on the lead he can be dangerous. In the Cal Cup Sprint Courtside was send off at 9-2, but won easily and had something left in the tank. In three starts at Santa Anita the four-year-old gelding has two wins including a win on a sloppy, sealed track, which may be the case on Saturday.

Add to the fact that Courtside comes in with two bullet workouts on the 9th and 15th and he looks like one to take seriously on the rise in class.

Frumious ran in the Cal Cup Sprint against Courtside and chased him around in the early stages before finishing sixth, but has come back to win two straight races and his last race was a smasher. In that race, at Santa Anita, Frumious made the lead through swift fractions, :43.80 for the half mile, and won by just over a length. The speed figure he earned in that race is only topped by Amazombie, Euroears and M One Rifle.

M One Rifle comes in to the Palos Verdes on a four race losing streak and his only win in his last nine races came in a five-furlong sprint at Hollywood Park. The six-year-old gelding may be a better horse over the synthetics as evident by his zero-for-two record on the dirt.

Completing the Grade 2 field are Galientos, Mensa Heat and Canonize. Scheduled as race eight on the nine-race card, post time for the Palos Verdes is 7:07 ET.

Gulfstream Park – Kitten’s Joy Stakes

Three-Year-Olds on the Turf

Saturday’s feature race at Gulfstream Park is the Kitten’s Joy for three-year-olds on the turf. A field of eight entered the two-turn affair with two horses dropping from Grade 1races.

Lucky Chappy has been off since early November after finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. The Juvenile Turf was his second race in the U.S. after finishing third in the Grade 3 Bourbon at Keeneland.

Prior to coming to the U.S. for Team Valor the High Chaparral colt was running in Italy. The Irish-bred won two of his three races there including an $89,500 stakes races. In Italy Lucky Chappy was running near the front, but has found the U.S. pace to be swifter.

At the mile and one-sixteenth distance of the Kitten’s Joy, Lucky Chappy will just be getting started. He may be better suited once the distances increase.

Cozzetti drops from the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park, which was run over their Polytrack surface. Prior to the CashCall the Cozzene colt won a maiden race over a sloppy main track at Churchill. To start his career Cozzetti ran twice over the turf with a fourth place, beaten one length, his best finish.

A return to the turf may be what Cozzetti needs for a return to the winner’s circle. By Cozzene he is out of a Lemon Drop Kid-mare, which gives him turf breeding on both sides of his pedigree.

Italo, Argentine Tango, El Roman, Howe Great, Empire Builder and Scorcher all have runs over the Gulfstream Park turf course with Italo and Empire Builder exiting the Dania Beach Stakes.

Italo won the Florida-bred Appleton Juvenile Turf Stakes at Calder in mid-November then finished seventh, beaten just under three lengths, in the Dania Beach. In the Dania, Italo was “steadied early” and that caused him to be rank, but probably did not cost him a better placing.

Empire Building finished in front of Italo in the Dania Beach and simply ran around the track a bit one-paced. He is likely to improve off that race, which was his first off a two-month layoff. His best hope is to get good early position off Howe Great, who is expected to set the pace.

Howe Great broke his maiden at Parx then shipped down to Gulfstream Park for a successful stretch out over the turf. That race was a non-winners of two-lifetime race, but the Kitten’s Joy came up light on speed and jockey Edgar Prado could enjoy an easy front-running score.

Post time for the race on Saturday is 4:45 ET and is the third leg of the late pick-4, which starts in race eight at 3:49 ET.

Fair Grounds – Colonel Bradley Handicap

Grade 3 Older Turf Runners

The LeComte is not the only graded stakes race on the Saturday card at Fair Grounds as the 26th running of the Grade 3 Colonel Bradley Handicap will also take place.

The Colonel Bradley is a two-turn turf race and drew a very competitive field of eight. Just like the LeComte there are several horses grouped close together in the morning line with six between 3-1 and 6-1.

Suntracer, at 3-1, is the morning-line favorite and is looking to win his second straight race, and third overall, on the Fair Grounds turf. The last race for Suntracer was perhaps his best yet. Sent off at nearly 3-1 the Kitten’s Joy-colt was last year, but put in a torrid late run to win going away. Off two months since then he comes into the Colonel Bradley a fresh horse and the one to beat.

Strike Impact is the second choice on the line and he will be positioned in front of the top choice early. An eight-year-old gelding Strike Impact has won sixteen of 60 career races, but has yet to crack the top spot over the Fair Grounds turf. He may be better on the Churchill grass, but can hit the board in the Bradley.

Baltimore Bob and Mr. Vegas come out of a common allowance race on the turf at Fair Grounds and should once again be dueling out on the front end.

Of the two Mr. Vegas gets top billing as he won that race by a length and is a perfect two-for-two over the course. If they can set an easy pace on the lead then the closers will have their work cut out to run them down late.

Lonesome Street was once a horse that would be part of the pace, but since his win at Indiana Downs in June he has been a horse that comes off-the-pace. After the Indiana Downs stakes score Lonesome Street was fourth in an allowance race at Saratoga then was second in the Unbridled stakes on the grass at Louisiana Downs. The Unbridled was in mid-September and the Colonel Brady will be his first start since then.

Glenwood Canyon is an interesting horse that will be making his first start on the turf after running his last 26 races on either dirt or synthetic. The son of Silver Deputy is not exactly bred for the turf, but any time you have a trainer hitting at 30% then you must look closer. Do keep in mind that Glenwood Canyon is also entered in the ninth race on the day, the Louisiana Handicap, which is on the main track.

Rounding out the field are Heavenville and Dubious Miss with post time scheduled for 3:58 ET.

Thoroughbred Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

Great racing action from across the country this weekend.  Watch these races all on BetAmerica.com.

Saturday – January 21

• Santa Anita: Palos Verdes Stakes – G2, $150,000, 4yo & up, 6f
• Santa Anita: Megahertz Stakes, $75,000, 4yo & up f&m, 8f turf
• Gulfstream Park: Kitten’s Joy, $100,000, 3yo, 8.5f turf
• Fair Grounds: LeComte Stakes – G3, $175,000, 3yo, 8f 70f
• Fair Grounds: Colonel Bradley Handicap – G3, $100,000, 4yo & up, 8.5f turf
• Fair Grounds: Silverbulletday Stakes, $125,000, 3yo f, 8f 70f
• Fair Grounds: Louisiana Handicap, $100,000, 4yo & up, 8.5f
• Fair Grounds: F.W. Gaudin Memorial Stakes, $75,000, 4yo & up, 6f
• Fair Gournds: Pan Zareta Stakes, $75,000, 4yo & up, 5.5f turf
• Tampa Bay Downs: Manatee Stakes, $50,000, 4yo & up, 7f
• Golden Gate: California Oaks, $100,000, 3yo f, 8.5f
• Sam Houston: Star of Texas Stakes, $100,000, 4yo & up, 8.5f
• Sam Houston: Groovy Stakes, $50,000, 3yo, 7f
• Sam Houston: Spirit of Texas Stakes, $50,000, 4yo & up, 6f
• Sam Houston: Richard King Stakes, $50,000, 4yo & up, 9f turf

Sunday – January 22

• Santa Anita: La Canada Stakes – G2, $150,000, 4yo f, 8.5f
• Santa Anita: San Pedro Stakes, $75,000, 3yo, 6.5f
• Gulfstream Park: Sweetest Chant Stakes, $100,000, 3yo f, 8f turf
• Oaklawn Park: American Beauty Stakes, $50,000, 4yo & up, 6f
• Sunland Park: El Paso Times Handicap, $50,000, 3yo, 6.5f

Related posts:

1. Players Edge Newsletter – January 6, 2012
2. Players Edge Newsletter – January 13, 2012
3. Players Edge Newsletter – January 27, 2012

Santa Anita – San Fernando Stakes

Tapizar and Prayer for Relief Lead the Field

The feature race on Saturday at The Great Race Place is the 60th running of the San Fernando stakes for four-year-olds on the main track. The Grade 2 race drew a field of eight led by Prayer for Relief and Tapizar; let’s take a look.

Prayer for Relief comes into the race off just over a month layoff after a disappointing effort in the Grade 1 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs in late November. He was scheduled to run in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, but had to be scratched due to illness. With the missed training time it was no surprise that the Jump Start-colt did not fire.

Prior to the Clark Prayer for Relief had won five of his last seven races including wins in the Grade 2 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs, the Grade 2 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Park and the Grade 3 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows.

From the rail jockey Rafael Bejarano will have to get a good early position and could find himself on the lead. His most impressive victory came in the Super Derby, a race in which he led from start to finish.

Tapizar is also coming off a layoff having not run since the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Churchill Downs in early November. The Tapit-colt ran close to the pace that day, which was not the spot to be and finished fifth, beaten almost nine lengths.

One of the most impressive victories on the resume for Tapizar was a score over the Santa Anita track last year. He won the Grade 3 Sham in wire-to-wire fashion, but his biggest win came when stalking the pace at Churchill Downs in November 2010.

From post eight jockey Corey Nakatani will have plenty of options on where to put his colt in the early stages. Should the pace be slow then Nakatani will have his mount on the lead, but if fast then he can stalk as well.

Eoin Harty upset the apple cart in the Sham and is looking to do the same with his colt Balladry. An Unbridled’s Song colt Balladry has won two of eleven career starts, but has only crossed the wire first in one race.

Two starts back, last October, Balladry sat well off the pace and was able to storm home the easiest of winners. That race was at the same distance on the same track as the San Fernando.

Irish Art is bred for the turf, but has been first or second in five of his seven career starts. If he takes to the dirt then the son of Artie Schiller could hit the board.

Rounding out the field are Riveting Reason, Dreaminofthewin, Spud Spivens and First Strike. Post time for the San Fernando on Saturday is 7:07 ET.

Gulfstream Park – Hal’s Hope Stakes

Jackson Bend Headlines the Grade 3

This Saturday at Gulfstream Park there are two stakes races for four-year-olds and upward. The first is the Hal’s Hope Stakes going one mile on the main track. A field of nine will line up for the Grade 3 and all eyes will be on Jackson Bend.

Jackson Bend had an outstanding 2011 campaign winning the Grade 1 Forego at Saratoga and placing in three other stakes races, which included the Grade 2 Kelso Handicap and Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

The last race for Jackson Bend was the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Churchill where he was third as the 5-2 post time favorite. In the Sprint Bend sat well off the pace before making a late run. At six furlongs Jackson Bend was never going to be hitting his best stride until late and that was just the case. His best wins have come at seven furlongs so the mile distance in the Hal’s Hope will be ideal.

Two negatives for the probably favorite and that are the rail draw and the three seconds and no wins in four career start at Gulfstream Park. Two other horses, Our Dark Knight and Soaring Empire; however, love the strip.

Our Dark Knight runs for the same connections as Hal’s Hope and has run against his stablemate in the past. In the Grade 3 Skip Away at Gulfstream Park last year Our Dark Knight finished over 20-lengths behind Jackson Bend. Our Dark Knight has not won since last January and will be a long shot come Saturday.

Soaring Empire has not run since the $100,000 Majestic Light stakes at Monmouth Park in late-July, but comes in with a sizzling work tab and has two wins and two seconds in five career starts over the track. One of those wins was in this race last year.

In the Hal’s Hope last year Soaring Empire sat just off the early pace before taking the lead in stretch and holding on to win by just over a length. The versatile five-year-old horse can adapt to any pace scenario and is the biggest danger to the top choice.

Soaring Empire may have to take to stalking tactics on Saturday with the duo of Successful Mission and Decisive Moment drawn to his inside.

Successful Mission has won back-to-back races at Calder and Monmouth Park and is coming off an eight month layoff. Previously a turf horse Successful Mission showed in the off-the-turf Elkwood that he can handle the main track too.

Decisive Moment won the Delta Mile in mid-November at Delta Downs over a pair of Southern California runners and ran well enough last year to get a spot in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby. His best races have come at Delta and Calder and must show he can run at Gulfstream Park.

Sangaree deserves a mention off his back class, but he has not won a race since early 2010. He is winless in his last twelve starts and has not run since a fifth place finish in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile Handicap at Aqueduct in late November.

Sky Venture, Cool Blue Red Hot and Will’s Wildcat complete the field. The Hal’s Hope is scheduled as race nine on the eleven-race card with post time at 4:17 ET.

Fair Grounds – Marie G. Krantz Memorial Handicap

Filly and Mare Turfers in the Bayou

The weekend turf stakes at Fair Grounds continue this Saturday with the 17th running of the Marie G. Krantz Memorial Handicap for fillies and mares. The two-turn affair drew a field of nine with Cherokee Queen installed as the 3-1 morning line favorite.

Cherokee Queen, Pleasantly Blessed, Miss Shananiegans, Weekend Party and A She’s Adorable all come out of the Blushing K D Handicap at Fair Grounds in December. Cherokee Queen was much the best that day running wide and getting up to win by a neck.

Pleasantly Blessed was second with Weekend Party fourth, A She’s Adorable fifth and Miss Shananiegans seventh. It was the eighth win in 29 career starts on the turf for Cherokee Queen and tenth win overall.

The new shooters in the race looking to defeat the favorite are Skipping Town, Poof Too, Juanita and Countess Lemonade. Skipping Town and Poof Too have runs over the Fair Grounds turf course while the other two are new to the Bayou.

Skipping Town goes dirt-to-turf for trainer Sam Ishaq and the turf is where she belongs. The dirt start from the connections was a puzzler as she is just one-for-nine on dirt. On turf; however, she has seven wins in fifteen career starts with five seconds and one third.

Five of those fifteen turf starts have come at Fair Grounds and twice she has crossed the wire on top. The other three times she was second. Top rider Robby Albarado gets the mount and she must be respected.

Poof Too has one start over the course, a third place finish in the Pago Hop Stakes in late November. She is only making her eighth career start so she does have upside, but must prove it against this company.

Juanita has run at the turf at Gulfstream Park, Indiana Downs and Penn National. Her best two wins were on the dirt in wire-to-wire fashion at Churchill Downs and Hoosier Park, but does own a win over the turf. Like Poof Too, Juanita must also prove she belongs.

Countess Lemonade ships west from her East Coast base and picks up a new trainer in Al Stall. The five-year-old mare may not win this race, but her owner is probably the best cook in the bunch. Celebrity chef Bobby Flay owns her and is looking for her first win in the U.S. after staring her career in France.

If she is able to duplicate her run in the Blushing K D then Cherokee Queen is going to be tough to hold off.

Post time for the Krantz Memorial is 5:25 ET.

Tampa Bay Downs – Gasparilla & Pasco Stakes

Three-Year-Old $100,000 Stakes

The feature races on Saturday at Tampa Bay downs are the Gasparilla and Pasco Stakes. Each stakes is worth $100,000 with the Gasparilla for fillies and the Pasco for open company.

The Gasparilla is up first, post time 3:42 ET, and is the start of the late pick-4. A field of ten will line up for the seven furlong affair with Delightful Magic the filly to beat.

Delightful Magic ran into some buzz saws early in her career. She hooked two-year-old filly champion My Miss Aurelia in her debut then ran against Stopshoppingmaria in start number two. She finally broke her maiden at Churchill Downs in her fifth career start before taking on stakes company at Delta Downs in her last.

In the Delta Princess Delightful Magic stalked the early pace before fading to be fifth. A return to one-turn and seven furlongs should be ideal for the daughter of Mineshaft.

The biggest danger to the favorite looks to come from Backstage Magic and Ode to Sami. Backstage Magic and Ode to Sami both have wins over the Tampa track and that is an important handicapping tool for the Oldsmar oval.

Venetian Sonata and Grand Entry exit the Sandpiper over the course while Jamraa comes out of the Grade 2 Golden Rod at Churchill Downs.

Two races later is the Pasco and the connections of Delightful Magic are looking for a double with their colt Prospective.

Prospective, owned by John C Oxley and trained by Mark Casse, exits a last place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs in early November. Prior to that the Malibu Moon-colt won two of three races over the synthetic surface at Woodbine.

Prospective still remains a question mark over a conventional dirt surface, but enters the Pasco as the horse to beat.

For Oby for trainer Pedro Mastre looks to be the biggest threat to Prospective based on his nose defeat to Ancient Rome in the $100,000 Spectacular Bid at Gulfstream Park. The speed figure earned by For Oby is tops in the field and if he runs back to that race wins for fun.

Others to consider in the seven-furlong race are Adirondack King shipping down from Parx for trainer John Servis as well as Angelofdistinction and Wildcat Creek, who are both coming out of the $75,000 Inaugural Stakes over the course.

Moroccan Brew technically needs to run faster to compete on Saturday, but his trainer is hitting at 32% for the meet, which is way up from his 11% overall number.

Post time for the Pasco is 4:40 ET.

Thoroughbred Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

Great racing action from across the country this weekend.  Watch these races all on BetAmerica.com.

Saturday – January 14

• Santa Anita: San Fernando Stakes – G2, $150,000, 4yo & up, 8.5f
• Gulfstream Park: Hal’s Hope Stakes – G3, $100,000, 4yo & up, 8f
• Gulfstream Park: Fort Lauderdale Stakes – G3, $100,000, 4yo & up, 8.5f turf
• Tampa Bay Downs: Pasco Stakes, $100,000, 3yo, 7f
• Tampa Bay Downs: Gasparilla Stakes, $100,000, 3yo f, 7f
• Oaklawn Park: Dixie Belle Stakes, $50,000, 3yo, 6f
• Golden Gate: California Derby, $100,000, 3yo, 8.5f
• Fair Grounds: Marie G. Krantz Memorial Handicap, $75,000, 4yo & up f&m, 8.5f turf
• Delta Downs: Genesis Stakes, $75,000, 3yo f, 7.5f
• Sunland Park: La Senora Stakes, $110,000, 3yo f, 6f
• Turfway Park: Wishing Well Stakes, $50,000, 4yo & up, 6f
• Turf Paradise: Cotton Fitzsimmons Mile Stakes, $75,000, 4yo & up, 8f turf

Sunday – January 15

• Santa Anita: Santa Ynez Stakes – G2, $150,000, 3yo f, 6.5f
• Santa Anita: Paseana Handicap, $75,000, 4yo & up f&m, 8.5f
• Gulfstream Park: Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint Stakes, $60,000, 4yo & up, 5f turf

Monday – January 16

• Santa Anita: San Gabriel Stakes – G2, $150,000, 3yo & up, 9f turf
• Oaklawn Park: Smarty Jones Stakes, $100,000, 3yo, 8f

Related posts:

1. Players Edge Newsletter – January 20, 2012
2. Players Edge Newsletter – January 27, 2012
3. Players Edge Newsletter – January 6, 2012

Gulfstream Park – Marshua’s River

Grade 3 Turf Fillies and Mares

The feature race on Saturday at Gulfstream Park is the 12th running of the Grade 3 Marshua’s River for fillies and mares, four-years-old and upward. The two-turn turf race drew a full field of fourteen, let’s take a look.

Daveron looks to rebound in her first start since finishing third in the Grade 1 First Lady at Keeneland in early October. In the First Lady, Daveron was sent off as the 7-2 post time favorite and had a little bit of trouble at the start, but did not show the same late kick that had propelled her to three straight victories prior to that. In fact it was the first time Daveron had not finished first or second since switching to the Graham Motion stable in September 2010.

On the drop down in class and the stretch out in distance where her career record is four wins and one second in five starts, Daveron looks like the mare to beat.

While Daveron is dropping in class, La Reine Lionne is moving up the class ladder. The Leroidesanimaux-mare has won her last two races against allowance company and has six wins in twelve career starts. Her prior attempt in a graded race was at Monmouth Park in the Grade 3 Violet. That day she was well bet and finished third, one length behind the winner.

Louvakhova is another filly moving up and she has been looking to get into a race ever since her smashing U.S.-debut at Calder in mid-October. In that race the Maria’s Mon-filly stalked the early pace then took over into the stretch and drew away to win by over four lengths. Since then; however, she has been stuck on the also-eligible list or had races taken off the turf.

Prior to the taking her talents to South Beach, Louvakhova ran six times in France. In those six races she had one win and five seconds. It looks like she is going to enjoy the racing here in the states.

Others to follow in the Grade 3 race are It’s Tea Time, Tapitsfly and Trip for A.J.

It’s Tea Time is riding a ten-race losing streak dating back to August 2010 at Saratoga, but the five-year-old mare has put together a couple of races that suggests she could get off the snide. One of the problems for her is that she is dependent on the pace, which should be decent on Saturday.

One of the probable pace-setters is Tapitsfly for trainer Dale Romans. The Tapit-mare is best known for her victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita in 2009. After that race she was off for over a year and has come back with one win in nine races. That one win was in an allowance race last year at Gulfstream Park.

Trip for A.J. won’t be far off the pace and is always one to consider for the exotics. In 26 career starts the five-year-old mare has ten wins, five seconds and three thirds. At Gulfstream Park she had three placings, with one win, in five starts.

Rounding out the field are Thundering Emilia, Speak Easy Gal, Jenny’s So Great, Heavenly Landing, Aquitaine, Exclusive Love, Persuading and Kiss the Stars.

Post time for the Marshua’s River on Saturday is 4:45 ET and goes as race ten on the eleven-race card.

Tampa Bay Downs – Pelican Stakes

Nine Sprinters Go Six Panels

Saturday’s feature race at Tampa Bay Downs is the Pelican Stakes at six furlongs on the main track. The $60,000 race drew a field of nine that includes five horses coming off of victories.

Why Pretend is the first of the last-out winners and comes into the stakes on a two-race winning streak. In his last race, and allowance at Tampa Bay Downs, Why Pretend stalked the early pace then split horses to get up late. The drop back in distance is a concern as his three wins have come at greater than six furlongs.

Gold Strike Begins struck gold in his Tampa debut running away from the claiming field to win by over twelve lengths. The six-year-old gelding has come back with a work out since that last race and will be dangerous if he handles the rise in class.

Tommy’s Memory has not run since November at Finger Lakes, but that ran was an easy score by over three-lengths. This will be the sixth time the gelding has run at Tampa and he has been the best in three of his previous five.

Gibson pretty much takes his race with him wherever he goes as is evident by his past performances. He was won five races in his career, including his last two, with only the same conditions twice. He has two wins over the synthetic track at Presque Isle, a win at Calder and two wins at Tampa; one over the main track and one over the turf. Gibson will be out on the front-end in the Pelican Stakes and is the one they must all catch.

Quiz Whiz is another front-running gelding, but the feeling is that Gibson is the quicker of the two. A winner of his last two starts, Quiz Whiz comes into the Pelican in top form and loves the Tampa main track. In five career starts over the Oldsmar oval he has two wins, two seconds and a third.

It’s Never to Late did not win his last race, but might be the one to back on Saturday. His last race was in a $60,000 stakes race down state at Gulfstream Park and prior to that won two straight at Delaware Park. The one negative is this will be his first start at Tampa.

Good Lord, Generalissimo and Action Andy round out the field with post time at 3:42 ET. Carded as race eight on Saturday, the Pelican kicks off the late, 50-cent pick-4.

Santa Anita – Sham Stakes

Three-Year-Olds on the Derby Trail

The first of the Southern California Kentucky Derby preps get underway on Saturday with the 12th running of the Grade 3 Sham. The one-mile race drew a field of six, which includes the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint winner Secret Circle.

Bob Baffert is always loaded with two-year-olds that have dreams of running in Kentucky in May. Once they hit three the number always goes down, but he’s still got several top prospects.

Secret Circle is on an interesting path for the Hall-of-Fame trainer after winning the first three starts of his career. The first two were in easy fashion then stepped up to run in the new Breeders’ Cup race, the Juvenile Sprint. In the race he made the lead after two furlongs then spurted clear and just held off the late charge of Shumoos.

The biggest concern for Secret Circle is the distance and if he is a true two-turn horse. One horse that won’t have a problem with the distance is Longview Drive.

Longview Drive exits a third place finish in the Grade 3 Delta Jackpot behind Sabercat and Basmati. Prior to the Jackpot the son of Pulpit had won three straight in Northern California. One win was around two-turns at the Big Fresno Fair. The only other horse in the Sham field to win around two-turns is Senor Rain.

Senor Rain comes out of the Grade 3 Generous on the Hollywood Park turf course and if you can throw that race out then the gelding fits in the Sham. In the Generous Senor Rain bore out badly and was pulled up. Prior to that he was third in the Real Quiet at Hollywood Park and won a starter allowance race at one mile at Santa Anita.

Handsome Mike also ran in the Grade 3 Generous then took his turn against Grade 1 company in the Cash Call Futurity over the synthetic Hollywood Park main track. Handsome Mike broke his maiden down the hill at Santa Anita and after two route races the son of Scat Daddy may be better sprinting.

Four down, two to go, but they are not without a chance even though they only have a maiden victory on the resume.

Out of Bounds won at seven furlongs at Hollywood Park after finishing behind So Brilliant in his debut in October at Santa Anita. Trainer Eoin Harty is known for taking his time with his horses so it’s promising that Out of Bounds shows up in the Grade 3. Even though Bejarano lands on Secret Circle, Out of Bounds picks up Garrett Gomez in the irons.

Hierro may be the biggest threat to Secret Circle shipping west for trainer Steve Asmussen. Also in to ride is Julien Leparoux, who piloted the son of Hard Spun to the five-length score at Churchill in early November. Hierro has been stabled at Santa Anita for a month and looks like to be a good prospect for the connections of Rachel Alexandra and Curlin.

The Sham goes as race three on Saturday, post time 4:31 ET, and is part of both the pick-5 and early pick-4.

Fair Grounds – Dixie Poker Ace

Louisiana-breds on the Turf

The Louisiana-breds continue their turf stakes series on Saturday with the Dixie Poker Ace at Fair Grounds. The about-one mile race drew a field of ten including six out of the Louisiana Turf Stakes in mid-December.

String King was victorious in the Louisiana Turf just outlasting Kissimmee Kyle, who is also entered in the Dixie Poker Ace. Kissimmee Kyle set all the pace that day and the distance concerns held true. Kissimmee Kyle also ran in the Dixie Poker Ace last year finishing second.

String King is making his second start off a layoff and is the one to beat for owner-trainer Charles Smith. A four-year-old gelding String King has won three of nine career starts with all three on the turf.

Wildrally and Idefromthebayou were third and fourth in the Louisiana Turf and have a chance to upset the top two on Saturday. Wildrally makes his second start off a layoff, but is riding a six race losing streak. His last win was in the Dixie Poker Ace last year.

Idefromthebayou is going to have to make up two lengths if he is to be victorious, but the feeling is that the five-year-old gelding is better at Louisiana Downs and Evangeline Downs.

Old Bushmill and Ide Like a Double need to improve off of their fifth and sixth place finish in the Louisiana Turf if they are to compete with the top choices.

Of the new shooters in the Dixie Poker Ace Blackntansatlarrys and Populist Politics appear to have the most upside.

Blackntansatlarrys finished third in the Mr. Sulu stakes at Fair Grounds in November and ran against many of his foes he will face on Saturday. In that race he was third by seven lengths, but that was taken off the turf. Rested since then the four-year-old colt can win with a good stalking trip from the rail.

Populist Politics won the Mr. Sulu in impressive fashion, drawing off to win by over six lengths. After that race he stepped up to face the uber-Louisiana-bred Star Guitar in the Louisiana Classic. Populist Politics made a good run in the Classic to be second to the Star.

The Dixie Poker Ace will be the second turf race for Populist Politics in his thirteen race career. His first start over the grass was a second in the state-bred Gentilly stakes at Fair Grounds last February.

Congo Cat and Hallway round out the field and both look to be long shots in the field. Congo Cat made an improved start in his last race at Fair Grounds on the turf and will try to give this trainer Alvin Sider his first win of the meet.

The Dixie Poker Ace goes to post at 5:25 ET on Saturday and is the last leg of the Black-Gold Pick-4 that starts in race 5.

Thoroughbred Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

Great racing action from across the country this weekend.  Watch these races all on BetAmerica.com.

Saturday – January 7

• Santa Anita: San Pasqual – G2, $150,000, 4yo & up, 8.5f
• Santa Anita: Sham Stakes – G3, $100,000, 3yo, 8.5f
• Gulfstream Park: Marshua’s River Stakes – G3, $100,000, 4yo & up f&m, 8.5f turf
• Tampa Bay Downs: Pelican Stakes, $60,000, 5yo & up, 6f
• Fair Grounds: Dixie Poker Ace Stakes, $60,000, 4yo & up, ~8f turf
• Turfway Park: Turfway Prevue Stakes, $50,000, 3yo, 6.5f

Sunday – January 8

• Santa Anita: Daytona Stakes – G3, $100,000, 4yo & up, 6.5f turf
• Gulfstream Park: Ocala Stakes, $60,000, 4yo & up, 8f
• Sunland Park: Winsham Lad Handicap, $50,000, 4yo & up, 8f 70y

Related posts:

1. Players Edge Newsletter – January 13, 2012
2. Players Edge Newsletter – January 20, 2012
3. Players Edge Newsletter – January 27, 2012

Santa Anita – La Brea Stakes

Turbulent Descent Looks to Rebound

In this Newsletter last week the horse looking to rebound in the Grade 1 Malibu was The Factor and boy did he ever. This week it’s Turbulent Descent’s turn to make a trip back to the winner’s circle after a subpar effort in the Breeders’ Cup.

The filly version of the Malibu is the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes, which is also at seven furlongs. This year’s race drew a field of nine with Turbulent Descent the probable post-time favorite.

Turbulent Descent has had a remarkable 2011 with three wins in six starts including the Grade 1 Test at Saratoga, Grade 2 Beaumont at Keeneland and the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks.

The Breeders’ Cup was the first time Turbulent Descent was taking on older fillies and mares and all things considered she ran an okay race. She was “roughed” at the start of the race and never looked comfortable at any stage. Jockey David Flores moved her to the lead entering the stretch, but faded late to be fifth. She has returned to Southern California will a good work tab and enters the race as the filly to beat.

The same jockey/trainer combination that brought us The Factor is back again on Saturday in the La Brea with the Kaleem Shah-trained May Day Rose. May Day Rose exits a good second place finish in the Grade 2 Chilukki on Breeders’ Cup Saturday and she is one-for-one at the seven furlong distance.

May Day Rose should be out on the front end, but will have company from Home Sweet Aspen and California Nectar. Sugarinthemorning has won on the front end and from off the pace, but with Garrett Gomez in the irons Sugarinthemorning will most likely take a stalking position.

Home Sweet Aspen drew the rail in the La Brea and her last two wins have come in gate-to-wire fashion. The distance is a question mark, but note that she has two wins and one second in three career starts at Santa Anita.

California Nectar is a California-bred taking on open company and looks to be overmatched based on her last couple of races. If she can put together a performance like she did last winter at Santa Anita then she might hit the board.

Should the pace be really fast then there will be several other fillies looking to capitalize. Include Me Out makes her stakes debut for trainer Ron Ellis after three allowance races. She has not been able to get the better of Teddy’s Promise, who is entered in the La Brea and is also trained by Ron Ellis.

Sarah’s Secret cuts back in distance after four straight turf route races and is making her first start on a conventional dirt surface. Great Hot will be running late as well, but she may be a better filly on a synthetic surface.

If Turbulent Descent runs her race; however, then the other fillies will be running for second.

The La Brea goes as race eight on the nine-race Saturday card with post time scheduled for 7:07 ET.

Santa Anita – Eddie Logan Stakes

Two-Year-Olds on the Turf

The co-feature on Saturday at Santa Anita is the 17th running of the Eddie Logan Stakes for two-year-olds on the turf course. The eight-furlong race drew a field of nine led by Churchill Downs-shipper Daddy Nose Best.

Daddy Nose Best is the class of the Eddie Logan field with a third in a Grade 3 on his resume and a solid sixth place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Trainer Steve Asmussen wasted no time in getting him back to the races after the Breeders’ Cup and was rewarded with an impressive score in a turf allowance.

The California-based horses are led by Sheer Talent, Smart Ellis and Champions Gate.

Sheer Talent last ran in the Grade 3 Hollywood Prevue on the synthetic main track at Hollywood Park and is making his first start on the grass on Saturday. The breeding suggests that the move should be no problem for the son of Wildcat Heir.

Smart Ellis broke his maiden over the Del Mar turf so impressively that trainer Richard Mandella thought enough to send him to Keeneland to run in the Grade 3 Bourbon. That; however, did not go as planned, but expect an improved effort returning to So Cal.

Champions Gate exits a wire-to-wire turf score going six panels at Hollywood Park and could be the speed of the Eddie Logan. Note that jockey Joel Rosario is named to ride this gelding and not Stoney Fleece, who he rode on opening day in the Cal Breeders’ Champion Stakes.

If Stoney Fleece does not mind the quick turn-around then he could be a horse worth backing. He was run off his feet in the Cal Breeders’ on the main track and he might just be a better horse on the turf. Two of his three lifetime wins were at a mile on the turf including an allowance race at Santa Anita.

Chips All In is an interesting colt making his two-turn and turf debut for trainer Jeff Mullins. In four career starts the son of North Light has three wins and one second. Of course the colt is bred up and down to be a turf horse and could surprise at a price.

The Black is a maiden, but the speed figure he earned in his last race rivals those earned by Daddy Nose Best, Sheer Talent, Champions Gate and Stoney Fleece. The Black is trained by Doug O’Neill who also enters recent turf claiming winner Fear the Beard.

Rounding out the field is Devil in Disquise, who is coming off a fifth place finish to Stoney Fleece in the Grade 3 Generous Stakes.

Post time for the Eddie Logan is 6:36 ET.

Gulfstream Park – Mr. Prospector Stakes

Grade 3 Sprinters

The feature race on Saturday at Gulfstream Park is the 59th running of the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector for three-year-olds and upward. The six furlong race only drew a field of seven, but contention runs deep.

Of the seven Apriority is dropping out of the best race, the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. In the Sprint the four-year-old colt was never really able to get going and finished sixth, beaten just under nine lengths. It was the third straight subpar effort for Apriority.

Those three races were against Grade 1 company, but prior to that Apriority was second by a nose in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs stakes and was second in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap. A return to Gulfstream, where he is a perfect two-for-two, may be just what he needs.

Capt. Candyman Can is another that loves the Gulfstream strip. The five-year-old gelding has two wins in three career starts at the track. Off from November 2009 to February 2011, the Candyman has won twice in four starts since the long layoff.

In his last two races, which came in May and June, Capt. Candyman Can was third in the Grade 3 Aristides and fourth in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs. Regular rider Calvin Borel keeps the mount for trainer Ian Wilkes.

Indiano has yet to reach the winner’s circle at Gulfstream Park, but he does have two second in two starts. Indiano started his career in Panama winning all five of his starts. Since coming to the U.S. in March the Indian Charlie-colt has three wins, which all came at Calder.

Those three horses are the class of the field, but the others are not without a chance.

Zero Rate Policy has won back-to-back races including the Sunshine State Sprint at Gulfstream Park and is two-for-three at the track in his career. In his only graded stakes Zero Rate Policy was fourth in the Jersey Shore on a muddy Monmouth Park track.

Immortal Eyes is about one length away from an eight race winning streak at six different tracks. Of those eight races the Greatness-gelding has five wins and three seconds. The second place finishes were by a neck, half-length and a neck. His best race was a second in the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint Handicap at Pimlico.

The Hunk has won four straight races and adds more pace to the race. The son of Speightstown is making his debut in the graded stakes ranks after defeating allowance company. Nathan’s HQ ran a good second in a Grade 3 at Aqueduct in his last, but only has one win in seven starts this year.

Apriority, Capt. Candyman Can and Indiano all like to stalk the pace so perhaps taking a stab with Immortal Eyes or The Hunk isn’t such a bad idea.

Post time for the Mr. Prospector on Saturday is 4:45 ET.

Fair Grounds – Louisiana Futurity

Louisiana-breds in the Bayou

Saturday at Fair Grounds will feature Louisiana-bred two-year-olds in the Futurity Stakes. There is one for the colts and geldings and one for the fillies. Up first, with a post time of 3:01 ET, are the colts and geldings.

Nine will line up when the break from the gate, with one entry, but all eyes will be on the colt breaking from post five.

Beanwah’smachine has been perfect in his three-race career winning them all by a combined seven lengths. In his last, the Louisiana Juvenile, Beanwah’smachine was farther off the early pace than he had been previously, but was put in a strong rally late to win by a half-length. Since then he has come back with a strong three-furlong blow out and is the horse to beat.

Those looking to beat the favorite or to use underneath will focus on the entry of Gar and C.C. Dubai as well as Shave and Pave, Bucktown and Sworovski. Bucktown is the only horse that is not coming into the race off a maiden run as he was fifth behind the favorite in the Louisiana Juvenile.

Two races later, post time 3:56 ET, is the Futurity for the two-year-old fillies. This race does not appear to be a one-filly race on paper; it’s more of a two-filly race.

Izzie’s Gold won the Louisiana Lassie by four lengths in her last start and has two wins in five career races. She would have been the overwhelming favorite if not for the entry of Ide Be Tuff E Nuff.

Ide Be Tuff E Nuff is still a maiden after one race, but she showed enough ability in that race to score on the step-up in class. She was sent off as the 1.8-1 favorite, made the lead in deep stretch, but tired to finish third. It was a good debut effort and trainer Al Stall is deadly with second-time starters.

Effie is another interesting filly from the Tony Richey stable and is worth including if you can throw out her last race. In the Louisiana Lassie Effie finished seventh, beaten just over thirteen lengths. Prior to that she was a good second in the Louisiana Jewel, finishing in front of Izzie’s Gold, and regains leading rider Rosie Napravnik in the saddle.

The fillies race is part of the 50-cent Black Gold wager, which is a pick-5 that is only paid in full if there is one winning ticket. Race five kicks off the Black Gold and goes to post at 3:28 ET.

Thoroughbred Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

Great racing action from across the country this weekend.  Watch these races all on BetAmerica.com.

Saturday – December 31

• Santa Anita: La Brea Stakes – G1, $300,000, 3yo f, 7f
• Santa Anita: Eddie Logan Stakes, $75,000, 2yo, 8f turf
• Gulfstream Park: Mr. Prospector Stakes – G3, $100,000, 3yo & up, 6f
• Tampa Bay Downs: Minaret Stakes, $50,000, 3yo & up, 6f
• Fair Grounds: Louisiana Futurity, $50,000, 2yo, 6f
• Fair Grounds: Louisiana Futurity, $50,000, 2yo f, 6f
• Delta Downs: Lookout Stakes, $60,000, 3yo & up f&m, 8f
• Delta Downs: B-Connected Stakes, $60,000, 3yo & up, 8f
• Sunland Park: Red Hedeman Mile Stakes, $110,000, 2yo, 8f
• Turfway Park: Holiday Cheer Stakes, $50,000, 3yo & up, 6f

Sunday – January 1

• Santa Anita: Robert J. Frankel Stakes – G2, $150,000, 4yo & up, 9f turf
• Santa Anita: Kalookan Queen Handicap, $75,000, 4yo & up f&m, 6.5f
• Gulfstream Park: Old Hat Stakes – G3, $100,000, 3yo, 6f
• Gulfstream Park: Gulfstream Park Derby, $100,000, 3yo, 8.5f
• Sunland Park: Albert Dominguez Memorial Handicap, $110,000, 4yo & up, 8.5f

Monday – January 2

• Santa Anita: Monrovia Stakes – G2, $100,000, 4yo & up f&m, 6.5f turf

Related posts:

1. Players Edge Newsletter – December 9, 2011
2. Players Edge Newsletter – December 16, 2011

Santa Anita – Grade 1 Malibu Stakes

The Factor Looks to Rebound

Monday, December 26 is the day after Christmas and in the horse racing world that means one thing, opening day at the Great Race Place, Santa Anita. The nine-race card features two California-bred stakes and two graded stakes highlighted by the Grade 1 Malibu.

The Malibu is for three-year-olds and will be run at seven furlongs on the main, dirt track. The traditional opening day feature will be run with a field of eleven this year with ten of them seeking their first graded victory.

The lone horse with a graded win is the War Front-colt The Factor, who won the Grade 1 Pat O’Brien, Grade 2 Rebel and Grade 2 San Vicente this year. The San Vicente at Santa Anita and the Pat O’Brien at Del Mar were both at seven furlongs and looks to be an ideal distance for the grey colt.

In his last race, the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, The Factor was up against several obstacles. The track was not favoring speed after taking rain in the days prior and he had to gun from the rail. Since then he has been working very well across town at Hollywood Park and drew post eleven.

If The Factor doesn’t get the job done for Bob Baffert then he has plenty of other chances with a total of four horses in the field. Aside from The Factor he has Racing Aptitude, Hoorayforhollywood and Smash.

Of the three Smash may be the one to back. The Smart Strike colt was very impressive earlier in the year at Hollywood and Calder and came back to win last month in an allowance race after a four month layoff. His lifetime best speed figure of 103 is only topped in the field by Racing Apptitude, 105, Associate, 104, and The Factor, 108.

Associate is shipping west for his California debut for trainer Richard Dutrow and has won two straight since being claimed in July. In the first start off the claim he won a claiming race by over ten lengths over a sloppy track then came back last month to score by eight. Both of those races were at the seven furlong distance.

Rothko and Wine Police are two other shippers, both for trainer Steve Asmussen. Like Associate the two Asmussen colts have been stable at Santa Anita and have works over the track.

Rothko will be making his stakes debut after winning three straight at Saratoga, Monmouth and Churchill Downs. The combined margin of victory in his last two is twelve and one-half. Rothko made his debut at Santa Anita in February and was second to Hoorayforhollywood.

Wine Police exits the Jimmy V stakes, which was run at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Oaks day. He lost nothing in defeat as the winner, Will’s Wildcat, is a Churchill Downs specialist. Wine Police has one run at seven furlongs, a third place finish behind Boys At Tosconova and Stay Thirsty last year in the Grade 1 Hopeful.

Completing the Grade 1 field are El Poncho, the Chilean-bred, Centralinteligence, second behind Smash, Luckarack, a long shot, and Light Up the Score, also trained by Asmussen.

Post time for the Malibu is 7:35 and is the finale on the nine-race card.

Santa Anita – Sir Beaufort Stakes

Ultimate Eagle Meets Mr. Commons

The first of the two graded stakes on opening day at Santa Anita, which is Monday, December 26, is the Grade 2 Sir Beaufort stakes for three-year-olds on the turf course. The one-mile race drew a field of nine led by Ultimate Eagle and Mr. Commons.

Ultimate Eagle comes into the race off the back of four straight victories. All of those came on the turf and his last two were in the Grade 2 Oak Tree Derby at Santa Anita and the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Hollywood Park.

The Mizzen Mast colt began his career with modest form on the synthetic Hollywood course, but has blossomed since adding the blinkers and being moved to the turf. The front-runner will once again be out there winging on the lead and will be tough to run down at one mile.

The concern of handicappers for Ultimate Eagle will be the cut back to one mile. He has been getting away with average fractions going longer and does appear to have some pace pressure in the Sir Beaufort. Should Comma to the Top or Thirtyfirststreet duel on the lead then the race will set up for a closer.

The top closer in the field is Mr. Commons for trainer John Shirreffs. Mr. Commons has two wins and two seconds in five career starts on the turf. The two seconds came in the Grade 2 Oak Tree Mile and Grade 2 Del Mar Mile, both of which were against older horses. In his last race, the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile, Mr. Commons finished fifth, but encountered a lot of trouble in the stretch.

Another closer in the field is Venomous, who will be making his third start in the United States and second with trainer Leonard Powell. In his state-side debut the Red Ransom colt was void of speed early, but unleashed a furious rally late to be second to Ultimate Eagle by a half-length.

Then in the Hollywood Derby Venomous was closer to the slower pace and did not show that same late kick. It is possible that it was the vaunted Euro-bounce and he should return to form. The one caveat; however, is that Venomous has not won a race since April 2011.

Cozi Kitten and Irish Art also exit the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby and will benefit from a race with actual pace. Cozi Kitten is two-for-three at one mile with a win in a $50,000 stakes race at Kentucky Downs. Irish Art is bred to be a miler by Breeders’ Cup Mile Champion Artie Schiller.

Moment of Weakness and Riveting Reason complete the field and post time on Monday is 7:00 ET.

Gulfstream Park – Ginger Brew Stakes

Welcome Dance Headlines the Turf Stakes

Saturday’s feature race at Gulfstream Park is the Ginger Brew stakes for two-year-old fillies. The two-turn turf race drew a full field of thirteen led by the Michael Matz-trained Welcome Dance.

Welcome Dance has three starts in her early career with two wins and a last place finish, but she enters as the filly to beat. In her debut she won gate-to-wire then stepped up to the Grade 3 Natalma at Woodbine.

In the Natalma, Welcome Dance stumbled at the start and was unable to make the lead. She tired and finished well behind the race winner. The third place finisher, Stephanie’s Kitten, came right back to score in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Welcome Dance showed she will be a force in the filly turf division with a stylish wire-to-wire win in her return to the races in early November at Churchill Downs. She should once again be on the lead and the other fillies will have to come catch her.

Of the twelve other fillies in the race there are six coming into the Ginger Brew off of runs in stake races.

Sisterhood won the La Senorita at Retama Park in her last race, which was the first win in her three race career. By Kitten’s Joy out of a Cozzene mare, Sisterhood is bred up and down for the turf.

Ann of the Dance exits the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, but it was not a race that would give a lot of confidence going in to Saturday. Frolic’s Revenge also exits a run in the Breeders’ Cup having finished ninth of fourteen in the Juvenile Fillies on the main track. This will be her first run on the turf.

Karlovy Vary last ran in the Grade 2 Golden Rod on the Churchill Downs main track and will be returning to her preferred surface in the Ginger Brew. In two starts on the turf the Dyanformer filly has a win and a third.

Spirited Miss also last ran in the Golden Rod and just like Karlovy Vary is a better filly on the turf. She broke her maiden on the turf course at Woodbine and was fourth in the Grade 3 Natalma there as well.

Sinister Brew won her last race, a Florida-bred turf stakes, which was her first start over the turf. The name play in the race Sinister Brew is sired by the same horse that sired Ginger Brew.

Of the recent maiden breakers Sky High Lady may have the most upside. She was second in her debut on the Woodbine turf then was fourth in a stakes race over the synthetic track. The Sky Mesa filly then moved to the Churchill dirt where she ran third in a maiden around one turn then broke her maiden around two in her last.

Shirley Says So, Wholelottahsakin, Almusafa, Macanuda and Ready Signal complete the field. Wholelottahsakin and Almusafa won their maidens by open lengths and deserve respect if given on the tote board.

Post time for the Ginger Brew on Saturday is 3:12 ET.

Fair Grounds – Buddy Diliberto Memorial Handicap

Ten Roll on the Turf

The other major track open on the day after Christmas is Fair Grounds and its Monday feature is the 6th running of the Buddy Diliberto Memorial Handicap. A field of ten will contest the two-turn turf race with Suntracer installed as the 7-2 morning line favorite.

Suntracer won his last race, the $74,000 Woodchopper over the Fair Grounds turf, which made it two wins from three starts over the course. Prior to that he was running in graded turf stakes at Arlington Park and Hawthorne.

The Kitten’s Joy-colt enters as the horse to beat, but is only facing his older rivals for the second time in his career. The first time as a fourth place finish to Tajaaweed in an allowance race on the turf at Arlington Park.

Second choice on the morning line is the six-year-old gelding Princeville Condo for trainer Greg Geier. Geier is taking over for Michele Boyce, but note he was the trainer of record when the gelding ran at Fair Grounds last year.

Princeville Condo comes into the race with a stellar career record. In seventeen starts he has seven wins, six seconds and two thirds. All seven of his wins have been on the turf with one at Fair Grounds. The one race he won over the course was the 2009 Diliberto Memorial.

The next choices on the morning line are Strike Impace, Ready Set and Baltimore Bob.

Strike Impact has run an amazing 59 times during his career and has been in-the-money in 32 of those starts. He has won 16 races, but has yet to hit the winner’s circle at Fair Grounds in two previous starts. In his last start, which will be nine days prior when he starts on Monday, he was seventh in a turf sprint over a yielding turf course.

Ready Set has won his last two races, which is a complete reversal from his 2010 form that saw him win only one of ten starts. He ran in the Diliberto Memorial last year finishing seventh as a 6.8-1 long shot. One interesting thing to note is that Brian Hernandez is named to ride and he has been aboard for his last three wins.

Baltimore Bob has won his last two as well and is a neck and nose away from having a five race win streak. His last race was back in April at Lone Star Park, but he has run very well off a layoff in the past. He did not run in the race last year, but was third in 2009.

Al Muhtasib, Pedrolino, Mr. Vegas, Worldy and Cactus Son complete the field. Of those five Mr. Vegas could upset. He as three lengths away from Princeville Condo in a stakes race at Hawthorne in October and retains James Graham in the irons.

Post time for the Diliberto Memorial is 5:25 ET.

Thoroughbred Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

Great racing action from across the country this weekend.  Watch these races all on BetAmerica.com.

Saturday – December 24

• Gulfstream Park: Ginger Brew Stakes, $60,000, 2yo f, 8.5f turf

Monday – December 26

• Santa Anita: Malibu Stakes – G1, $300,000, 3yo, 7f
• Santa Anita: Sir Beaufort Stakes – G2, $150,000, 3yo, 8f turf
• Santa Anita: Cal Breeders’ Championship Stakes, $100,000, 2yo, 7f
• Santa Anita: Cal Breeders’ Championship Stakes, $100,000, 2yo f, 7f
• Fair Grounds: Buddy Diliberto Memorial Handicap, $75,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f turf

Related posts:

1. Players Edge Newsletter – December 16, 2011
2. Players Edge Newsletter – December 2, 2011
3. Players Edge Newsletter – December 9, 2011

Hollywood Park – Cash Call Futurity

Thirteen to Answer the Cash Call

Saturday’s feature race at Hollywood Park and across the country is the Grade 1 Cash Call Futurity for two-year-olds. The race drew a field of thirteen, which includes a Grade 1 winner, a Grade 3 winner, a Grade 3 placed colt and several with ungraded stakes wins.

Drill has been a hyped horse since day one, but had a little stumble early in his career with an eighth place finish in his debut. In his next start he broke his maiden by a next, and then took the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity.

After a second place finish in the Grade 1 Norfolk at Santa Anita Drill has yet to finish inside of seventeen lengths of the winner in his subsequent two starts. He may have excuses for both of those, but until he wins at two-turns he may simply be a better sprinter.

Majestic City started his career with a bang winning three straight races ending with the Grade 3 Hollywood Juvenile Championship at Hollywood Park. He went out to be second in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity, disqualified to third, and then was second in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland before finishing thirteenth on the grass in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. A return to his favorite track may could just be what the doctor ordered for Majestic City.

Basmati ran against Drill in the Grade 3 Jackpot at Delta Downs in his last start, but ran much better, finishing second by four lengths. Jockey Corey Nakatani had Basmati close to a hot early pace, made a good run entering the stretch and wound up second to the late-running Sabercat.

By Borrego, Basmati had rights to improve with the move to two turns and has done just that. Also his best two races were on the conventional dirt, but was third in his debut at Hollywood Park in July.

Rousing Sermon and Liaison exit the Real Quiet stakes at Hollywood Park in mid-November where Liaison got the better of his rival that day by a half-length. Both have rights to improve, but the feeling is that Liaison could be in for a smasher.

Handsome Mike and Brother Francis come off of graded stakes runs with Handsome Mike a second in the Grade 3 Generous on the Hollywood turf and Brother Francis off a second in the Grade 3 Prevue at Hollywood Park. Both two-year-old colts should be part of the early pace, which may come up pretty hot.

Three interesting contenders making their stakes debut after breaking their maiden in their previous race are Sky Kingdom, Blingo and Cozzetti.

Sky Kingdom is a Bob Baffert trained colt by Empire Maker who sure did take to the two turns in his start late last month. After stalking the early pace Sky Kingdom hit the lead in the stretch and drew off to win by over two. He could be a good prospect and picked up Garrett Gomez in the irons.

Blingo broke his maiden in his debut for trainer John Shirreffs and that almost never happens for that stable. The race was on the turf, and he is bred for it, but no hard in taking a chance for the connections of Zenyatta.

Cozzetti ships over from Kentucky for trainer Dale Romans and is another that could press the pace. He won his last race in near gate-to-wire fashion on a sloppy track at Churchill. Prior to that he ran twice on the turf so this will be his first start on a synthetic surface.

Rounding out the field are the maiden Groovin’ Solo, Empire way, sixth in the Grade 3 Hollywood Prevue, and the French-shipper Desormais.

Post time for the Cash Call is 7:37 ET.

Gulfstream Park – Harlan’s Holiday

Boys At Tosconova Returns to Stakes Action

The feature race on Saturday at Gulfstream Park is the Harlan’s Holiday for three-year-olds and upward. The $60,000 stakes race drew a field of eight led by Boys At Tosconova.

As a two-year-old Boys At Tosconova was one of the top horses in training. He ran second in his debut in a Grade 3 race then broke his maiden by twelve. It was back to graded stakes after that with a win in the Grade 1 Hopeful and a second to Uncle Mo in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Then the setback came and Boys At Tosconova was given some time off before returning to the races in October. He was third that day as the 1-2 favorite, but showed that he can be a top horse next year with an authoritative victory in his last start.

The Harlan’s Holiday is the next step on that journey.

Of course the other seven horses are just not going to lie down and give it up to Boys. In fact the biggest threat may come from his stablemate Trickmeister.

Trickmeister is an undefeated son of Proud Citizen, but has not been to the races since a dazzling double-digit length win in the Pleasant Colony at Saratoga in August 2010. Prior to that Trickmeister won the $105,000 Barbaro at Delaware Park.

The top older horse in the field is Duke of Mischief for trainer David Fawkes. A five-year-old by Graeme Hall, Duke of Mischief comes off a disappointing effort in the Grade 1 Whitney at Saratoga. It was the worst showing of his career so simply draw a line through it and expect a return to form.

The problem with Duke of Mischeif’s recent form is that he hardly ever wins. He has one win in five starts this year and only two wins in his last ten. One positive for him is that he has a win at Gulfstream and ran well over the track last year.

An interesting long shot in the group is the Anothony Pecoraro trained I’m Steppin’ It Up. I’m Stepping It Up has won back-to-back races, but it was his score at Belmont Park that makes him a contender on Saturday.

In the one-turn mile I’m Steppin’ It Up sat just off the pace for the first quarter mile, but soon made the lead after a half and cruised to a “safe” half-length victory. Back to two turns the Congrats colt should be part of the early pace.

Rounding out the field are Our Dark Knight, Zimmer, Sky Venture and Decaf Again. Post time for the Harlan’s Holiday is 4:45 ET.

Fair Grounds – Sugar Bowl

Two-Year-Olds in Louisiana

In two weeks all horses in the United States will be turning a year older and for owners of two-year-olds their focus will be on the first Saturday in May and the Kentucky Derby. The three-year-old prep races in Louisiana will begin to take shape this Saturday with the Sugar Bowl stakes.

The probable favorite for the six furlong race is Exfactor for trainer Bernie Flint. Exfactor has run three times in his career with two wins and a second. His last race was in the Grade 3 Bashford Manor at Churchill Downs, which was his best race.

In breaking his maiden in start number two Exfactor made all the pace, but in the Bashford Manor jockey Calvin Borel took a stalking position. Instead of his usual spot on the rail Borel circled the field five wide and won going away.

It was a very good win for a colt that will be looking forward to returning to the Twin Spires.

Brown Eyed Jozi looks like the biggest threat to the favorite and note that jockey Calvin Borel is named on him and not Exfactor. Of course that is probably due to his brother training the colt.

Brown Eyed Jozi has won twice in his four race career and has a bad start-good start pattern. Off the easy score in his last the Johannesburg colt may bounce. Another interesting fact to note is that Exfactor has gotten work over the track where as Brown Eyed Jozi has been stabled at Churchill.

Afford looks like the third choice on the board even though he only has a maiden win on his resume. That maiden win; however, was by over seven lengths and his speed figure is comparable to the top two.

Rounding out the superfecta is going to be tough as the remaining horses all seem very similar on paper. Sarge Hudson, Sherp, Laurie’s Rocket and Adena’s Chance all ran speed figures in the 58-68 range in their last race. E Valentino looks like the longest shot in the field.

Laurie’s Rocket comes out of the Grade 3 Delta Jackpot and cuts back to a sprint. Sherp ran huge in his debut then lost a step before running out of the money in his last. He may have bounced big off his first race and would be dangerous if he runs back to that.

Post time for the six-furlong Sugar Bowl is 5:55 ET.

Fair Grounds – Blushing K.D. Handicap

Ten Roll on the Turf

One race prior to the Sugar Bowl is the Blushing K.D. Handicap for fillies and mares. The turf race kicks off the late, 50-cent pick-4 and drew a field of ten.

The favorite on the morning line at 5-2 is the Carl Bowman trained Ravi’s Song. Ravi’s Song loves Fair Grounds, but the turf course may not be her favorite surface. She won twice over the main track earlier this year and has only run on the turf in her last three races.

In those three races, which were all graded stakes, the five-year-old mare ran very well, but could only manage three second place finishes. She enters the Blushing K.D. as the mare to beat, but must work out a trip from the back of the pack.

Second choice on the morning line and drawn right next to Ravi’s Song is Cherokee Queen. Previously trained by Marty Wolfson the six-year-old mare is now under the care of Steve Margolis.

Cherokee Queen is the opposite of Ravi’s Song as Cherokee Queen has only made her starts on the turf or synthetic. In her last race Cherokee Queen was eighth, beaten just over seven, in the Grade 1 First Lady at Keeneland.

After the top two choices there are three mares at 5-1 or 6-1 on the morning line. Pleasantly Blessed deserves a look having won twice in two starts on the Fair Grounds turf. Those wins; however, don’t show up on the past performances, but she comes in having won three of her last five.

A She’s Adorable and Distorted Love are next in line and both have experience over the course. A She’s Adorable has two wins and a second in three starts at Fair Grounds and Distorted Love two seconds in two starts.

Both mares will need some pace to run into as will Ravi’s Song and Cherokee Queen. Cherokee Queen has more tactical speed and will be in a good spot early. The two that figure based on pace are the filly Weekend Party and the mare Fighter Wing.

Miss Shenaniegans, Bet On the Blue and Instant Style round out the field with post time at 5:25 ET.

Thoroughbred Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

Great racing action from across the country this weekend.  Watch these races all on BetAmerica.com.

Saturday – December 17

• Hollywood Park: CashCall Futurity – G1, $750,000, 2yo, 8.5f
• Gulfstream Park: Harlan’s Holiday Stakes, $60,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f
• Fair Grounds: Sugar Bowl Stakes, $60,000, 2yo, 6f
• Fair Grounds: Tenacious Handicap, $75,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f
• Fair Grounds: Blushing K.D. Handicap, $75,000, 3yo & up f&m, 8.5f turf
• Fair Grounds: Bonapaw Stakes, $75,000, 3yo & up, 5.5f turf
• Laurel Park: Maryland Juvenile Championship, $75,000, 2yo, 7.5f
• Laurel Park: Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship, $75,000, 2yo f, 7.5f
• Turfway Park: Prairie Bayou Stakes, $50,000, 3yo & up, 9f
• Golden Gate: Pacific Heights Stakes, $75,000, 3yo & up, 9f turf
• Charles Town: Eleanor Casey Memorial Stakes, $50,000, 2yo, 7f

Sunday – December 18

• Hollywood Park: On Trust Handicap, $80,000, 3yo & up, 7.5f
• Gulfstream Park: Dania Beach Stakes, $100,000, 2yo, 8f turf
• Fair Grounds: Letellier Memorial Stakes, $60,000, 2yo f, 6f

Related posts:

1. Players Edge Newsletter – December 2, 2011
2. Players Edge Newsletter – December 9, 2011
3. Players Edge Newsletter – December 23, 2011

Hollywood Park – Hollywood Starlet

Weemissfrankie Takes Center Stage

The feature race this weekend at Hollywood Park is the Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet for two-year-old fillies. The two-turn race drew a field of six headlined by multiple Grade 1 winner Weemissfrankie.

Weemissfrankie comes in to the Starlet off a third place run in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. In that race she stalked the early pace, but was unable to catch up to the two top East coast fillies My Miss Aurelia and Grace Hall.

Prior to the Breeders’ Cup, Weemissfrankie was and still is the top two-year-old filly on the West. She won three straight races to start her career including the Grade 1 Debutante at Del Mar and the Grade 1 Oak Leaf at Hollywood Park. She enters the Starlet as the horse to beat, but will have to once again show up with her “A” game.

The biggest challenger to the favorite will be Charm the Maker for trainer Ron McAnally. Charm the Maker ran against Weemissfrankie in the Oak Leaf, but that was on the dirt at Santa Anita. In two starts on a synthetic surface Charm the Maker has two wins by a combined five and one-half lengths.

An interesting filly in the field is the Southern Equine-owned Mi Vida for trainer Eric Guillot. Mi Vida had not run a race fast enough to contend in the Grade 1 until her last race at Santa Anita. That was over a muddy track, but her running style suggest she could be out on a loose lead.

The other fillies in the race are Lady Pecan for trainer Bob Baffert, Killer Graces for Jerry Hollendorfer and Self Preservation for Ben Cecil.

Lady Pecan and Killer Graces exit the Sharp Cat won by Charm the Maker and must step it up if they want to close to gap. Killer Graces should be forwardly placed while Lady Pecan will be sitting just off.

Self Preservation came shipped over from Ireland in September to run a very good second to Weemissfrankie in the Del Mar Debutante. Off that race she was well bet in the Oak Leaf, but a change of tactics saw her finish fifth behind both Weemissfrankie and Charm the Maker. It remains to be seen what kind of filly Self Preservation will be, but a return to synthetics will help her chances.

The Grade 1 Starlet is carded as race nine on the ten-race Saturday card with a scheduled post time of 7:37 ET.

Gulfstream Park – Sugar Swirl Stakes

Filly & Mare Sprinters in Miami

Saturday’s feature race at Gulfstream Park is the 32nd running of the Sugar Swirl stakes for fillies and mares, three-years-old and upward. The probable morning line favorite for the Grade 3 race is the Grade 2 winner Pomeroys Pistol.

Pomeroys Pistol comes off a fourth place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Churchill Downs. In the Sprint the three-year-old filly made a good run into the stretch, but evened out late.

The positive for Pomeroys Pistols in this particular race is the cut back in distance from seven furlongs to six. She took the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom at Saratoga by four, at six and one-half furlongs, and a stakes race at Monmouth at six.

The connections for Roman Treasure have to be excited for their filly to return to the dirt. She was running well in New York this summer, but a trip to Keeneland proved to be brutal. Over the Polytrack Roman Treasure was part of the early pace, but stopped badly and finished last. From post three jockey Joe Bravo should have the Roman Ruler filly in a good position early.

Third Chance has been knocking heads in the mid-west at Arlington Park and Hawthorne, but is no stranger to Florida. Earlier this year Third Chance made a start at Gulfstream Park and one at Tampa Bay Downs, both of which resulted in losses.

Off since October, Third Chance has been stabled at Gulfstream since at least mid-December and will be looking for her fifth straight win on Saturday.

Two fillies looking for a speed duel are Indulgence and Strike the Moon. Indulgence is coming out of a turf sprint at Keenealnd, but has run some good races on the dirt. Back in July at Calder Indulgence was third in the Grade 1 Princess Rooney behind Sassy Image and Musical Romance.

Strike the Moon started off her career as a front-runner, but a chance of tactics has been on the table her last two starts. In the Charles Town Oaks she rallied to win from third and in the Grade 2 Raven Run at Keeneland she was seventh early and finished fifth, beaten just under a length.

Rounding out the field are Pica Slew, Catch a Thief and Moontune Missy. Catch a Thief is the horse-for-course with two wins and a third in three career Gulfstream Park starts.

Post time for the Sugar Swirl is 4:45 ET.

Tampa Bay Downs – Sandpiper Stakes

Eleven Two-Year-Old Fillies

The stakes races on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs are both for the two-year-olds with the Inaugural for the boys and Sandpiper for the girls. The Inaugural may have a very short priced favorite in Luke of York so let’s take a look at the Sandpiper.

The favorite on the morning line at 3-1 is the Lion Heart filly Live Every Day. Live Every Day has run two times in her career with a maiden score and a third place finish in the $96,000 Cassidy at Calder. A repeat of the maiden score would make her very tough, but contention runs deep.

Second choice on the line is Given Enchantment for trainer Jason DaCosta. A filly by Point Given, Given Enchantment broke her maiden in start number one then was second in a state-bred stakes at Calder in her last. Over eight lengths clear of third Given Enchantment looks to be the biggest threat to the favorite.

Next on the morning line there are five other fillies between 6-1 and 8-1 with all having a shot to take down the money.

Blue Forty has an excellent trainer with two-year-olds and she will be making her first start on a conventional dirt surface in the Sandpiper. Any question marks about her ability on the dirt have to be lowered based on her bullet drill on December 3rd.

Venetian Sonata has kept the best company in the field with back-to-back runs in graded stakes, but the only win in her four race career came at Presque Isle on the Tapeta. Grand Entry is three-for-three in her career with wins at Delaware and Parx and comes in to the race on Saturday with three straight bullets at Tampa. She may be the value play at 8-1.

Quick Flip is also perfect in her career with two wins in two starts and ships south for trainer Terri Pompay. Quick Flip is bred to be fast and cost nearly a quarter-million at auction. Red Hot Doll is the veteran in the field with seven starts. She has won back-to-back races at Fort Erie in Canada.

Vicarious Won is 12-1 on the morning line, but won her debut like she might be a good thing. All American Star, Silver Arch and Endless Date look like the long shots of the field.

The Sandpiper goes to post on Saturday at 4:10 ET.

Fair Grounds – Louisiana Champions Day Turf

Bayou-breds Battle on the Grass

Saturday is the annual Louisiana Champions Day at Fair Grounds, which celebrates those horses bred in the Bayou state. There are eight races on the day worth a total of $800,000 with Star Guitar the headliner in the Champions Day Classic.

Star Guitar is expected to win his seventh straight race in the Classic and will be a short priced favorite to do so. One race prior, the Louisiana Champions Day Turf, is the better betting race.

A field of ten will line up for the two-turn affair with Kissimmee Kyle, Wildrally, Skipping Town and Old Bushmill the horses to beat.

Kissimmee Kyle is also entered in the Classic, but the Turf would be a better spot for the five-year-old gelding. In seven career starts on the turf Kissimmee Kyle has two wins, three seconds and two thirds. Over the Fair Grounds turf Kyle has one win and three seconds including a second in this race last year.

Wildrally will be making the 45th start of his career, which includes fourteen on the turf at Fair Grounds. The seven-year-old gelding gets one of the Fair Grounds top riders in Rose Napravnik in the irons and will be running late.

Skipping Town is a mare facing the boys, but she has definite claims on the top spot. She is also cross-entered in the Ladies stakes on the main track earlier in the day so check the late scratches for which race she will ultimately run in. Even though the turf is against the boys it is the better spot. Skipping Town has never been worse than second in five career starts on the grass at Fair Grounds.

Old Bushmill is coming into the race on a three race winning streak and has been a much improved colt since being switched to the turf. He won the Louisiana Cup Turf Classic at Louisiana Downs in his last race and is a solid 4-1 on the morning line. The only negative is that his trainer Morris Nicks is not having a very good start to the meet. Hitting at 22% for the year, only one of his 20 runners at Fair Grounds this winter has won.

One of the interesting things about the race is that it did not appear to come up with a lot of pace. The turf course generally plays very well to closers, but a front-runner can win if left alone. Kissimmee Kyle will likely be on the lead as will String King, who should be stalking the leader.

Idefromthebayou, Productive Envoy, Ide Like a Double, Candiano and First to Bingo round out the field and post time is at 5:25 ET.

Thoroughbred Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

Great racing action from across the country this weekend.  Watch these races all on BetAmerica.com.

Saturday – December 10

• Hollywood Park: Hollywood Starlet – G1, $250,000, 2yo f, 8.5f
• Gulfstream Park: Sugar Swirl Stakes – G3, $100,000, 3yo & up f&m, 6f
• Fair Grounds: Louisiana Champions Day, 8 Stakes Races, $800,00 total purses
• Hawthorne: Jim Edgar Illinois Futurity, $100,000, 2yo, 8.5f
• Golden Gate: Gold Rush Stakes, $75,000, 2yo, 8f
• Laurel Park: Geisha Stakes, $75,000, 3yo & up, 8f
• Parx: Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes, $75,000, 2yo, 7f
• Tampa Bay Downs: Inaugural Stakes, $75,000, 2yo, 6f
• Tampa Bay Downs: Sandpiper Stakes, $75,000, 2yo f, 6f
• Turfway Park: My Charmer Stakes, $50,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f
• Sunland Park: KLAQ Handicap, $50,000, 3yo & up, 5.5f

Sunday – December 11

• Hollywood Park: Cat’s Cradle Handicap, $80,000, 3yo & up, 7.5f
• Gulfstream Park: South Beach Stakes, $60,000, 3yo & up, 7.5f turf
• Sunland Park: Johnie L. Jamison Stakes, $110,000, 3yo & up, 6.5f
• Sunland Park: NM State Racing Commission Handicap, $110,000, 3yo & up, 6f

Harness Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

Watch these races all on BetAmerica.com.

Friday – December 9

• Woodbine: Autumn Stakes, $60,000, 3yo filly pace

Saturday – December 10

• Woodbine: Autumn Stakes, $60,000, 3yo c&g pace
• Northfield Park: Cleveland Classic, $150,000, 3yo open pace

Related posts:

1. Players Edge Newsletter – December 16, 2011
2. Players Edge Newsletter – December 2, 2011
3. Players Edge Newsletter – December 23, 2011

Fair Grounds – Claiming Crown Emerald

Turf Stakes for Claimers

Saturday is the annual Claiming Crown and for the first time it will be held at Fair Grounds in New Orleans. This year there are five Claiming Crown races with just under eight starters per race. The most interesting race in the sequence is the Claiming Crown Emerald on the turf.

Compliance Officer returns from the clouds after attempting Grade 1 company in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. He was eleventh in that race, but had rolled off five straight wins prior to that. All those wins were in New York-bred races and has not won against open company since July 2010.

Baryshnikov has had a long campaign and will be making his eleventh start of the year on Saturday. From late 2010 to this summer the five-year-old horse won five races with another five placings. His last two races; however, have not been as good, but that was in Grade 2 races.

Those are the two class horses in the Emerald, but with their own question marks the race could be ripe for an upset.

Live in Joy is an interesting prospect even though he has been well beat in his last two races. The Ken & Sarah Ramsey homebred is trained by Wayne Catalano and will be ridden by Julien Leparoux. The connections alone are enough to put him in the winners’ circle especially when Leparoux has ridden four of the other runners.

Quick Delivery is a five-year-old gelding with one race over the Fair Grounds turf course. His connections do very well in the claiming ranks and will hope for a stakes win in the Emerald. Jockey James Graham knows his way around and will have Quick Delivery in a good striking position throughout.

If this was a couple of years ago then Monzante would be the heavy favorite to win. The gray gelding has banked over $500,000 in his 28-race career and showed two starts back that he can still find the winner’s circle.

Thabazimbi and Dudduc add more pace to the race that is shaping up as a fast one. Any type of speed duel helps the chances of Avenstoke, who is the horse-for-course. Avenstroke has four starts on the course with a win and two seconds.

First post on Saturday at Fair Grounds is 1:10 ET with the first Claiming Crown race at 2:33 and the Emerald off at 4:25.

Hollywood Park – Native Diver Handicap

Older Horses Go Nine

The feature race on Saturday at Hollywood Park is the 33rd running of the Grade 3 Native Diver Handicap for three-year-olds and upward. No three-year-olds entered this year so a field of seven older horses will battle it out on the Polytrack.

Looking through the past performances there is not one horse that jumps off the page as a standout. Each of the seven have a shot to win so let’s break it down.

Kettle Corn has won two of his last three races and is one-for-one at Hollywood Park. He is coming off a half-length score in an allowance race and is making his first start in a stakes race. He will be flying late under jockey Garrett Gomez, but the race did not come up with a lot of speed.

Eldaafer cuts back in distance after finishing sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon in November. The six-year-old gelding has won over $750,000 in his career and will be making his first start for trainer Brian Koriner. The last time he ran on a synthetic track was in September 2010 and that was a win at Turfway Park.

Tweebster is the probable pace-setter coming in off a sprint race in his last. His last two wins, which were both at Hollywood Park, came when he was leading at the half-mile pole. It would be a good win for the connections, who lost Irrefutable last week.

Trainer Shug McGuaghey ships in Rescue Squad from the East coast for the Native Diver off of a win going nine furlongs at Keeneland. The Dynaformer-horse is a perfect two-for-two on synthetics with both wins coming at Keeneland.

Summer Movie is likely to be sitting second behind Tweebster, but is not as accomplished on a synthetic surface. The best finish for Summer Movie was a third place finish in last year’s Swaps Stakes over the Hollywood track.

Tres Borrachos has been a new horse since being switched to the Marty Jones barn. The former front-runner has been a better horse now that he has been taken off the pace and is coming off a very good third in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. It is possible that the six-year-old gelding will regress off that effort, but three of his four career wins have come at Hollywood Park.

The final entrant is Massone for trainer Tim Yakteen, who has not had very many starters this year. Massone is winless in two starts this year and was winless in seven starts last year so a big time improvement will be needed.

Post time for the Native Diver on Saturday is 7:07 ET.

Gulfstream Park – Spectacular Bid

Two-Year-Old Sprinters

Saturday is opening day at Gulfstream Park and the highlight for the day is the $100,000 Spectacular Bid for two-year-olds. The six furlong race drew a field of eight led by undefeated Luke of York.

Luke of York is perfect in his two-race career winning each race by a nose. In his debut at Arlington Park the Put It Back colt rallied from off-the-pace then did the same in a stakes race at Keeneland. The Spectacular Bid will be the first race on conventional dirt for Luke of York.

One thing about the Gulfstream Park strip that may work against the favorite is that the surface often favors horses that race on or near the pace. Of the eight there appears to be three that will be going for the early lead.

Vexor ran in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint in his last race, but did very little running. The colt by Wildcat Heir already has a history of a good-bad start pattern so the Spectacular Bid should be his “good” race.

Vexor does not appear to be a horse that needs to lead to win, but did draw inside his other two pace rivals, For Oby and Ancient Rome.

For Oby stalked the early pace in the state-bred Price Juvenile across town at Calder in November and could find himself in a similar situation on Saturday. An improvement in speed figures off that race makes him a major player.

Ancient Rome is the most likely of the three to be sent to the lead. In his second career start jockey Joe Rocco sent him to the lead and the Roman Ruler-colt never looked bad. He drew off to win by almost eight lengths and ran a speed figure that is tied for tops in the field with Vexor and Luke of York.

The other colts in the field are Jordan’s Image, Rex’s Last Tour, Blings Express and Town Prize.

Jordan’s Image was the even-money favorite in the Price Juvenile against For Oby and has come out of that race to work very well. Prior to his loss as the favorite, Jordan’s Image won two straight by a combined eleven lengths.

Rex’s Last Tour broke his maiden in his last start and appears to be too slow to compete while Blings Express and Town Prize may be better horses on synthetics.

Blings Express has two career wins, both on the Tapeta surface at Presque Isle Downs, and Tow Prize has raced exclusively on the Polytrack at Woodbine. Both horses are bred to like the dirt and will be rallying from off-the-pace.

The Spectacular Bid is carded as race nine on the ten-race card with a scheduled post time of 4:33 ET.

Turfway Park – Holiday Inaugural

Synthetic Sprint

Friday night when the majority of the racing action across the country is complete Turfway Park will be running. The ten-race card includes the $50,000 Holiday Inaugural stakes for fillies and mares, which drew a full field of twelve.

Trying to find the post-time favorite for the race appears to be a very difficult task with many of the fillies and mares having claims to take the top spot.

Helen Belen drew the rail for the Inaugural and is coming off a win in an allowance race at Churchill Downs. The four-year-old filly has five career wins with three of them at Turfway Park.

Dances With Ashley ran against Helen Belen in that allowance race, but never really contended and finished fourth. Dances With Ashley is an all or nothing filly with six career wins and no seconds or thirds. Four of her six wins have come on synthetics or turf.

Waccamaw is a synthetic specialist with the majority of her career spent running on the Tapeta at Presque Isle and the Polytrack at Woodbine. Waccamaw ran in the Holiday Inaugural last year and ran well to be second as the favorite.

Dr. Diamonds Prize drops out of the Grade 2 Raven Run at Keeneland and has two starts over the Turfway Park main track. The Pure Prize-filly is always in the mix having been in-the-money in eight of her twelve career starts.

Vanishing Grey is making her first start since a second place finish to Five Star Fun at Keeneland in October. Vanishing Grey has been a new filly since being moved to the Michael Trombetta barn with two wins and two seconds in four starts.

Five Star Fun may start favored based on her stellar resume. In her last eight starts the five-year-old mare has five wins and three seconds. It would appear that six-furlongs may be pushing the distance limitations for the front-running filly.

Leopard Rock is the threat from the back of the pace for trainer Steve Margolis. By Speightstown, Leopard Rock is making her synthetic track debut, but has run very well in turf sprints in the past.

Rounding out the field are Miss Dora, Lady Primal, Seeking Sheba, Hyperlink and Fortune Play. Those fillies are also qualified to win with Seeking Sheba and Fortune Play the preferred two.

The Holiday Inaugural goes to post on Saturday night at 9:22 ET.

Thoroughbred Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

Great racing action from across the country this weekend.  Watch these races all on BetAmerica.com.

Saturday – December 3

• Fair Grounds: Claiming Crown Emerald, $100,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f turf
• Fair Grounds: Claiming Crown Jewel, $150,000, 3yo & up f&M, 9f
• Fair Grounds: Claiming Crown Glass Slipper, $75,000, 3yo & up f&m, 6f
• Fair Grounds: Claiming Crown Iron Horse, $50,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f
• Fair Grounds: Claiming Crown Express, $50,000, 3yo & up, 6f
• Hollywood Park: Native Diver Handicap – G3, $100,000, 3yo & up, 9f
• Gulfstream Park: Spectacular Bid Stakes, $100,000, 2yo, 6f
• Hawthorne: Illinois Debutante Stakes, $100,000, 2yo f, 8.5f
• Tampa Bay Downs: Lightning City Stakes, $75,000, 3yo & up, 5f turf
• Golden Gate: Corte Madera Stakes, $75,000, 2yo f, 8f
• Zia Park: Zia Park Derby, $150,000, 3yo, 8.5f
• Laurel Park: Jennings Handicap, $75,000, 3yo & up, 8f
• Turfway Park: Holiday Inaugural Stakes, $50,000, 3yo & up, 6f

Sunday – December 4

• Hollywood Park: Bayakoa Handicap – G2, $150,000, 3yo & up f&m, 8.5f
• Hollywood Park: Spearfish Stakes, $60,000, 3yo, 8f turf
• Gulfstream Park: Sunshine State Stakes, $60,000, 3yo & up, 7f
• Zia Park: Distance Championship Handicap, $200,000, 3yo & up, 9f
• Zia Park: New Mexico Eddy County Stakes, $120,000, 2yo, 8f

Harness Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

Watch these races all on BetAmerica.com.

Saturday – December 3

• Dover Downs: DSBF, $100,00, 2yo filly pace
• Dover Downs: DSBF, $100,000, 2yo filly trot

Sunday – December 4

• Dover Downs: DSBF, $100,00, 2yo c&g pace
• Dover Downs: DSBF, $100,000, 2yo c&g trot

Related posts:

1. Players Edge Newsletter – December 23, 2011
2. Players Edge Newsletter – December 30, 2011
3. Players Edge Newsletter – December 16, 2011