Parx – Pennsylvania Derby

Alpha and Golden Ticket Duel Again

This Saturday is a great day of racing just north of Philadelphia at Parx with four stake races and two, the Cottillion and Pennsylvania Derby, each worth $1-million.

The Cottillion only drew a field of four and is a two-horse race on paper, but the Pennsylvania Derby drew a field of eight including the dead-heat winners of the Grade 1 Travers at Saratoga, Alpha and Golden Ticket.

Alpha is the more accomplished of the two three-year-olds with wins in the Grade 1 Travers, Grade 2 Jim Dandy and Grade 3 Withers. The son of Bernardini makes his own pace and will be tough on Saturday. The Parx surface can play very biased towards speed horses on days like this so expect jockey Ramon Dominguez to take Alpha straight to the lead.

The Travers was the coming out race for Golden Ticket, but the feeling is that this colt is a cut below the best three-year-olds in the country. Prior to the dead-heat with Alpha his best finish was a second in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby in March. That race was very similar to the Travers in that Golden Ticket has the lead in deep stretch before being run down late. The Pennsylvania Derby will go a long way to determining Golden Ticket’s class.

Another colt facing the class test is recent Grade 2 winner Macho Macho. The Macho Uno-colt won the Grade 2 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer, a race that was validated when the second place horse, Bourbon Courage, came right back to score in the Grade 2 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs. Jockey Corey Nakatani once again has the mount and will be stalking the early pace from his outside post.

The other five horses in the race appear to long shots, but there are a couple that may be able to hit the board at a nice price.

Casual Trick is a perfect two-for-two at Parx and does have a bit of back class. Earlier this year he ran in the Gulfstream Park Derby, Grade 2 Fountain of Youth and Grade 1 Wood Memorial. He did not run very well in the FoY and was pulled up in the Wood, but the connections obviously think highly of the ridgling. He was purchased in auction as a yearling for $425,000.

Csaba is an interesting horse that may have a say in the early pace. He gets back on the dirt, a surface that he was second by a nose in the Grade 2 Hall of Fame, after finishing ninth in a turf stakes at Saratoga. As a three-year-old, Csaba has two wins, both of wins came in wire-to-wire fashion. Also note that the blinkers go on and Csaba could be the one making the early pace.

Whether or not he stays around to hold off Alpha, Golden Ticket and Macho Macho is the question.

Stephanoatsee, Handsome Mike and Junebugred complete the field.

Post time for the Pennsylvania Derby is 6:16 ET. Check out the BetAmerica Blog for information on the other stake races at Parx on Saturday.

Charles Town – Charles Town Oaks

Book Review Looks to Rebound

The feature race on Saturday night at Charles Town is the fourth running of the $400,000 Charles Town Oaks for three-year-old fillies. The seven furlong race drew a field of ten led by morning line favorite Book Review.

Book Review is coming in to the Oaks off a subpar effort in the Grade 1 Test at Saratoga. She was the second choice behind Contested, but did not run a step. The daughter of Giant’s Causeway has come back with two workouts since that race and drew well in post three. This is her first time over the small track at Charles Town, but class may carry her to a win.

Book Review is not the only filly to have run in the test as there are four others making the trip to Charles Town.

Beautiful But Blue, trained by Thomas Bush, finished third in the Test off of two straight victories in NY-bred stake races at Belmont and Saratoga. Earlier this year she won over the Aqueduct inner dirt so she may be able to handle the tight turns in West Virginia.

Behind Beautiful But Blue, and finishing fourth, in the Test was Well Kept, who is looking for her first win on Saturday since November 2011. Based on her past performances, Well Kept needs a massive rainstorm in the area as she is a perfect three-for-three on off tracks.

Jazzy Idea, who has experience at Charles Town, finished fifth in the test then came right back to score in a Maryland-bred turf stakes at Laurel Park. In her lone start over this track she was second behind Doe, who is also entered in the Oaks.

The final runner coming out of the Test is the Bandini-filly, Amie’s Dini. She has been knocking heads with some of the best three-year-old fillies in the country, but Oaklawn Park may be where she does her best running.

In addition to Jazzy Idea, Defy Gravity and Swift Artist also have experience at Charles Town, and each of the three runners were second in their only start, but Doe has won two of four races including the $75,000 Lady Charles Town in June. She is a front-runner and got a beautiful post draw picking up the rail. The Wayne Cole-trainee will take them as far as she can and try to hold off the runners who have already been tested.

Rounding out the field are Say a Novena, winner of a $60,000 stakes race at Monmouth in her last start and second in two Grade 2 races in January, and Holiday Soiree, who was fourth behind Salty Strike and Joyful Victory in the Grade 3 Gardenia at Ellis Park last month. War Play is on the also-eligible list should any of the fillies scratch.

Post time for the Charles Town Oaks is 10:30 ET and is the final leg of the pick-4, which starts with the Henry Mercer Memorial and includes the Miss Shenandoah and Pink Ribbon stakes.

Delaware Park – Kent Stakes

Three-Year-Old Turfers

The lone graded stake race this weekend is the Grade 3 Kent Stakes for three-year-olds at Delaware Park. The nine-furlong race drew a field of 11 and contention runs deep.

The morning line favorite for the race at 3-1 is Team Valor’s Lucky Chappy. The High Chaparral-colt has yet to live up to his sire’s races, but Lucky Chappy can make a step in the right direction with a win on Saturday.

Lucky Chappy is coming off back-to-back placings in the Grade 3 Saranac at Saratoga and Grade 2 Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs, but has yet to win in seven starts since coming to the U.S. from Italy. New pilot Jeremy Rose will need to move his mount earlier than his past races as Lucky Chappy has always found the wire to come up too soon.

Since Lucky Chappy is pace dependent, he is a vulnerable favorite that is worth betting against and there appears to be others that are up to the task.

Second choice on the morning line is Cozzetti and he will appreciate the class drop from the Grade 1 Secretariat and has more tactical speed than the favorite. Two starts back he won the Grade 3 American Derby at Arlington Park with a rail skipping ride under Shaun Bridgmohan, who is up in the Kent.

Optimizer and Excaper are next on the line and both look like the major pace players.

Regardless of the path Optimizer has taken in his 15-race career, the English Channel colt is bred for the turf and bred to be a good one. He finally put it all together against older horses at Saratoga in his last and now goes back to face straight three-year-olds. Jon Court takes over for Joel Rosario in the saddle, but Court just needs to follow in Rosario’s lead and put Optimizer on the lead.

Excaper is draw to the outside of Optimizer and will be pushing the splits from the break. Excaper was fifth in the Saranac, but was only a quarter-length behind Lucky Chappy. As a two-year-old, Excaper was second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Churchill Downs behind the Euro-shipper Wrote.

The lone horse with multiple wins over the Delaware Park turf course is Unbroken, who exits a second place finish behind Corinthian’s Jewel in a turf stakes at Monmouth Park. Unbroken could not reach his rival at Monmouth, but Corinthian’s Jewel got the jump on him that day, which may happen again in the Kent. Corinthian’s Jewel was working out regularly on the turf course at Saratoga, but did not run in any of the races up there. He may find himself with a good trip on Saturday just behind the speed.

Star Channel was the favorite in the same race as Corinthian’s Jewel and Unbroken, but finished third and is now 12-1 on the morning line. Twilight Eclipse and Miami Cat exit the Equalize Stakes at Saratoga won by Miami Cat and offer value if they move forward. King Kreesa is the final horse in the field with a chance and he was fourth in the Saranac, just a neck behind Lucky Chappy.

Long shot Two Months Rent, who does have a win over the turf at Delaware Park, rounds out the field.

The Grade 3 Kent goes to post at Delaware Park on Saturday at 4:15 ET.

Penn National – Changing Times Stakes

Guam Typhoon Goes for Eight Straight

Saturday’s feature race at Penn National is the six furlong Changing Times Stakes for three-year-olds and upward on the main track. The $100,000 race drew a field of eight with Guam Typhoon looking for his eighth victory in a row.

Guam Typhoon started his streak with trainer Ian Wilkes in a claiming race at Tampa Bay Downs, but since being claimed out of that start by Jamie Ness, Guam Typhoon has won seven straight races at four different tracks.

Ness moved the six-year-old gelding to turf where he won with ease then scored in allowance races at Delaware Park before winning back-to-back small stake races at Colonial Downs and Mountaineer Park. The owner/trainer combination of Midwest Thoroughbreds and Jamie Ness are enjoying an excellent 2012 at the Grantville, PA track and can keep it going with a win on Saturday.

The Changing Times; however, may be the toughest race for Guam Typhoon and he could be vulnerable in his first start off the layoff.

China may be a synthetic specialist, but on his best day he is a fast race horse. The rail draw is a concern for the five-year-old son of Tale of the Cat.

Nicole H is a mare facing the boys dropping out of two straight Grade 1 races. She has never run against the boys in a career that has seen her win half of her 12 races at six furlongs. By Mr. Greeley, Nicole H should get a good stalking trip from post three.

Sloane Ranger and Immortal Eyes are the second and third choices on the morning line and both have experience over the track.

Sloane Ranger has won two of seven starts at Penn National including a fourth in last year’s Six Bits Handicap, which was the lone start for Immortal Eyes on the course. Immortal Eyes was second in the Six Bits and comes into the race on Saturday off a second place finish in the $100,000 WV Chairman’s Cup at Mountaineer on West Virginia Derby day.

The final three horses in the race all have wins at Penn National and all have each way claims.

Peppi Knows makes his second start off a year layoff and has been either first or second in five starts at Penn National. In 2011 he won the Changing Times when it was run in May.

Ponzi Scheme is two-for-two at Penn, but he has done most of his running at Parx, Monmouth Park and Tampa Bay Downs. The five-year-old gelding exits a sixth place finish in the Grade 3 Iselin at Monmouth Park, but the drop in class and distance should help him get back on track.

On speed figures, The Hunk needs to improve as several others have reached the 100+ level. He is coming off a subpar effort at Monmouth Park, but that race was on the turf. On the dirt, he has been first or second seven times in 10 starts and note that “Jersey” Joe Bravo travels for the mount. Breaking from post eight, Bravo should have a good trip in the clear. He may need a perfect trip to upset the favorites.

First post on Saturday at Penn National is 6:00 ET with the Changing Times scheduled to break from the gate at 7:52.

Thoroughbred Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

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

Saturday – September 22

• Parx:  Pennsylvania Derby – G2, $1-million, 3yo, 9f
• Parx:  Cotillion – G2, $1-million, 3yo f, 9f
• Parx:  Gallant Bob Stakes, $300,000, 3yo, 6f
• Parx:  Alphabet Soup Stakes, $75,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f turf
• Charles Town:  Charles Town Oaks, $400,000, 3yo f, 7f
• Charles Town:  Miss Shenandoah Stakes, $75,000, 2yo f, 6.5f
• Charles Town:  Pink Ribbon Stakes, $70,000, 3yo & up f&m, 7f
• Charles Town:  Rachel’s Turn Stakes, $50,000, 2yo f, 4.5f
• Charles Town:  Henry Mercer Memorial Stakes, $50,000, 2yo, 4.5f
• Delaware Park:  Kent Stakes – G3, $200,000, 3yo, 9f turf
• Penn National:  Changing Times Stakes, $100,000, 3yo & up, 6f
• Arlington Park:  Josette Stakes, $65,000, 3yo & up f&m, 6f
• Arlington Park:  Addison Cammack, $65,000, 3yo & up, 6f
• Calder Race Course:  Stage Door Betty Handicap, $75,000, 3yo & up, 8.5
• Fairplex Park:  Pomona Derby, $50,000, 3yo, 8.5f
• Fairplex Park:  Las Madrinas Stakes, $50,000, 3yo & up f&m, 8.5f
• Louisiana Downs:  Louisiana Bred Stakes, 5 stake races, $500,000 total purses
• Louisiana Downs:  Razorback Futurity, $50,000, 2yo, 6f
• Louisiana Downs:  Lady Razorback Futurity, $50,000, 2yo f, 6f
• Woodbine:  Overskate Stakes, $125,000, 3yo & up, 7f
• Woodbine:  With Approval Stakes, $100,000, 3yo & up, 9f turf

Sunday – September 23

• Woodbine:  La Lorgnette Stakes, $150,000, 3yo f, 8.5f
• Emerald Downs:  Gottstein Futurity, $65,000, 2yo, 8f
• Fairplex:  Ralph M. Hinds Pomona Handicap, $100,000, 3yo & up, 9f

Related posts:

1. Players Edge Newsletter – September 7, 2012
2. Players Edge Newsletter – September 14, 2012
3. Players Edge Newsletter – September 16, 2011

Kentucky Downs – Juvenile Turf Stakes

Two Prep Stakes for the Breeders’ Cup

Up until this year there were not very many prep races for two-year-olds and their connections who had their minds on running in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf races, but now there are a several across the country including two on Saturday at Kentucky Downs.

First up is the Juvenile Fillies, which drew a field of eight.

Oscar Party is the 7-5 morning line favorite, but part of that may be due to her connections and that she has already run on the turf. In her last start, Oscar Party was third, beaten just over two lengths, in a maiden race at Saratoga.

Oscar Party is looking for her first win, but Noun, Hit Girl, Storm of Energy and Zip Cash Back have already won and won on turf.

Noun drew the rail for Saturday and is looking to keep her momentum going after winning her second career start over the turf at Ellis Park. Noun is bred up and down for the turf and could come out of the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies with not enough adjectives to describe her talent.

Noun broke her maiden at one mile, but Hit Girl, Storm of Energy and Zip Cash Back won theirs at five and one-half furlongs. Of those three, Hit Girl is the most likely to like the stretch-out to seven panels. She won gate-to-wire like a filly who had plenty in the tank.

Moonwalk is the 3-1 second choice off her maiden win on the main track at Ellis Park and is bred to handle the surface switch.

Next up on the card is the Juvenile for colts and geldings, which drew a full field of 12.

Central Banker and Rip Roarin Ritchie are hard to separate in the $75,000 stakes race with preference going to Central Banker. Rip Roarin Ritchie maybe on the edge on his distance limitations at seven furlongs while Central Banker should love the trip and will get a hot pace to run into.

In addition to Rip Roarin Ritchie, Praetorian Prefect, Midas Dancer, First Ronin, Lew and Mike, Ruler of Love, Law Dog and Summit County have all been racing on or near the lead.

Midas Dancer, Ruler of Love and Summit County all drop out of mile races so expect them to be sitting just off the pace on the cut back. First Ronin won his debut in style over the main track at Ellis Park, but he is bred up and down to love the lawn.

Zoloto is an interesting two-year-old making his second career start after breaking the maiden in his debut at Keeneland in April. He too is another that should not mind the turf.

Both Juvenile Fillies and Juvenile races are part of the pick-4, which starts with the Fillies, post time 5:35 ET. The third leg of the sequence is the Grade 3 Kentucky Cup Turf featuring Rahystrada and Ioya Bigtime.

Woodbine – Natalma Stakes

Two-Year-Old Fillies on the Grass

Kentucky Downs is putting on their first ever juvenile turf stakes on Saturday, but on that same day, north of the border, Woodbine will hold their traditional juvenile turf stakes. Both the Natalma and Summer stakes are Grade 2 races, but this year the Natalma is loaded with talent.

The one-mile race drew a field of 14 with nine last-out winners and another three that were second. The only two runners that were not first or second in their prep race were third and fourth.

Starting from the rail, Summer of Fun is the first contender. The daughter of Include won her second career start by a neck in a maiden race at Saratoga. Often at this time of year the inside is the place to be on the Woodbine turf course.

Spring Venture, post seven, won her debut on the grass at Woodbine and did so with ease. She made a powerful run to lead in mid-stretch and won going away. The $320,000 two-year-old in-training purchase may be a very good filly.

Just to her outside is Spring in the Air, who won her second career start by over ten lengths on the polytrack at Woodbine. Both her and Spring Venture are trained by Mark Casse with Garrett Gomez taken the call on Sprint in the Air. Gomez won a two-year-old stakes last week at Arlington Park and will try to keep his hot hand going.

Kitten’s Dumplings and Coconut Shrimp won their debuts at Saratoga with Javier Castellano up, but with only the ability to ride one horse on Saturday, Castellano ends up on the Pletcher-trained Coconut Shrimp. Kitten’s Dumplings finished in front of Oscar Party, who is the 7-5 morning line favorite at Kentucky Downs. Coconut Shrimp defeated Dancing for Glory, who is also entered in the Natalma.

In addition to Dancing for Glory, the fillies coming out of second-place finishes are Nancy O and Sure Would. Sure Would was second behind Spring Venture and was actually the favorite in that race. Betting on beaten favorites can be a very profitable angle if they are overlooked on the board in their next start.

Incredible Journey, Shenandoah Lady and Rutherford Rd all won their last start, but on speed figures they will need to improve greatly to compete. Incredible Journey could do just that as her connections can be very sneaky with these type of runners.

Bwana Go Fast and Carmel Beauty round out the main body of the race with the Irish-bred, England-runner Fearless Jacq on the also-eligible list.

First post on Saturday at Woodbine is 1:05 ET with the Natalma scheduled for 3:45. Three races later is the Grade 2 Summer Stakes for the colts and geldings.

Arlington Park – Pucker Up Stakes

Grade 3 Filly and Mare Turfers

Three stake races on the Saturday card at Arlington Park highlighted by the Grade 3 Pucker Up Stakes for three-year-old fillies on the turf. The nine-furlong race drew a field of 12 with six fillies between 7-2 and 6-1 on the morning line.

The Italian-bred shipper Angegreen was installed as the morning line favorite making her first start in the U.S. for trainer Graham Motion. The filly has run five times in her career with all of them coming in her home country. Previously trained by Marco Botti, Angegreen has yet to finish worse than second, including a second in the Group 2 Italian Oaks in May.

It’s possible that the filly will need a star in the U.S., but if a trainer can get a Euro-shipper ready to roll off the layoff, it’s Graham Motion.

Second choice on the morning line is Miss Cato from the Roger Attfield barn. Prior to shipping East, Miss Gato ran twice in California with her best finish coming in an allowance race last month at Del Mar. In her first start in the U.S., Miss Cato was fourth in the Grade 1 American Oaks at Hollywood Park. From the outside post jockey Cisco Torres is likely to take back and make a late run.

Treasured Up, Freedom Reigns, Volcat and Leading Astray are next on the morning line, all at 6-1.

Treasured Up makes her first start in two months after finishing sixth in the Grade 3 Arlington Park Oaks over the synthetic track in mid-July. Prior to that her best finish was a third in the Grade 3 Regret at Churchill Downs. She is another who does her best running at the end.

Freedom Reigns and Leading Astray exit one division of the Hatoof Stakes at Arlington Park, which was run on Million Day. Leading Astray got the better of her rival by a nose, but also had the better trip. Freedom Reigns has no early speed while Leading Astray can be very tactical. The added distance may help the late run of Freedom Reigns, but there does not appear to be a lot of pace in the race.

One of the two probable front-runners in the field is Volcat, who is making her first start since winning the Grade 3 Virginia Oaks in late July at Colonial Downs. She has won back-to-back turf races in wire-to-wire fashion so expect her to be out winging on the front-end. Rare Event is the other front-runner, but she must handle the rise in class from the allowance ranks.

The other fillies in the field; Dame Marie, Julia’s Star, Ann of the Dance, Zapper Belle and Soonerette complete the field. Of those five, Dame Marie and Julia’s Star have the best chance to round out the exotics.

Carded as race eight on the eleven-race card, post time for the Pucker Up is 5:44 ET.

Fairplex Park – Barretts Debutante

Two-Year-Old Fillies Around the Bullring

The Saturday feature at Fairplex Park is the $100,000 Barretts Debutante for two-year-old fillies going six and one-half furlongs on the main track. The race restricted to those who went through a Barretts sale drew a field of ten led by debut winner Pure Indy.

Pure Indy was a well regarded first-time-starter at Del Mar for Craig Dollase and West Point Thoroughbreds and did not disappoint. The daughter of Pure Prize was last early on behind a quick pace and then inhaled her foes late to win going away.

While her speed figure is best in the field, her running style may not suit the bullring track at Fairplex Park. Her jockey, Victor Espinoza, will have to time his ride just right to pass them all.

Bares Tripper also won her debut at Del Mar and did it in front-running fashion for trainer Peter Miller. Miller then decided to put her up against the undefeated Executiveprivilege, but after setting the early pace, she faded to be last. Down in class and picking up Fairplex’s all-time leading rider Martin Pedroza should help her chances for a rebound.

Another filly that will be going for the early lead is the Emily Mode-trained Economy of Motion, who won her last race by six and one-half lengths. She won that race wire-to-wire on a day that speed was holding very well so it remains to be seen just how good the Pleasantly Perfect filly is.

Lovely Daughter broke her maiden in Northern California and ships down for her second career race. The Jerry Hollendorfer-trained filly will be making her first start or work on conventional dirt, but she has been firing bullets in the morning on the Tapeta at Golden Gate.

Bojour, Miss Derek and Another Flashback are still maidens, but they too could upset the favorite at a price. Bojour cost $40,000 as a two-year-old in training earlier this year and that is the fourth highest sale price in the field behind Pure Indy, Miss Derek and Bares Tripper.

Miss Derek looks to be racing into shape and should fire the best effort in her third career start. Another Flashback was second in her debut on Pacific Classic day at Del Mar just missing by three-quarters of a length. She is Jerry Hollendorfer’s second filly in the race.

Awe Golly Molly, Akiss Forarose and Qiaona complete the field with Wasted At Midnight on the also-eligible list.

Post time for the Debutante on Saturday is 7:45 ET.

Thoroughbred Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

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

Saturday – September 15

• Woodbine:  Natalma Stakes – G2, $250,000, 2yo f, 8f turf
• Woodbine:  Summer Stakes – G2, $250,000, 2yo, 8f turf
• Kentucky Downs:  Kentucky Cup Turf – G3, $200,000, 3yo & up, 12f turf
• Kentucky Downs:  Juvenile Fillies, $75,000, 2yo f, 7f turf
• Kentucky Downs:  Juvenile, $75,000, 2yo, 7f turf
• Kentucky Downs:  Ladies Marathon, $75,000, 3yo & up, 12f turf
• Arlington Park:  Pucker Up Stakes – G3, $175,000, 3yo f, 9f turf
• Arlington Park:  Lady Lionel Handicap, $85,000, 3yo & up f&m, 8f turf
• Arlington Park:  Tex’s Zing Handicap, $85,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f turf
• Fairplex Park:  Barretts Debutante, $100,000, 2yo f, 6.5f
• Calder Race Course:  Brave Raj Stakes, $100,000, 2yo f, 8f 70y
• Calder Race Course:  Foolish Pleasure Stakes, $100,000, 2yo, 8f 70y
• Calder Race Course:  Needle Stakes, $75,000, 3yo, 8.5f turf
• Calder Race Course:  Judy’s Red Shoes Stakes, $75,000, 3yo f, 8.5f turf
• Delaware Park:  Christiana Stakes, $50,000, 3yo f, 9f turf
• Finger Lakes:  Jack Betta Be Rite Handicap, $50,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f
• Monmouth Park:  NJ Breeders’ Handicap, $60,000, 3yo & up, 6f
• Monmouth Park:  Jersey Girl Handicap, $60,000, 3yo & up f&m, 8.5f
• Monmouth Park:  Charles Hesse III Handicap, $75,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f
• Laurel Park:  The ALI Brandy Stakes, $100,000, 3yo & up, 9f turf
• Parx:  PTHA President’s Cup, $250,000, 3yo & up, 9f turf

Sunday – September 16

• Woodbine:  Woodbine Mile – G1, $1,000,000, 3yo & up, 8f turf
• Woodbine:  Northern Dancer Turf Stakes – G1, $500,000, 3yo & up, 12f turf
• Woodbine:  Ontario Derby – G2, $300,000, 3yo, 9f
• Woodbine:  Canadian Stakes – G2, $300,000, 3yo & up f&m, 9f turf
• Fairplex:  Barretts Juvenile, $100,000, 2yo, 6.5f

Related posts:

1. Players Edge Newsletter – September 7, 2012

Presque Isle Downs – Masters Stakes

Groupie Doll’s Anticipated Return

The feature race for the Presque Isle Downs summer meet is the Grade 2 Masters, which will be run Saturday for the sixth time since the track opened in 2007. The fillies and mares will try to follow in the footsteps of the Eclipse Award winning past winners, Musical Romance and Informed Decision.

The morning line and likely post-time favorite for the six and one-half furlong sprint is Groupie Doll, who will be making her first start since her runaway victory in the Grade 1 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs in May. A minor hock injury was the cause for the time off, but she has been working steadily without interruption for the last month and is the filly to beat.

From the time Groupie Doll made her debut last year she had run 13 times without a break. It’s possible there may be a little rust off the bench and her long term goal is the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. The most likely upsetters in the field are Atlantic Hurricane, Holiday for Kitten, Kitty in a Tizzy, It’s Me Mom and Salty Strike.

Atlantic Hurricane has won half of her 18 career starts and has never been out of the money in six starts over synthetics, which all came north of the border at Woodbine. She exits a second place finish in the Grade 3 Royal North behind Roxy Gap, who came back to run second in a stakes race in her next start. From post two jockey Emile Ramsammy may have to send her to get good position.

The last time Holiday for Kitten ran on a synthetic track she won the Grade 2 TCA at Keeneland over Grade 1 winners Musical Romance and Switch. She had a nice prep race over the turf at Saratoga and with a step up from that race she will be tough. The connections though enough of her to run her in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint last year against the boys.

Kitty in a Tizzy is a bit of a “wake-up” play. She had not won in seven starts dating back to August 2010, but came off a two-month layoff to score a length victory in the Grade 3 Chicago Handicap at Arlington Park in June. She ran in the Masters last year, finishing sixth, beaten just under three lengths and now picks up Julien Leparoux, who won the Masters twice with Informed Decision.

It’s Me Mom is the pace of the race and is looking to rebound off her subpar effort in the Grade 2 Honorable Miss at Saratoga. The positives are that she is six-for-nine and Presque Isle Downs and on her good start-bad start recent pattern, she is sitting on “go.” The question mark for her is if she can compete at this level.

One filly with the back class to win is Salty Strike, who comes out of a gate-to-wire victory in the Grade 3 Gardenia Stakes at Ellis Park. She also won the Grade 3 Dogwood in 2011, but both of those graded wins were at a mile over conventional dirt. She has only made on start on a synthetic surface and that was back in April 2011 at Keeneland. If she takes to the Tapeta at Presque Isle then Groupie Doll will have a fight on her hands.

Post time for the Masters on Saturday is 7:30 ET and is the second leg of the pick-4, which starts in race 5. Friday night at Presque Isle is the PID Mile featuring Eternal Rule.

Louisiana Downs – Super Derby

Blueskiesnrainbows Ships In to Win

Trainer Bob Baffert is on a roll this year across the country from California to New York and now he tries to bring his winning edge to Louisiana Downs when he starts Blueskiesnrainbows in the Grade 2 Super Derby on Saturday. The $500,000 race drew a field of nine; let’s take a look.

Of the nine runners there are three graded stake winners in the field and two of them ship in from California including probable favorite Blueskiesnrainbows.

Blueskiesnrainbows has not run since early July when he won the Grade 2 Swaps stakes at Hollywood Park over Nonios and Liasion. The English Channel colt did not run at Del Mar, even though he is bred top and bottom for their three-year-old turf stakes. Joe Talamo, who just got done winning 12 stake races during the Del Mar meet, is again in the irons and will try to take them wire-to-wire.

Fly Lexis Fly is the other graded stakes runner from California, but his win was in Peru where he race five times with three wins. The Kentucky-bred made a start in the Grade 3 Cougar II Handicap at Del Mar in July and was the second choice on the morning line to Grade 1 winner Richard’s Kid. Fly Lexis Fly probably wants longer than the nine furlongs of the Super Derby and his class has yet to be established in the U.S., but one can never count out a Neil Drysdale-trained three-year-old.

The final graded stakes winner in the field is Hero of Order, who won the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds at 109-1 in April. Since then the Sharp Humor-colt is winless in five starts, beaten a total of 57.5 lengths. He appears to be nothing more than a pace player on Saturday.

Just about half of the field exit the local prep race for Super Derby, the Prelude, which saw Key Donation out lasting Tensas Cold Front, Mr Bluegrass Music and Master Rick.

While Key Donation won the race, Tensas Cold Front may have more upside. The War Front-gelding was only making his third career start and first off a layoff. It was also the first time he had really been tested and he responded well, just failing in the last couple of furlongs. With that race under his belt and a bullet drill in the holster, Tensas Cold Front can win for the locals.

Tensas Cold Front may be the one to watch, but that does not mean Key Donation is without a chance. He has won three of five races overall with his only loss coming in his debut at five and one-half furlongs. He is a perfect three-for-three around two turns on the dirt and also comes in to the race with a bullet drill.

The final two entrants in the field are both shippers, Rousing Sermon from California and Bourbon Courage from Kentucky. Rousing Sermon may have proved in his last that he is a better late-running sprinter and still has not won since October 2011. Bourbon Courage may also be a better sprinter as he has not lived up to the hype he generated after his first two starts earlier this year at Fair Grounds. He should get plenty of pace, but will need a top effort to run down Blueskiesnrainbows.

First post on the 13-race card Saturday at Louisiana Downs is 1:15 ET with the Super Derby carded as race 10, post time 6:10. In addition to the Super Derby there are five other stake races on the day.

Arlington Park – Arlington-Washington Stakes

Futurity and Lassie for Two-Year-Olds

Two stake races on the Saturday card at Arlington Park and both are Grade 3 races for the two-year-olds. First up is the Arlington-Washington Futurity for the colts and geldings with a field of eight.

The first, third and fourth place finishers in the local prep for the Futurity, the Meadowlake, are back for this one mile race and Muppet Man is the horse to beat.

In the Meadowlake, Muppet Man stalked the front-runner, took over coming into the stretch and then powered away to win like a horse with a future. He is sired by Corinthian, who won the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile so the distance will not be a problem. Ultimate Tango finished fourth, but lost a length in the stretch, while Stormin Monarcho picked up five lengths in the stretch run to finish third. The added distance helps the son of Monarchos, but still must make up the six and one-half lengths he was beaten.

While Muppet Man has the advantage on those two foes, the new faces in the race are going to make him work.

Pataky Kid just broke his maiden at seven furlongs and ran a faster last furlong than Muppet Man did. Also, at least one other horse came back out of that maiden race to score in the next start. If that wasn’t enough, top riding jockey Garrett Gomez is named to ride.

Glenco Kid and Mylute also just broke their maiden in stylish fashion and must be respected in their first start against winners. Scissortail G is still a maiden after two starts, but her last suggests she has some ability. The daughter of Value Plus was stuck on the inside around the home turn and never got clear running until late. With an outside post, Scissortail G could hit the board at a nice price or maybe even upset the apple cart.

The next race on the card is the Arlington-Washington Lassie for the fillies, which drew a deep field of 14.

Gold Edge comes out of a winning effort in the Lisa M Stakes at Arlington Park last month and is a perfect two-for-two in her career for the same owner/trainer, Dolphus Morrison/Lon Wiggins, which first brought us Rachael Alexandra. She must be respected, but there are some other highly regarded fillies in the field.

Dancinginthecircle, Sweet Redemption, Custody and Pappascat were all debut winners and all for trainers that are winning at over 16% for the year. Three of them are winning over 20% of the time. Custody won her debut rallying from 13 lengths off the pace while Sweet Redemption won her debut in a stakes race at Woodbine.

The Wayne Catalano uncoupled duo of Flying Rapunzel and La Song drew right next to each other in the field, posts 12 and 13, and both are coming out of maiden scores in their second career race. Of the two, Flying Rapunzel is preferred. She cost four times less than La Song, but her two races have been better. The outside draw should not be a problem as the mile race at Arlington Park is around one turn.

Gold Edge may be undefeated, but she will be tested. Could Morrison and Wiggins have another Rachael Alexandra? Stay tuned.

Both Futurity and Lassie and part of the late pick-4 on Saturday with the Futurity going to post at 5:18 ET and the Lassie at 5:50.

Kentucky Downs – Opening Day

Turf Racing in the Bluegrass

This Saturday, September 8, is opening day at Kentucky Downs, which features only turf racing. Over the next two and one-half weeks the track will be open for six days and kicks off with three stake races.

The first of the stakes that highlight the nine-race card is the Kentucky Cup Turf Dash for three-year-olds and upward. A field of 11 will line up for the six-furlong sprint with Noble’s Promise the 5-2 morning line favorite.

Noble’s Promise has made two starts on the turf with one win, but has only won once in his last 11 starts. He just finished second, beaten a half-length, to Good Lord, who is also in the Turf Dash field. Good Lord will be making only his second career start on the turf and is not quite bred to handle to switch.

Icon Ike; however, loves the turf with five wins in six starts including a perfect four-for-four in sprints. With that resume the three-year-old would figure to be part of the favorites, but he is 20-1 on the morning line. Longhunter also fits as 15-1 as does Zeb, Sal the Barber and Delaunay.

Next up is the Franklin-Simpson Mile with Seruni the horse to beat and possible single in the pick-4, which starts with the Turf Dash. Seruni has been in-the-money in eight of 12 career races on the turf including a second place finish in the Grade 2 Firecracker Handicap at Churchill Downs in July.

If it’s not Seruni, then it can be anyone of the other colts and geldings. Ratatat, Depeche Chat and Global Power are all front-runners that may set the race up perfectly for the stretch-runner Lil Bit O’Fun, who was second in the Grade 2 La Jolla Handicap last year at Del Mar.

The third and final stakes on opening day is the Kentucky Cup Ladies Turf for the fillies and mares and once again a full field will greet the judges and the run for the wire.

Sea Level Drive and Ridgester are going to appreciate the drop in class after running in graded stake races, but neither of them have won on the grass.

Quick Praise steps up after five straight allowance races, but her best two races have been on the turf. She won her last at Ellis Park like the step up in class will not be a problem.

Others to consider using are all drawn right next to each other in posts eight through 11. Ruthville just won a $100,000 stake race at Canterbury and has been in-the-money in five of eight races on the turf. Affair Dabbler has won back-to-back races on the turf at Arlington Park and makes her stakes debut.

She Spirit di Su is a ridiculous 15-1 on the morning line. She started her career in England then broke her maiden in January at Santa Anita and just won a small stake race on the turf at Santa Rosa. Miz Ida has only run three times this year, but has two wins in small stake races at Fair Grounds and Indiana Downs. She is 6-1 on the morning line, but may even go favored in this wide open race.

In should be a great day of race on the turf in Franklin, Kentucky with first post scheduled for 2:35 ET. Post time for the Turf Dash is 5:05.

Thoroughbred Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

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

Saturday – September 8

• Presque Isle Downs:  Masters Stakes – G2, $400,000, 3yo & up f&m, 7f
• Louisiana Downs:  Super Derby – G2, $500,000, 3yo, 9f
• Louisiana Downs:  Sunday Silence, $150,000, 2yo, 8f turf
• Louisiana Downs:  Happy Ticket, $100,000, 2yo f, 8f turf
• Louisiana Downs:  Unbridled, $100,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f turf
• Louisiana Downs:  River Cities, $100,000, 3yo & up f&m, 8.5f turf
• Louisiana Downs:  Temperance Hill, $50,000, 3yo & up, 6f 
• Arlington Park:  Arlington-Washington Futurity – G3, $150,000, 2yo, 8f
• Arlington Park:  Arlington-Washington Lassie – G3, $150,000, 2yo f, 8f
• Kentucky Downs:  Kentucky Cup Turf Dash, $75,000, 3yo & up, 6f turf
• Kentucky Downs:  Franklin-Simpson Mile, $75,000, 3yo & up, 8f turf
• Kentucky Downs:  Kentucky Cup Ladies Classic, $75,000, 3yo & up f&m, 8f turf
• Woodbine:  La Prevoyante Stakes, $125,000, 3yo f, 8f turf
• Laurel Park:  The JRA Stakes, $125,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f turf
• Parx:  Mrs. Penny Stakes, $100,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f turf
• Parx:  Roanoke Stakes, $75,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f
• Parx:  Marshall Jenny Handicap, $75,000, 3yo & up, 5f turf
• Parx:  Dr. Teresa Garofalo Memorial, $75,000, 3yo f, 6f
• Parx:  Banjo Picker Sprint, $75,000, 3yo & up, 6f turf
• Evangeline Downs:  John Franks Memorial Sale Stakes, $60,000, 2yo, 5.5f

Sunday – September 9

• Woodbine:  Swynford Stakes, $150,000, 2yo, 7f
• Fairplex:  Jim Kostoff Stakes, $50,000, 3yo, 6.5f

Harness Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

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

Friday – September 7

• The Meadows:  PASS, $150,000, 2yo c&g pace
• The Meadows:  PASS, $150,000, 2yo c&g trot
• The Meadows:  PASS, $150,000, 2yo filly pace
• The Meadows:  PASS, $150,000, 2yo filly trot
• Vernon Downs:  Muscle Hill, $200,000, 3yo & up filly & mare trot
• Vernon Downs:  Credit Winner, $200,000, 3yo & up open trot
• Vernon Downs:  Historic Goshen Cup, $75,000, 2yo c&g pace
• Vernon Downs:  Historic Debutante, $61,000, 2yo filly pace
• Yonkers Raceway:  NYSS, $205,000, 2yo filly trot

Saturday – September 8

• Batavia Downs:  NYSS, $120,000, 3yo c&g pace
• Freehold Raceway:  Lou Babic Stake, $100,000, 2yo c&g pace
• Freehold Raceway:  Lou Babic Stake, $60,000, 2yo filly pace
• Grand River Raceway:  Slots Cup, $100,000, 3 & 4yo open pace
• Indiana Downs:  INSS, 8 stake races, $1.6-million total purses
• Mohawk Raceway:  Champlain, $300,000, 2yo open pace
• Mohawk Raceway:  Champlain Stake, $230,000, 2yo filly pace
• Mohawk Raceway:  Simcoe Stake, $230,000, 3yo open pace
• Mohawk Raceway:  Simcoe Stake, $245,000, 3yo open trot
• Scioto Downs:  OHSS, 8 stake races, $600,000 total purses

No related posts.

Del Mar – Del Mar Debutante

Executiveprivilege Meets Eight

The feature race on Saturday at Del Mar is the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante for two-year-old fillies going seven furlongs on the main Polytrack. The $300,000 race drew a field of nine, but all eyes will be on one.

Executiveprivilege had a lot to live up to when she made her debut at Hollywood Park in June. She was purchased just two months earlier for the price of $650,000. Both her old and new connections saw her as a star in the making and she did not disappoint.

After her impressive debut, the Bob Baffert-trainee came right back to score going away in the Landaluce Stakes at Hollywood Park then kept the train rolling in the Grade 3 Sorrento at Del Mar. The daughter of First Samurai has passed every test given to her so far, but this may be her toughest.

Bob Baffert may have the favorite, but trainer Peter Miller is going to try to hit the trifecta with his three runners, Heir Kitty, Miss Empire and Speedinthruthecity.

Speedinthruthecity just ran a good second to Executiveprivilege in the Sorrento and was also second to that filly in the Landaluce. She may not be able to make up those lengths, but Miller’s other two are interesting runners.

Both Heir Kitty and Miss Empire come out of the Grade 2 Best Pal, which is an open race for colts, geldings and fillies. The two fillies held their own finishing second and third behind race winner Know More. Heir Kitty drew the rail for the Debutante so jockey Corey Nakatani may have to send her early. A speed duel with the filly in post two, Pat’s Back, would help the chances of the other Peter Miller-trainees.

Beholder just broke her maiden last month over the track after hooking Executiveprivilege in her debut. By Henny Hughes, Beholder was nearly 22-1 in her debut, but was much short at 5-2 in her second start. Drawn to the outside of the favorite Saturday, jockey Garrett Gomez can get a good stalking position throughout.

Renee’s Titan adds more pace to the race coming out of the Grade 3 Sorrento while maiden Wasted At Midnight puts the blinkers on and will be running late at a distance that should suit her well.

That leaves Mechaya, the John Sadler-trained daughter of City Zip enters the Debutante with only one win on her resume, but that win resulted in the highest speed figure in the field and if she improves off that effort then Executiveprivilege may have a fight on her hands. It’s tough to go from the maiden ranks directly into a graded stakes, but if any trainer can get it done, it’s John Sadler.

Carded as race nine on the eleven-race Saturday card, post time for the Del Mar Debutante is 9:00 ET.

Arlington Park – Washington Park Handicap

Seven Go Nine

The second graded Polytrack race on the weekend takes place at Arlington Park with the Grade 3 Washington Park Handicap for three-year-olds and upward at nine furlongs. The $150,000 race drew a field of seven with Prayer for Relief the 8-5 morning line favorite.

Prayer for Relief comes into the Washington Park off a nose defeat to one of the best older horses in training, Alternation, in the Governor’s Cup at Remington Park. Even though he ran well, it was his eighth straight loss dating back to the Oklahoma Derby at Remington last year.

The concern for the favorite is that even though he has won on the synthetic before, his best surface may be dirt. He has been three wins in nine starts on the dirt including the Grade 2 Super Derby, Grade 2 West Virginia Derby and Grade 3 Iowa Derby.

In contrast, Workin for Hops and Mister Marti Gras are synthetic specialist, especially at Arlington Park.

Workin for Hops makes his first start since mid-July after finishing a disappointing tenth in the Grade 3 Stars ‘N Stripes over the Arlington turf course. In three starts over the Poly at Arlington Park, Workin for Hops has two wins and a third. He was second, then disqualified to third, in last year’s Washington Park. The winner? Mister Marti Gras.

Mister Marti Gras also has not started since mid-July coming out of the Grade 3 Arlington Handicap over the turf. Prior to the Arlington Handicap, he was second in the Grade 3 Eclipse Stakes over the synthetic main track at Woodbine. He has been in-the-money in all three of his synthetic starts, but is only one-for-six at nine furlongs.

The nine-furlong specialist is Pool Play, who is making his third start off a year layoff. In his first two starts this year the seven-year-old was fourth in both a provincial-bred stakes at Woodbine and the Grade 3 Seagram Cup, also at Woodbine. In 2011, Pool Play won the Grade 1 Stephen F. Foster Handicap on conventional dirt at Churchill Downs, but has five wins and 14 in-the-money finishes in 21 starts on synthetics.

The pace of the race may be the biggest problem for handicapper as there does not appear to be a true front-runner in the field. Working for Hops, Hattash and Prayer for Relief all show front-running efforts on their past performances. The muddled pace scenario may not do well for Mister Marti Gras and the other closers, Ballyjamesduff and Middie.

Prayer for Relief may not be his best on synthetics, but he may not need to be on Saturday.

Post time for the Grade 3 handicap race, which kicks off the 50-cent pick-5 with a low 15% takeout, is 4:56 ET.

Monmouth Park – Cliff Hanger Stakes

Grade 3 Turfers at the Jersey Shore

Two stake races on Saturday card at Monmouth Park highlighted by the Grade 3 Cliff Hanger for three-year-olds and upward. The one-mile turf race drew a field of seven; let’s take a look.

Starting the handicapping is the eight-year-old gelding Get Serious, who drew post five. Get Serious has run 20 times on the Monmouth Park turf course with 11 wins and two thirds, but he has only won once in his last eight starts. He exits a third place finish in the Grade 3 Oceanport, which came on the heels of a win in the Grade 3 Red Bank. The worst race he has run since 2011 was in the Cliff Hanger last year.

The winner of the Oceanport was Tune Me In, who is back in the Cliff Hanger looking for his fifth win in 13 starts on the turf at Monmouth. In his previous 12 starts he has only been out of the money once.

Both Tune Me In and Get Serious as well as Glass Art are runners that like to run on or near the pace. A speed duel between the three will set the race up nicely for the closers, Lentenor, Admiral Perry and Salto.

Lentenor, the full-brother to Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro, has always been a fan favorite, but is look for his first graded stakes score. Trainer Leigh Delacour is having a tough Monmouth Park meet, but Lentenor would make up for that with a win on Saturday.

Admiral Perry was fourth behind Tune Me In and Get Serious in the Oceanport, which was his graded stakes debut. After that race trainer Shug McGaughey shipped the First Samurai-colt back up to his home base at Saratoga and has been drilling some nice works in the morning. Regular pilot, “Jersey” Joe Bravo again takes the mount.

Salto, trained by Todd Pletcher, also ships down from the Spa looking for his first win since coming to the U.S. last November. By Pivotal, the four-year-old colt won two of nine races to begin his career in France. Salto had some trouble down the stretch in his last race, which was his first start off a eight-month layoff. Tab for his best effort with good works since that race and top jockey Elvis Trujillo named to ride.

Glass Art was previous mentioned as one of the pace players and the four-year-old gelding has won back-to-back races, but those were in lower class levels and Saturday will be his stakes debut. Paco Lopez, how was aboard for the last win, will be riding Tune Me In.

The final horse in the race and an interesting one is the Saint Liam-gelding Upgrade. He was beaten just under thirteen lengths in the Grade 2 Fourstardave at Saratoga, but two starts back won the Grade 3 Jaipur over the turf at Belmont Park. Upgrade has four starts over the Monmouth Park turf course with a win, two seconds and a third. While Upgrade does show some speed in his form, jockey Chris DeCarlo may opt to stalk the early pace from his outside post.

It’s a good little stake race on Saturday at the shore’s greatest stretch with post time scheduled for 4:58 ET. It is the third leg of the late pick-4, which also includes the Miss Woodford Stakes for three-year-old fillies.

Woodbine – Seaway Stakes Pick-4

Roxy Gap, Even-Money Favorite

The stakes race on Saturday at Woodbine is the Grade 3 Seaway for fillies and mares going seven furlongs on the main Polytrack. The race only drew a field of five and Roxy Gap will be heavily favored to score her eighth career win.

The late pick-4, which has a 20-cent minimum, starts one race prior, race seven, with allowance fillies and mares that have never won two races.

Here Comes Love, La Donna Mobile and Forest Maid are must-uses in the opening leg, but give consideration to Maximum Ride, who gets Lasix for the first time in his eighth career race. He may be a better horse on the turf, but with the low minimum it would not cost a lot to add him to the ticket.

The Seaway is the eighth race and second leg with a low level claiming race up next in race nine.

Stardust Ziggy is the 5-2 morning line favorite, but the six-year-old horse has not won a race since October 2010 and that was on the turf. His last synthetic win came in April 2010, and has only won twice in 16 starts at Woodbine.

Spider Rock, on the other hand, has won 13 of 30 races at the track and drops to the lowest level of his career. Adding to his appeal is his seven wins in 15 starts at the distance so if he has one more good race in him he looks like a solid play at 12-1 on the morning line.

Also included on the ticket should be the horses drawn in the posts one, two and three. Bear’s Future exits a win against conditioned claimers, Daniel Be Good exits a win one level up and Hank’s Hill drops in price after finishing third against better.

The finale for the pick-4 at the Saturday card is a provincial-bred race at one mile on the turf course. Thirteen choices make this a tough way to end the day, but it could be a lucrative one.

Second Act is the morning line favorite, but needs to rebound off a terrible performance last month. Bear’s Gem is the second choice, but is making his first start on the turf and first start at a mile or more. The third choice is Best Gift of All, who has not run since June 2011.

I Am Persuaded returns to the turf after finishing third, beaten just a neck, in her second career start. She ran well on the turf in her debut, but her trainer has one win in 24 starts this year.

Second in the race I Am Persuaded exits is Tsuper and she looked like a winner in deep stretch, but got a little leg weary late, which was expected after racing wide the entire trip around the course after breaking from post 11. She drew outside again, but the mile distance is around one-turn at Woodbine. Don’t expect 10-1 when the gates open especially with Luis Contreras in the irons.

First post on Saturday at Woodbine is 1:05 ET with the pick-4 starting in race seven at 4:19. Post time for the feature, the Seaway, is 4:51.

Thoroughbred Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

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

Saturday – September 1

• Del Mar:  Del Mar Debutante – G1, $300,000, 2yo f, 7f
• Del Mar:  Harry F. Brubaker Stakes, $85,000, 3yo & up, 8f
• Arlington Park:  Washington Park Handicap – G3, $150,000, 3yo & up, 9f
• Monmouth Park:  Cliff Hanger Stakes – G3, $100,000, 3yo & up, 8f turf
• Monmouth Park:  Miss Woodford Stakes, $60,000, 3yo f, 6f
• Woodbine:  Seaway Stakes – G3, $150,000, 3yo & up f&m, 7f
• Calder Race Course:  Darn That Alarm Stakes, $75,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f
• Delaware Park:  Stonewall Farm Ocala Forever Together Stakes, $60,000, 3yo & up f&m, 8f turf

Sunday – September 2

• Del Mar:  Del Mar Derby – G2, $300,000, 3yo, 9f turf
• Del Mar:  Torrey Pines Stakes, $100,000, 3yo f, 8f
• Del Mar:  Adoration Stakes, $85,000, 3yo & up f&m, 8f
• Monmouth Park:  Sapling Stakes – G3, $100,000, 2yo, 6f
• Monmouth Park:  Sorority Stakes, $100,000, 2yo f, 6f
• Woodbine:  Vice Regent Stakes, $125,000, 3yo, 8f turf
• Canterbury:  Minnesota Championship Day, 6 Stake Races, $310,000 total purses

Harness Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

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

Friday – August 31

• Mohawk Raceway:  Champlain Stake, $300,000, 2yo open trot
• Mohegan Sun Pocono Downs:  PASS, $200,000, 2yo filly trot
• Saratoga Harness:  NYSS, $185,000, 2yo filly trot

Saturday – September 1

• Batavia Downs:  NYSS, $100,000, 2yo filly pace
• Mohawk Raceway:  Metro Stake, $1-million, 2yo open pace
• Mohawk Raceway:  Canadian Pacing Derby, $830,000, 3yo & up open pace
• Mohawk Raceway:  She’s A Great Lady, $630,000, 2yo filly pace
• Mohawk Raceway:  Simcoe Stake, $245,000, 3yo open trot
• Mohawk Raceway:  A Spring of Hope, $100,000, 4yo & up mare pace
• Mohegan Sun Pocono Downs:  PASS, $150,000, 3yo c&g pace
• Mohegan Sun Pocono Downs:  PASS, $150,000, 3yo c&g trot
• Mohegan Sun Pocono Downs:  PASS, $150,000, 3yo filly pace
• Mohegan Sun Pocono Downs:  PASS, $150,000, 3yo filly trot

Related posts:

1. Players Edge Newsletter – August 3, 2012
2. Players Edge Newsletter – August 10, 2012
3. Players Edge Newsletter – August 17, 2012

Del Mar – Pacific Classic

Game On Dude Meets a Field of Ten

The feature race on Sunday at Del Mar and across the country is the Grade 1, $1-million Pacific Classic for three-year-olds and upward going ten furlongs on the main track. It is a the only million-dollar race in Southern California and is the one race that is missing on the resume of Game On Dude.

The Bob Baffert-trained Game On Dude has won back-to-back races and four of his last five. He won the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup, Grade 2 Californian, Grade 2 San Antonio and Grade 1 Goodwood. In between all of that he was second in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic and a disappointing twelfth in the Grade 1 Dubai World Cup.

It could be said that the five-year-old Awesome Again gelding is better on dirt than synthetic even though he has two wins in five starts over non-conventional dirt. Two of those wins came at Hollywood Park, where the surface traditionally plays like dirt. In his only start at Del Mar, last year’s Pacific Classic, he was fourth, beaten just over four lengths.

His front-runner style usually does not play very well at Del Mar, but two horses, one from the Bob Baffert barn and the other a former Bob Baffert-trainee, are ready made for the race.

First, Jaycito, who is still in the Baffert stable and is looking to keep his hot hand going after winning an allowance race last month. Jaycito has always had his problems, but he has a lot of talent and is capable of winning on his best day. The question is which day will we get on Saturday.

The circumstances surrounding the sale of Richard’s Kid are too detailed to go into here, but he is now in the Leandro Mora barn, who is taking over the trainer for Doug O’Neill while he serves a suspension. Richard’s Kid loves the Del Mar track where he has won three of five starts including the Pacific Classic twice. New rider Victor Espinoza will just need to push the button at the right time and he will come running.

Dullahan has knocked heads with some of the best three-year-olds in the country and finally gets back on a synthetic surface. He is two-for-two on synthetics with both wins coming in Grade 1 races at Keeneland. Jockey Joel Rosario is back from New York for this ride and he knows the Del Mar oval very well. Look for him to jump in at the quarter pole.

The two interesting runners in the field are both South American-breds. The filly Amani, a Chilean-bred, makes her second start in this country after a good third place finish in the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch against fillies and mares. In her native Chile she beat the males in the Grade 1 St. Leger Cristal.

Suggestion Boy was bred in Argentina and has been spectacular in his two North American starts. He was a very good second to Jeranimo in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile on the Hollywood Park turf course then made short work of the field in the Wickerr. He has been training on the track at Del Mar and could hit the board at a very nice price.

Rail Trip, winner of the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap, Where’s Sterling, trained by Luis Ramirez for Frank Calabrese, and the two horses stepping way up in class, Akkadian and Riveting Reason round out the field.

Post time for the Grade 1 Pacific Classic on Sunday is 8:05 ET. Also on the card are the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien featuring Coil and the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile with Mr. Commons, Jeranimo and Norvsky.

Del Mar – Del Mar Handicap

Dhaamer Races for Three Straight

Sunday is the Pacific Class at Del Mar, but on Saturday the graded stakes turf horses get their chance to shine in the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap. The 11-furlong race drew a field of nine led by the Mike Mitchell-trained Dhaamer.

Dhaamer makes his second start off the layoff and is looking for his third straight win. In his last he was very impressive in winning the Grade 3 Sunset Handicap at Hollywood Park, which was the first graded stakes win of his career.

The Dubai Destination-gelding began his career in the United Kingdom for trainer John Gosden, where he won three of his ten races. The biggest win came in a $32,000 handicap stakes at Haydock a year ago. Since coming to the U.S., Dhaamer has been a excellent with two wins in four starts. He is the horse to beat on Saturday with Garrett Gomez in the irons.

Trying to find the most likely horse to upset the favorite is a bit difficult considering only one of the other seven horses are coming into the Del Mar Handicap off a win and that horse, Temple’s Door, has yet to run in a graded stakes.

Those with a graded stakes win in their career are Casino Host, Worth Repeating, Interaction and Dynamic Host. Of the four, Interaction looks like one to follow.

Interaction may be a six-year-old, but he exits a good second place behind Acclamation in the Grade 1 Eddie Read over the track last month. Interaction began his career in Argentina, winning five of nine races including two Group 1 races. He won his Southern California debut after two starts for Christophe Clement and may offer some value.

Since winning the Grade 2 Marvin Muniz Jr. Handicap at Fair Grounds, Casino Host has been a disappointment. In three starts he only has a third place finish on the board. Casino Host also ran in the Eddie Read, finishing just over two lengths behind Interaction.

Worth Repeating ran in the 2010 Del Mar Handicap, but his graded stakes win came in the Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup at Santa Anita in 2011 over the main track. On the turf, the six-year-old horse has two wins in 17 starts.

Like Worth Repeating, the graded stakes win by Dynamic Host came in Tokyo City Cup, with his coming this year. Dynamic Host’s record on turf isn’t any better with one win in 11 starts.

Based on that look for an exacta of Dhaamer and Interaction. Rounding out the field are Hog’s Hollow, Brushburn and Fire With Fire.

Post time for the $200,000 race on Saturday is 8:30 ET.

Woodbine – Ontario Colleen Stakes

Three-Year-Old Turf Fillies

The feature race on Saturday at Woodbine is the $150,000 Ontario Colleen Stakes for three-year-old fillies. The Grade 3 one-mile turf race drew a field of 12 led by morning line favorite Sky Dreamer.

Sky Dreamer will be making her fourth start on the turf in her career and first time since early June. In her previous three races the daughter of Sky Mesa has one win and a third with her win coming at six furlongs over the Woodbine turf course.

Trainer Mark Casse tries the grass once again with the Sky Dreamer after finishing second, beaten under a length, in the Grade 3 Arlington Park Oaks on their synthetic surface.

The filly that is her biggest danger is drawn right next to her in the gate and will be breathing down the favorite’s neck from the start.

Colonial Flag has only started on the turf in her five race career for trainer Michael Matz with two wins and a second. The second place finish was two starts back in the Grade 3 Regret at Churchill Downs. The winner of that race, Centre Court, came right back to win a stakes race and was second in a stakes race at Saratoga.

After the Regret, Colonial Flag tried the Grade 1 American Oaks and was bet well at 3-1, but finished seventh, beaten seven lengths. A return to the east coast may just be what the daughter of Pleasant Tap needs to get back on track.

Spirited Miss is the third choice on the morning line and she is drawn to the outside of Colonial Flag in post seven. Spirited Miss is the uncoupled entry of the owner/trainer combination of John Oxley and Mark Casse. Spirited Miss has won back-to-back race sprinting on the main Polytrack at Woodbine, but did break her maiden over the turf course and was fourth in the Grade 3 Natalma over the course and distance last year.

Two interesting long shots in the race are Blue Heart and Runfor Ro.

Blue Heart drops in distance after running sixth in the Ontario-bred Wonder Where stakes over the course. She did run into some trouble in that race and has been first, second or third in five of her seven career races.

Runfor Ro retains Luis Contreras in the irons and comes off a daylight win in an allowance race. For that allowance race trainer Gregory De Gannes put the blinkers back on Runfor Ro and she responded with the best race of her career.

She made need another career best to upend the favorites.

Completing the field are Poetic Kid, Solid Appeal, Actionontwo, Sky High Lady, Evil Kitten, Pulpation and English Sunrise.

The Ontario Colleen goes as race eight on the ten-race card with post time scheduled for 4:47 ET.

Calder Race Course – Two-Year-Old Stakes

Seacliff and Lindsay Frolic Stakes

The first two stake races at Calder Race Course for the two-year-olds are a one-mile affairs that start the 10-cent mega six jackpot. First up is the Seacliff Stakes, post time 3:45 ET, for the colts and geldings.

All of the eight runners will be going two-turns for the first time with two runners coming out of monstrous efforts on a sloppy course.

Mayberry Madness, a clever name out of the dam Barnie Fife, finished nowhere in his debut two months ago, but really took the slop two weeks ago and won by over 15-lengths. Not sure what exactly he beat in that field, but the impressive nature in which he did it suggest he could be a good one. Also adding to the appeal is his breeding suggests two turns will not be a problem.

Sr. Quisqueyano is the other impressive winner and he did his runner against winners in an allowance race. The son of Elusive Quality broke his maiden by just under three lengths and is the one to beat on Saturday.

Singanothersong is an interesting runner who also ran last out on a sloppy track, but he only won that race by six and one-half lengths. In his debut he was good second, nine lengths clear of Saturday Special, who won his next start by nine and is entered in the Seacliff as well.

The interesting horse in the race is the shipper Itsmyluckyday for trainer Edward Plesa. By Lawyer Ron, Itsmyluckyday exits a third place finish in the Tyro Stakes, which was on the grass at Monmouth Park. From the rail jockey Manny Cruz may have to send early to get a good position.

The next race on the card, post time 4:17, is the Lindsay Frolic for the fillies. Caraquista at 2-1 on the morning line leads that field of eight, but she is may have been pegged as the morning line favorite off her speed figure as it tops the field.

Street Magic is the second choice on the morning line and has something the favorite does not have, a win. The Street Hero-filly broke her maiden at Calder in April then came back and finished a distant fourth in an allowance race two weeks ago. From post eight she can get a good stalking position.

Rose to Gold make her debut in the stakes race and while she only cost $1,400 at auction, she has put in some eye catching works in preparation for this start. A week ago she blazed a bullet three furlongs. She is bred to win early and goes out for a potent jockey/trainer combination.

Brown Eyed Sue and Bama Rose are two second-time-starters that will appreciated the added distance. Of the two, Bama Rose gets the nod off her debut race.

These two-year-old races at Calder are always fun to watch and the Saturday card is devoted to the juveniles with twelve races on the day including six stake races. First post, as usual, is 12:55 ET.

Thoroughbred Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

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

Saturday – August 25

• Del Mar: Del Mar Handicap – G2, $200,000, 3yo & up, 11f turf
• Woodbine: Ontario Colleen Stakes – G3, $150,000, 3yo f, 8f turf
• Calder Race Course: Seacliff Stakes, $75,000, 2yo, 8f
• Calder Race Course: Lindsay Frolic Stakes, $75,000, 2yo, 8f
• Calder Race Course: Florida Stallion Stakes, Affirmed Div, $125,000, 2yo, 7f
• Calder Race Course: Florida Stallion Stakes, Susan’s Girl Div, $125,000, 2yo f, 7f
• Calder Race Course: Catcharisingstar Stakes, $75,000, 2yo f, 5f turf
• Calder Race Course: Fasig-Tipton Turf Dash, $75,000, 2yo, 5f turf
• Monmouth Park: Omnibus Stakes, $60,000, 3yo & up, 11f turf
• Monmouth Park: Twin Lights Stakes, $60,000, 3yo, 9f turf
• Delaware Park: Strike Your Colors Stakes, $50,000, 2yo, 8f
• Finger Lakes: New York Oaks, $75,000, 3yo f, 6f
• Hoosier Park: Brickyard Stakes, $84,000, 3yo & up, 6f
• Hoosier Park: Merrillville Stakes, $84,000, 3yo & up f&m, 6f

Sunday – August 26

• Del Mar: Pacific Classic – G1, $1,000,000, 3yo & up, 10f
• Del Mar: Pat O’Brien Stakes – G2, $250,000, 3yo & up, 8f turf
• Del Mar: Del Mar Mile – G2, $200,000, 3yo & up, 8f turf
• Woodbine: Play the King Stakes – G2, $200,000, 3yo & up, 7f turf
• Monmouth Park: Lady’s Secret Stakes, $75,000, 3yo & up f&m, 8.5f

Related posts:

1. Players Edge Newsletter – August 3, 2012
2. Players Edge Newsletter – August 10, 2012
3. Players Edge Newsletter – August 17, 2012

Arlington Park – Arlington Million

Euros Ship In to Win

The feature race of the Arlington Park season, the Arlington Million, is this Saturday and the five-horse Euro contingent looks tough to beat.

Headlining the group is Crackerjack King, who has won seven of nine lifetime starts including the Group 1 Premio Presidente d’Repubblica in Italy.  Crackerjack King was a disappointing fifth in his last start, but note that came on good-to-soft ground, which he proved he did not like in the Group 1 French Derby last year.  His other starts, all on surfaces rated “good,” the Shamardal colt has won by no less than one length each time.  While the competition may not be as good in Italy as it is in the rest of Europe, Crackerjack King defeated Asfare last year, who is based in England and will take another crack at his rival in the Million.

Asfare has run twice this year in preparation for Saturday with a win in a listed stakes at Sandown Park and a second in the Group 2 York Stakes at York.  He should fire his best shot in the Million for the strong trainer/jockey combination of Luca Cumani and Kieren Fallon.  Cumani has started two horses the past five years in the million with his best finish coming in 2009 when Cima de Triomphe finished fourth.

One trainer that knows his way around the winner’s circle at Arlington Park is John Gosden, who will saddle the Irish-bred Colombian for the ten-furlong race.  Colombian exits the Group 1 Prince of Wales Stakes behind the ultra professional So You Think.  The concern for Colombian is that his best efforts have come on turf tracks that were less than firm and the Arlington course should be firm this weekend.

The other Euros in the field are Treasure Beach, who won the Grade 1 Secretariat at Arlington in 2011, and Wigmore Hall, who was fourth in the Million last year.  Both of these horses appear to be off-form heading into the Grade 1 race.

The U.S. horsemen are going to hang their hats on the trio of Rahystrada, Boisterous and Little Mike.

Boisterous is the morning line favorite for the race at 4-1, but was just beat a neck by Rahystrada in the Grade 3 Arlington Handicap over the course last month.  Rahystrada off that win is 8-1 on the line and is three-for-five on the turf at Arlington.  The eight-year-old gelding was fifth in the race last year behind Cape Blanco, Gio Ponti and Dean’s Kitten.

Based on record, seven wins in 18 career starts, and earnings, over $500,000, Boisterous fits, but a closer look at his past performances reveals a Grade 2 horse that just comes up short in Grade 1’s.  He often finds himself far back in the early going with too much to do late.

No question where Little Mike will be and that’s on the lead.  The front-running gelding has won 10 of 18 races including the Grade 1 Turf Classic at Churchill Downs.  Little Mike has not been farther than nine furlongs in his career, but if any jockey can get their mount to relax early it’s Ramon Dominguez, who gets the call for regular rider Joe Bravo.  Dominguez will lead them as far as he can and hope there is something left in the tank for when the Euros storm down the stretch.

First post at Arlington Park on Saturday is 1:15 ET with the Million scheduled for 6:44.  There are 12 races on the day with seven stake races including the Grade 1 Secretariat and Grade 1 Beverly D.

Arlington Park – Beverly D

Marketing Mix One to Beat

While the Euros hold the upper hand in the Million, it is the U.S. fillies and mares that have the edge one race prior in the Grade 1 Beverly D.  The nine and one-half furlong race drew a field of ten led by morning line favorite Marketing Mix.

Marketing Mix has won four of her last five starts and six of her last eight.  In between she was second to the Aidan O’Brien-trained Together in the Grade 1 QEII Cup at Keeneland and fourth in the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill Downs in May.  While she ran well in defeat at Keeneland, the loss in the Distaff Turf Mile was a head scratcher for trainer Tom Proctor.  She quickly made up for it; however, winning the Grade 2 Nassau and Grade 2 Dance Smartly stakes at Woodbine.

She does appear to love the Woodbine turf, but she has won at four other tracks including a win in the Grade 3 Pucker Up at Arlington Park last year.

Aruna is second choice on the morning line for trainer Graham Motion and will be making her first start at Arlington Park.  After beginning her race career in Europe, Aruna has run eleven times in the U.S. with six wins and three seconds.  Her best win came in the Grade 1 Spinster over the Polytrack at Keeneland, but she is a Grade 2 winner on the turf.

The Christophe Clement-trained Mystical Star just beat Aruna in their last race, the Grade 2 New York at Belmont Park, and makes her first start against Grade 1 foes.  She can adapt to any pace scenario and her third place finish in the Sheepshead Bay at Belmont was outstanding considering what she went through at the start.

The other U.S. runners are Romacaca, five-for-seven at Arlington Park, Upperline, fifth in the Beverly D last year, and Stars to Shine, winner of back-to-back races on the synthetic surface at Woodbine.

Joviality leads the Euro foursome for trainer John Gosden and jockey William Buick.  Joviality threw in the worst race of her career in the last start, which may be explained by the soft turf at Newmarket.  One start before, she won the Group 2 Windsor Forest at the Royal Ascot meeting in June.

Up for Coolmore and Aidan O’Brien and I’m A Dreamer from the David Simcock yard look like they can upset the apple cart at decent odds.  Up only has one win in her career, but is Grade 1 placed and ran in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Churchill Downs last year.  I’m A Dream beat Up by a half-length in a Group 1 at the Curragh in Ireland and is also Grade 1 placed.

The interesting shipper is the German-bred Kapitale for trainer Andreas Wohler, who will be making his first start in the U.S. since 2010, but prior to that won the Arlington Million in 2001 and was second in the 2003 race.  Kapitale is making her first start this year after being off since a third place finish in a Group 1 race in Italy.

Post time for the Beverly D is 6:02 ET and is the second leg of the $200,000 guaranteed pick-4 pool, which starts with the Hatoof Stakes and includes the Arlington Million.

Del Mar – Del Mar Oaks

Grade 1 Fillies on the Lawn

If turf handicapping is your strong point then this weekend is for you.  Not only are there three Grade 1 races on the turf at Arlington Park, but there is also the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks on the grass Saturday at Del Mar.

Eight fillies will go nine panels in the Del Mar Oaks with the focus of the wagering to fall on two fillies, Lady of Shamrock and Eden’s Moon.

Lady of Shamrock drew well in post two and can save all the ground under jockey Mike Smith.  Smith gave the Scat Daddy filly a rail-skimming ride en route to victory in the Grade 1 American Oaks at Hollywood Park in her last.  The $11,000 two-year-old in-training purchase has already made over $450,000 at the track.

The filly that Lady of Shamrock and the others in the race will need to catch is Eden’s Moon, who was an impressive winner in her first start on turf last month in the Grade 2 San Clemente Handicap.

Eden’s Moon began her career with the connections thinking Kentucky Oaks.  By Malibu Moon, she won two of her first four starts, including the Grade 1 Las Virgenes at Santa Anita, but finished off the screen in the Kentucky Oaks, beaten almost 49 lengths.

Off almost two months, Eden’s Moon came back to lose by a nose in the Grade 2 Hollywood Oaks over the Cushion track at Hollywood Park and with the three-year-old racing at Del Mar done mostly on the turf, trainer Bob Baffert decided to work her on the grass and boy did she take to the surface.

In the San Clemente jockey Rafael Bejarano put Eden’s Moon on the lead and she never looked back.  It was an impressive run for the filly and will be favored to score right back.

On paper, Eden’s Moon looks like an easy wire-to-wire winner, but could be pushed early by Indigo River or Best Present Ever.  Both of those fillies may pushing their distance limitations at nine furlongs and are not as quick as the favorite, but they are most likely to be pressing the pace.

Open Water just finished second to Eden’s Moon and can hit the board at a decent price making her third start off the layoff while My Gi Gi just finished second behind Lady of Shamrock.  The cut back in distance helps My Gi Gi, who defeated Lady of Shamrock at nine furlongs in the Grade 2 Honeymoon Handicap at Hollywood Park in June.  The concern for her is that her trainer is winless this meet, but has been second or third eight times.

Stormy Lucy and Long Face may be the longest shots on the board when the gates open, but don’t dismiss them entirely. Of the two, Long Face gets the nod.  The Whywhywhy filliy made the pace in the Honeymoon, but had nothing left in the stretch and finished fifth.  In her next two starts jockey Victor Espinoza took to a stalking position and she responded well with a good second to Trois Aureole at Hollywood Park and a win over the turf at Del Mar last month.

Of course they are going to need their best efforts to run down Eden’s Moon and hold off Lady of Shamrock.

Post time for the Grade 1 race on Saturday is 8:30 ET.

Monmouth Park – Philip H. Iselin Stakes

Seven Go Nine

The feature race on Saturday at Monmouth Park is the Grade 3 Philip H. Iselin Stakes for three-year-olds and upward at nine-furlongs on the main track.  The race drew a field of seven; let’s take a look.

There are two groups of horses in the Iselin, those who ran in the local prep, the Majestic Light, and those who did not.  

Gourmet Dinner and Ponzi Scheme were separated by a neck in the Majestic Light with Small Town Talk another length and three-quarters back.  Small Town Talk is expected to be a long shot again on Saturday, but Gourmet Dinner and Ponzi Scheme have each way chances.

In the Majestic Light, Ponzi Scheme was knocking heads with the front-runner and put that horse away, but could not hold off the late running Gourmet Dinner.  The horse that was on the lead finished sixth, beaten over seven lengths, so give credit to Ponzi Scheme for being able to make it close on the wire.  The concern for the five-year-old gelding is that he does not have a published work off that race.  

Gourmet Dinner, on the other hand, has come back with a four-furlong drill in preparation for the Iselin and is looking for his sixth career win and first Graded victory since winning the Grade 3 Jackpot at Delta Downs in 2010.  Gourmet Dinner leads the field with over $1-million in earnings.

Eldaafer leads the field with eleven wins, but he seven-year-old gelding has not been to the winner’s circle since August 2011 at Delaware Park.  The Breeders’ Cup Marathon winner’s last stakes win does not even show up on the past performances.  There are some positives though. He shows back-to-back bullet drills in the morning and gets Paco Lopez in the irons.

Eldaafer is stabled at Monmouth Park, but Self Control, Toby’s Corner and San Pablo will all be shipping into the track on the Jersey shore.

Self Control was an easy winner in near wire-to-wire fashion in his last start at Belmont Park and makes his second career start against graded company.  In his first try he was third behind Fort Larned, who is now a Grade 1 winner.  Self Control will get a good early position just behind the pace of Ponzi Scheme and San Pablo.

San Pablo ships back down to Monmouth Park where he has a win in two starts over the main track.  He won an allowance race in 2011 then was fourth in the Grade 2 Monmouth Cup last month.  The Monmouth Cup was the worst finish of his career, but he rebounded nicely early this month winning the $98,000 Birdstone Stakes at Saratoga.

Toby’s Corner won the Mountainvew Handicap at Penn National in his last start in near wire-to-wire fashion, but that may have been because he was the best horse in the race.  Expect a return to a stalking position Saturday for the Bellamy Road colt, who won the Grade 1 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct in 2011.

On paper the race should unfold at a very fast pace and on a fair track the horses to watch are Gourmet Dinner, Self Control and Toby’s Corner.

Post time for the Iselin on Saturday is 5:26 ET and is third leg of the late pick-4, which starts in race eight.

Thoroughbred Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

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

Saturday – August 18

• Arlington Park: Arlington Million – G1, $1,000,000, 3yo & up, 10f turf
• Arlington Park: Beverly D Stakes – G1, $750,000, 3yo & up f&m, 9.5f turf
• Arlington Park: Secretariat Stakes – G1, $500,000, 3yo, 10f turf
• Arlington Park: Hatoof Stakes, $400,000, 3yo f, 8.5f turf
• Arlington Park: American St. Leger Stakes, $400,000, 13.5f turf
• Arlington Park: Straight Line Stakes, $65,000, 3yo, 8f
• Del Mar: Del Mar Oaks – G1, $300,000, 3yo f, 9f turf
• Monmouth Park: Philip H. Iselin Stakes – G3, $150,000, 3yo & up, 9f
• Louisiana Downs: Louisiana Cup Day, 8 races, $570,000 total purses
• Woodbine: Victoriana Stakes, $125,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f turf
• Remington Park: Edward DeBartalo Memorial Handicap, $100,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f turf
• Penn National: Capital City Stakes, $100,000, 3yo, 8f turf
• Penn National: Dauphin Miss Stakes, $100,000, 3yo f, 8f turf
• Calder Race Course: Naked Greed Stakes, $75,000, 3yo, 7.5f turf
• Calder Race Course: Crystal Rail Stakes, $75,000, 3yo f, 7.5f turf
• Emerald Downs: WTBOA Lads Stakes, $50,000, 2yo, 6.5f
• Charles Town: Frank Gall Memorial, $50,000, 3yo & up, 7f
• Delaware Park: Eight Thirty Stakes, $50,000, 3yo & up, 7.5f turf
• Thistledown: Honey Jay Stakes, $50,000, 3yo & up, 6f

Sunday – August 19

• Del Mar: Rancho Bernardo Handicap – G3, $150,000, 3yo & up f&m, 6.5f
• Del Mar: Solana Beach Handicap, $100,000, 3yo & up f&m, 8f turf
• Woodbine: Sky Classic Stakes – G2, $250,000, 3yo & up, 10f turf
• Woodbine: Belle Mahone Stakes, $100,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f
• Monmouth Park: Restoration Stakes, $60,000, 3yo, 9f turf
• Emerald Downs: Longacres Mile – G3, $200,000, 3yo & up, 8f
• Emerald Downs: Emerald Distaff, $65,000, 3yo & up f&m, 9f

Harness Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

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

Friday – August 17

• The Meadowlands: NJSS, $150,000, 2yo c&g pace
• The Meadowlands: NJSS, $150,000, 2yo c&g trot
• The Meadowlands: NJSS, $150,000, 2yo filly pace
• The Meadowlands: NJSS, $150,000, 2yo filly trot
• The Meadowlands: Wr. Haughton Memorial, $500,000, 3yo & up open pace
• The Meadowlands: Golden Girls, $225,000, 3yo & up f&m pace
• The Meadowlands: Moni Maker, $200,000, 3yo filly trot
• The Meadows: PASS, $200,000, 2yo filly trot
• Tioga Downs: NYSS, $100,000, 2yo c&g pace

Saturday – August 18

• Mohawk Raceway: Nassagaweya, $300,000, 2yo open pace
• Mohawk Raceway: Enternal Camnation, $200,000, 2yo filly pace
• Saratoga Harness: NYSS, $215,000, 3yo c&g pace
• Saratoga Harness: Joe Gerrity, $130,000, 3yo & up open pace

Related posts:

1. Players Edge Newsletter – August 31, 2012
2. Players Edge Newsletter – August 10, 2012
3. Players Edge Newsletter – August 3, 2012

Del Mar – La Jolla Handicap

Three-Year-Old Grade 2 Turfers

The feature race this Saturday at Del Mar is the Grade 2 La Jolla Handicap for three-year-olds going eight and one-half furlongs on the turf. The $150,000 race drew a field of five featuring My Best Brother, winner of one of the divisions of the Oceanside Stakes on opening day.

My Best Brother came into the Oceanside off of back-to-back wins, but with Holy Candy in his division the three-year-old son of Stormy Atlantic was dismissed on the board at 6-1. Jockey Martin Garcia went straight to the lead and never looked back, holding of off the late run by another long shot, Tones.

The outside draw in a turf race at Del Mar is normally a negative, but in the field of five, My Best Brother should not have any problems clearing the field and going to the lead. He may face other pace pressure from Chips All In, who was second in the second division of the Oceanside, but with the booking of Garrett Gomez, Chips All In may be stalking the pace.

The other three runners are also coming out of the Oceanside and all three are expected to improve in the La Jolla.

Blingo was fourth, beaten two lengths by race-winner Midnight Crooner, and will like the extra sixteenth of a mile of the La Jolla. The Artie Schiller-colt broke his maiden at one mile on the turf at Hollywood Park as a two-year-old then won the nine-furlong La Puente Stakes at Santa Anita in April. The concern for the connections is the expected lack of pace.

Trainer Tom Proctor can seemingly do no wrong this meet. On Sunday he won with a first-time-starter at big odds then on Wednesday won with a good looking two-year-old filly on the turf. This weekend he has Old Time Hockey, who finished third behind My Best Brother in the Oceanside.

Old Time Hockey ran an even race in the Oceanside and came into that race with some subpar workouts, but was still able to run third. On paper his subsequent works look like he is going to run a huge race on Saturday. Joe Talamo picks up the mount and will have the Smarty Jones-gelding breathing down the neck of the favorite.

Facoltoso made his U.S. debut in the Oceanside after starting 14 times, winning four times, in Italy. In his division, the same as Chips All In and Blingo, Facoltoso spotted the field five lengths after a quarter mile and was only able to make up two and a quarter late.

On Saturday, Facoltoso is a bit of a wildcard. In Italy he did his best running on the lead, but that may have been in slower paced races. With Garrett Gomez taking the mount of Chips All In, Rafael Bejarano takes over and his M.O. on the turf is to send, send, send.

Off his win in the Oceanside, My Best Brother is the horse to beat, but is no sure thing.

First post on Saturday at Del Mar is 5:05 ET with the La Jolla off at 8:30.

Monmouth Park – Monmouth Oaks

Morrow Cove Goes for Three Straight

The second of three graded stake races this Saturday is the 88th running of the Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks for three-year-old fillies. The mile and one-sixteenth race drew a field of six with Morrow Cove looking to win her third race in a row.

For a filly trained by Todd Pletcher, Morrow Cove got a late start to the game making her debut in January. After a second place finish at Gulfstream Park to Grade 1 winner Zo Impressive she was given some time off and came back in early March to break her maiden. She then faced stakes company, but found the waters too deep at Oaklawn Park.

Pletcher; however, was not worried and brought her back a month later to score by double digits in an allowance race at Delaware Park. Off two months after that, she came back in the $75,000 Serena’s Song at Monmouth last month and for the first time in her career was not the favorite.

Of course, Morrow Cove did not know the odds and ran more like a 1-4 shot instead of her off odds of nearly 4-1. A solid four-furlong drill since that race and with a win the Yes It’s True filly would be on her way to becoming a star.

Those looking to beat the favorite are going to focus on the pair of Wine Princess for trainer Steve Margolis and Bret Calhoun’s new pickup, Jemima’s Pearl.

Wine Princess has won two of four races in her career with a perfect two-for-two on conventional dirt. Both of those starts were at Churchill Downs and this race will be the first time she has run away from her home base since her debut at Fair Grounds in March.

Regular rider Shaun Bridgmohan keeps the mount and he will have to work out a trip from the rail. With Morrow Cove breaking from post five, Bridgmohan may opt to take his filly straight to the lead. If she can slow them down early she may be the one on top late.

If a speed duel to end all speed duel happens between the two then jockey Elvis Trujillo will be sitting pretty with his mount, Jemima’s Pearl. By Distorted Humor, Jemima’s Pearl will be making her ninth career start on Saturday for her fourth different trainer.

Jemima’s Pearl’s last race was the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks for trainer Bob Baffert in May, but that was a disaster. She had a bad break and never ran a step, finishing tenth of 14.

It’s interesting to note that all of her workouts since June have been in Southern California until her three-furlong spin on the 5th of August, which was over the Monmouth main track.

Rounding out the small field of six are Proud Pearl, Defy Gravity and Final Escrow. On breeding, Proud Pearl is a standout being a full sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Proud Spell, but she has not shown the same ability on the track. Final Escrow has won two straight for trainer Leigh Delacour and is making her stakes debut.

Carded as race ten on the eleven race card, post time for the Monmouth Oaks is 5:26 ET.

Ellis Park – Gardenia Stakes

Salty Strike and Sassy Image Meet Again

The lone graded stakes race of the Ellis Park meet is the Grade 3 Gardenia for fillies and mares, which will be run this Saturday. Salty Strike and Sassy Image headline the one-mile race.

The two fillies just ran one-two in the Roxelana Stakes at Churchill Downs in late June with Salty Strike powering away to win by over three lengths. Sassy Image was two lengths clear of the third place finisher, who came right back to win her next race.

In the Gardenia it is going to be a tale of two trips for the favorites with Salty Strike drawing the rail and Sassy Image breaking from the far outside post, eleven.

The concern for Sassy Image is not only the distance; she has not run over seven furlongs since February 2011 and has not won a race over seven furlongs since January 2010, but also the post. The gate for the one-mile run at Ellis Park is positioned in a way that there is a sharp turn into the turn. Jockey Robby Albarado may have his hands full trying to work out a trip from the outside.

The one thing Albarado and the connections of Sassy Image have going for them is there appears to be a lot of speed signed on to set up her late kick.

Juanita exits a pair of graded stake races, including a win over odds-on favorite Plum Pretty in the Grade 2 La Troienne at Churchill Downs, for her first start since late May. She like to run on or near the pace and with a bullet workout off the layoff she may be the one in front.

She’s Picky and Find the Humor add pace to the lineup, but they are not proven at this class level. Holiday Soiree goes sprint-to-route and has a win over the track. She won her first two races gate-to-wire, but has won her last two from just off-the-pace and may be an interesting price play.

The other pace players are interesting runners with a ton of back class.

Joyful Victory won the Grade 3 Honeybee and Grade 2 Fantasy at Oaklawn Park last year and was the post-time favorite for the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks. The Fantasy was her last big win, going one-for-six since then. For the first time since she was a two-year-old she will race with blinkers off, but she may need a start to show her best.

Absinthe Minded shows ten graded stake runs in her last 12 starts, but her only two wins in those 12 were in the non-graded stakes. She was fourth, beaten eight lengths, behind Juanita in the La Toienne and is making her second start off a layoff after finishing fifth in the Grade 2 Molly Pitcher last month.

Of the final three fillies, Flormal Plan, Ridgester and Toxis, a long shot look should be given to Toxis. She exits a daylight win at Churchill Downs in late June and has fired two bullet works in the morning in preparation for this. Earlier this year she was third in the Grade 3 Bourbonette Oaks at Turfway Park.

Post time for the Gardenia Stakes on Saturday is 5:10 ET and is the third leg of the late pick-4, which starts in race six.

Del Mar – John C. Mabee Stakes

Six Pack of Fillies and Mares on the Grass

Sunday’s feature race at Del Mar is the Grade 2 John C. Mabee Stakes for fillies and mares, three-years-old and upward going nine furlongs on the turf. A field of six will line up for the $250,000 race; let’s take a look.

Starting the post parade and the top pick will be the Ron McAnally-trained All Star Heart. The five-year-old mare had won three straight and five of six, but was flat in the Grade 2 Royal Heroine Mile at Hollywood Park in early July.

Sent off as the favorite in the Royal Heroine, All Star Heart offered nothing and finished last, beaten just over six lengths. That effort was too bad to be true as it was the first time she had not run well since shipping to California late in 2010. The drills over the Del Mar turf since that race are solid and a return to form will make her tough.

Cambina is a Grade 1-winner and always puts in a good late run, it’s just always too late. She has not won since the dead-heat win in the Grade 1 American Oaks last year, but her last race was encouraging.

While it was a slow-paced, ten furlong race, jockey Garrett Gomez had her closer to the pace and she responded well, just failing by a nose to Capital Plan. She has also been working well on the Del Mar turf, which she has run on before.

Nereid and City to City both exit the Royal Heroine, finishing in front of All Star Heart, with Nereid the preferred of the two. Nereid is a Grade 1 winner and where did she win her Grade 1? In the dead head with Cambina in the American Oaks.

In that race Nereid took the field wire-to-wire and with the blinkers going on Saturday expect jockey Joe Talamo to take her to the lead. Joe was aboard for all three of her career wins and has been riding very well this meet. Trainer John Shirreffs, on the other hand, is not and will be looking for his first win in eleven starts.

Imperialistic Diva looks like a longshot for owner Charles Winner and trainer Simon Callaghan. Her two wins in the U.S. were in allowance races and is winless in six stake attempts.

The final mare in the race is Go Forth North and she deserves a long look. Trainer A C Avila has already score with several double digit priced horses this meat and Go Forth North can continue that success. By North Light, Go Forth North has won two of five races on the Del Mar turf.

She is going to need her “A” game to down All Star Heart, Cambina and Nereid. Post time on Sunday is 8:30 ET.

Thoroughbred Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

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

Saturday – August 11

• Del Mar:  La Jolla Handicap – G2, $150,000, 3yo, 8.5f turf
• Ellis Park:  Gardenia Stakes – G3, $100,000, 3yo & up f&m, 8f
• Monmouth Park:  Monmouth Oaks – G3, $100,000, 3yo f, 8.5f
• Arlington Park:  Illinois Owners Stakes, $100,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f turf
• Arlington Park:  Illinois Owners Stakes, $100,000, 3yo & up f&m, 8.5f turf
• Canterbury:  Minnesota Oaks, $60,000, 3yo f, 8f 70y
• Canterbury:  Minnesota Derby, $60,000, 3yo, 8f 70y
• Charles Town:  Sadie Hawkins Stakes, $50,000, 3yo & up f&m, 7f
• Delaware Park:  Unbridled Belle Stakes, $60,000, 3yo & up f&m, 8f 70y
• Emerald Downs:  Washington Oaks, $65,000, 3yo f, 9f
• Evangeline Downs:  Evangeline Mile Stakes, $125,000, 3yo & up, 8f
• Prairie Meadows:  Juvenile Mile Stakes, $60,000, 2yo, 8f
• Remington Park:  Governor’s Cup, $200,000, 3yo & up, 9f
• Remington Park:  David M. Vance Sprint Stakes, $100,000, 3yo & up, 6f
• River Downs:  Hoover Stakes, $50,000, 2yo, 6f
• River Downs:  Vivacious Handicap, $50,000, 3yo & up f&m, 8.5f turf
• Santa Rosa:  Wine Country Debutante, $75,000, 2yo f, 6f
• Woodbine:  Ontario Debutante Stakes, $150,000, 2yo f, 6f

Sunday – August 12

• Del Mar:  John C. Mabee Stakes – G2, $250,000, 3yo & up f&m, 9f turf
• Woodbine:  Eternal Search Stakes, $125,000, 3yo f, 8.5.f
• Monmouth Park:  Colleen Stakes, $60,000, 2yo f, 5f turf
• Emerald Downs:  Emerald Downs Derby, $65,000, 3yo, 9f
• Santa Rosa:  Cavonnier Juvenile Stakes, $75,000, 2yo, 6f

Harness Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

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

Friday – August 10

• Batavia Downs:  NYSS, $100,000, 2yo filly trot
• The Meadowlands:  Wr. Haughton Memorial, $50,000, 3&up open pace
• The Meadows:  PASS, $200,000, 3yo filly trot

Saturday – August 11

• Mohegan Sun Pocono Downs:  PASS, $200,000, 3yo filly pace
• Vernon Downs:  NYSS, $120,000, 3yo filly trot

Related posts:

1. Players Edge Newsletter – August 3, 2012
2. Players Edge Newsletter – August 17, 2012
3. Players Edge Newsletter – August 24, 2012

Mountaineer Park – West Virginia Derby

Hansen’s Opponents Feeling Blue

The feature race on Saturday at Mountaineer Park is the Grade 2, $750,000 West Virginia Derby for three-year-olds. The nine-furlong race drew a field of ten led by Grade 1 winner Hansen, who is expected to be sporting a blue tail for his run in the Mountain State.

Hansen makes his debut in West Virginia after storming through Iowa in the Derby at Prairie Meadows. It was a monster win from the nearly white colt, getting him back in the winner’s circle for the first time since the Grade 3 Gotham in March at Aqueduct.

There is really no surprise as to what tactics jockey Mike Smith will employ when the gates open and that’s straight to the lead. Hansen has made every pole a winning one in four of his five wins, including the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs last year.

Unlike in the Iowa Derby, Hansen will face pace pressure on Saturday. Morgan’s Guerrilla is a speed ball colt by Ghostzapper who has been first or second at the half mile pole in five of his six career races. The interesting thing is that both Morgan’s Guerrilla and Hansen are trained by Mike Maker. Even though the jockey does not want to put Morgan’s Guerrilla in a speed duel with his stablemate, he has to put his mount in the best position to win and that is on the speed.

The other runner who could show some speed and lay close to the Maker-duo is Le Bernardin for trainer Miaran McLaughlin and the Darley Stables.

Le Bernardin comes out of a win in the Grade 3 Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park in mid-June, looking to win his fourth race in six starts. Le Bernardin get the class test on Saturday, but may be up to the task. The question is which Le Bernardin will show up, the one who has three wins or the one who was beaten nearly 40 lengths?

At this point we generally look at the local hopes; however, there are no horses running in this year’s West Virginia Derby that are based at Mountaineer. The only connection to the track is jockey DeShawn Park, who is named on both Z Camelot and Bourbon Courage. Of course he can only ride one and talent wise, Bourbon Courage has it all.

Bourbon Courage started his career with back-to-back daylight wins in sprint races at Fair Grounds then was a good fourth behind Hierro, Paynter and Stealcase in the Grade 3 Derby Trial at Churchill Downs in May. After that the connections tried the Grade 2 Woody Stephens at Belmont Park, but perhaps the well was dry and he finished fifth, beaten just over six lengths.

By Lion Heart, a front-runner in his day, Bourbon Courage may be the key to the race. It’s possible that he will be motoring when the gates open as Saturday will be his first start around two-turns.

If the speed comes back to the field then there are a couple of horses that will be hitting their best stride late. Macho Macho ran into Bourbon Courage at Fair Grounds and was third in the Grade 3 Matt Winn at Churchill Downs. Off of his second place finish in the Long Branch to My Adonis, Macho Macho fits in the West Virginia Derby.

Penn ‘s Grant is the other closer in the field and by Empire Maker out of a Pulpit-mare the distance will not be a problem. He has run well on dirt and turf, mud and fast, the question is class.

Completing the field are the Gennadi Dorochenko trained pair of Macho Bull and Hero of Order as well as Called to Serve, shipping east from California for trainer Peter Eurton.

First post on Saturday at Mountaineer is 2:00 ET with the West Virginia Derby off at 5:45. Also on the day are eight other stake races with purses totaling $900,000.

Del Mar – Clement L. Hirsch

Grade 1 Fillies and Mares

Saturday’s feature race at Del Mar is the 42nd running of the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes for fillies and mares, three-years-old and up on the main Polytrack. This year’s race drew a field of seven, which includes four Grade 1 winners.

Include Me Out won the Grade 1 Santa Margarita over a sloppy, sealed track at Santa Anita in March and came back to win the Grade 2 Everett Handicap at Hollywood Park before finishing second in the Grade 1 Vanity in her last start.

By Include, out of a Mazel Trick-mare, Include Me Out has won five of ten races with three seconds and no thirds. She has a win at Del Mar, breaking her maiden in a sprint race last year. The cut back in distance from nine furlongs to eight and one-half will help her chances, but jockey Joe Talamo will need to work out a trip from the rail.

Up next is Switch, who won her Grade 1 around one-turn in the Santa Monica at Santa Anita in January 2011. Once again trainer John Sadler is trying Switch at a route of ground, which she has proven good at, but not great. Third in the 2011 Clement L Hirsch behind Ultra Blend and Zazu, Switch comes into the race on Saturday off an impressive win in the Grade 2, seven furlong A Gleam handicap last month at Hollywood Park.

The negative is that Garrett Gomez was aboard for the trip that day and now will be riding the Chilean import, Amani.

Amani is two and three-quarter lengths away from being a perfect 11-for-11 in her career, with all her races coming in her native Chile. Amani has three Grade 1 wins, one Grade 2 win and three Grade 3 wins. Amani could need a start in the U.S. before showing her best for trainer Neil Drysdale and is one to look at on the track. Drysdale and Gomez teamed up with another well-regarded import in the Cougar II Handicap last week, but that horse finished a disappointing last.

The final Grade 1 winner in the field is Star Billing from the John Shirreffs barn. To date Star Billing has done all of her running on turf, winning three of eight with three placings. She won the Grade 1 Matriarch at Hollywood Park last November and will only be making her second start of 2012. Her first start was a last place finish as the 8-5 favorite in a restricted stakes race in June.

Of the others, Quaintly, Kayce Ace, Zafeen’s Pearl and Great Hot, Zafeen’s Pearl may have the most upside. In her U.S. debut she was third behind Include Me Out in the Grade 1 Vanity Handicap then came back in late July to score an easy win in an allowance race at Del Mar. She has a history of running back on short notice in England and can hit the board at a big number.

The Saturday ten-race card starts at 5:05 ET with the Hirsch going to post at 8:30. It’s the second leg of the pick-4, which kicks off with some fast first-time, two-year-old starters in race seven.

Louisiana Downs – Super Derby Prelude

Asmussen and Stall Battle in the Bayou

The second half of the three-year-old stake races are underway with the Haskell taking place last Sunday and this weekend, in addition to the West Virginia Derby, is the $100,000 Prelude Stakes at Louisiana Downs. It is the key local prep for the Super Derby on September 6.

A field of ten was drawn for the mile and one-sixteenth race with Master Rick at 2-1 and Tensas Cold Front at 3-1, the morning line favorites.

Trainer Steve Asmussen saw big things for his colt Master Rick after winning two straight races at Oaklawn Park, but the son of Master Command did not live up to those expectation in his subsequent starts. He was ninth, beaten over 20 lengths, in the Grade 2 Peter Pan at Belmont Park and fifth, beaten over 14 lengths, in the Grade 3 Matt Winn at Churchill Downs.

The drop in class definitely helps Master Rick as his best win came in the $98K Northern Spur stakes at Oaklawn Park in April.

To his inside is Tensas Cold Front from the Al Stall barn. Tensas Cold Front is two-for-two in his career with both wins coming over the Louisiana Downs track against state-breds. Up in class for his initial stakes attempt, but if any trainer can get them ready for the Super Derby it’s Al Stall.

Both Master Rick and Tensas Colt Front appear to be pace-running horses and that may not be a good thing on Saturday. To their outside is Top Cat Boogie, 5-1, who has won his last two races wire-to-wire at Evangeline Downs. Also in the field is the sprint-to-route runner Mr Bluegrass Magic, drawn in post nine.

On the rail is King Coral at an attractive 6-1 on the line. Don Simington can let his mount break then ease just off the speed as they rush to the lead on his outside. Class is the question with this gelding as he was ten and one-quarter lengths behind Master Rick in the Northern Spur and his best run to date was in a small stakes race at Sam Houston over a muddy, sealed track.

Key Donation is the final runner that, on paper, can upset the favorites. The Lawyer Ron-colt has won two of his four career races by a combined eleven and one-half lengths. Trainer Tom Amoss ships down his charge from Indiana Downs with a couple of fast drills on the tab. Amoss also gets the local leading rider in the irons and could be a solid price with the gates open.

The others, Noble Alex, Sommer’s Choice, Steady Roar and Aftermeyourefirst, are all 20 or 30-1 outsiders.

Post time for the Super Derby Prelude on Saturday is 5:50 ET.

Woodbine – Seagram Cup

Seven Roll in Canada

The final graded stakes race on Saturday across North America is the Grade 3 Seagram Cup at Woodbine in Toronto. The mile and one-sixteenth race drew a field of seven; let’s take a look.

The favorite for the Cup is Pool Play at 9-5 for trainer Mark Casse and owner William Farish. Pool Play is making his second start off a year layoff after finishing fourth in an Ontario-bred stakes in early July. Last year, as a six-year-old, Pool Play had a banner year. He won the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs at odds of nearly 37-1.

This is actually the second time Pool Play has run in this race having finishing fourth in the 2010 edition. Also in the race that year, and in the race last year, was Stunning Stag, who is back for his third straight attempt at winning the lion’s share of the $150,000 purse.

Stunning Stag is an eight-year-old gelding that has won eleven of 34 races for earnings of over $960,000. With a win on Saturday he will hit the million mark for the Attard team. Since 2011, the Running Stag gelding has only two wins in eight starts, but a win in his last sets him up well for the Seagram.

An interesting play in the race may be the three-year-old colt, Incredicat, who is a true front-runner in a race that lacks speed. Incredicat has been second in his last two races and the distance may be on the outside of his range, but he does have talent and jockey Alex Solis will be tough if allowed to waltz on the lead.

James Street, Alpha Bettor and City Wolf are all the second tier runners in this Grade 3 and all have races that would put them in the winner’s circle.

Of the three preference lies with Alpha Bettor off his last two races and affinity for the track and distance. He has been first or second in half of his 14 career races at Woodbine and is three-for-six at the distance.

City Wolf puts the blinker on for trainer Reade Baker looking to regain the form that saw the five-year-old horse win four straight races from May to October 2011. His two start this year; however, have not been very good.

James Street would get top billing over Alpha Bettor, but he only has one race since November 2011 and that was a fifth place finish in the Grade 3 Eclipse over the track. He did finish in front of both Alpha Bettor and City Wolf that day and is the defending champion of the Seagram, but the layoff lines are a concern.

Medidocihospisurg get’s the win for best, or maybe worst name, but he will be a long shot on Saturday.

The Grade 3 Seagram Cup goes as race eight on the Saturday card at Woodbine with post time at 4:50 ET.

Thoroughbred Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

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

Saturday – August 4

• Mountaineer:  West Virginia Derby – G2, $750,000, 3yo, 9f
• Mountaineer:  West Virginia Governor’s Cup, $200,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f
• Mountaineer:  Mountaineer Juvenile Stakes, $100,000, 2yo, 6f
• Mountaineer:  Mountaineer Juvenile Fillies Stakes, $100,000, 2yo f, 6f
• Mountaineer:  Senator Byrd Memorial Stakes, $100,000, 3yo & up, 6f
• Mountaineer:  WV Secretary of State Stakes, $100,000, 3yo & up f&m, 6f
• Mountaineer:  WV Senate President’s Cup Stakes, $100,000, 3yo & up f&m, 8f 70y
• Mountaineer:  WV Legislature Chairman’s Cup Stakes, $100,000, 3yo & up, 4.5f
• Mountaineer:  WV House of Delegates Speaker’s Cup Stakes, $100,000, 3yo & up, 8f 70y
• Del Mar:  Clement L. Hirsch Stakes – G1, $300,000, 3yo & up f&m, 8.5f
• Louisiana Downs:  Super Derby Prelude, $100,000, 3yo, 8.5f
• Louisiana Downs:  Barksdale Stakes, $50,000, 3yo & up, 8f turf
• Louisiana Downs:  Sunny’s Halo Stakes, $50,000, 2yo, 7.5f turf
• Louisiana Downs:  Donnie Wilhite Memorial Stakes, $50,000, 2yo f, 7.5f turf
• Woodbine:  Seagram Cup Stakes – G3, $150,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f
• Prairie Meadows:  Iowa Breeders’ Stakes, 6 stake race, $465,000 total purses
• Arlington Park:  Meadowlake Stakes, $65,000, 2yo, 7f
• Arlington Park:  Lisa M.S. Stakes, $65,000, 2yo f, 7f
• Canterbury:  Lady Canterbury Stakes, $75,000, 3yo & up f&m, 8f turf
• Canterbury:  Princess Elaine Stakes, $50,000, 3yo & up f&m, 8.5f turf
• Charles Town:  Robert G. Leavitt Stakes, $50,000, 3yo, 7f
• Delaware Park:  Nick Shuk Memorial Stakes, $50,000, 2yo, 7.5f turf
• Monmouth Park:  My Frenchman Stakes, $60,000, 3yo & up, 5.5f turf
• Santa Rosa:  Robert Dupret Derby, $50,000, 3yo, 8.5f turf
• Suffolk Downs:  Isaroable Stakes, $50,000, 3yo & up, 6f

Sunday – August 5

• Del Mar:  Best Pal Stakes – G2, $150,000, 2yo, 6.5f
• Woodbine:  Breeders’ Stakes, $500,000, 3yo, 12f turf
• Woodbine:  Nandi Stakes, $125,000, 2yo f, 6f
• Monmouth Park:  Tyro Stakes, $60,000, 2yo, 5f turf
• Emerald Downs:  Angie C. Stakes, $50,000, 2yo f, 6f
• Santa Rosa:  Joseph T. Grace Handicap, $50,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f turf
• Santa Rosa:  Jess Jackson Owners’ Handicap, $50,000, 3yo & up, 5f turf

Harness Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

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

Friday – August 3

• Batavia Downs:  NYSS, $100,000, 2yo c&g trot
• Harrah’s Philadelphia:  PASS, $200,000, 2yo filly trot
• The Meadows:  PASS, $200,000, 3yo c&g trot 

Saturday – August 4

• Mohawk Raceway:  ONSS Gold, $130,000, 3yo c&g pace
• The Meadowlands:  Hambletonian, $1.5-million, 3yo open trot
• The Meadowlands:  Hambletonian Oaks, $750,000, 3yo filly trot
• The Meadowlands:  Peter Haughton Memorial, $375,000, 2yo c&g trot
• The Meadowlands:  Merrie Annabelle, $375,000, 2yo filly trot
• The Meadowlands:  Sweetheart, $350,000, 2yo filly pace
• The Meadowlands:  US Pacing Championship, $325,000, 3yo & up open pace
• The Meadowlands:  Woodrow Wilson, $300, 2yo open pace
• The Meadowlands:  New Jersey Classic, $275,000, 3yo c&g pace
• The Meadowlands:  Lady Liberty, $250,000, 3yo & up f&m pace
• The Meadowlands:  Nat Ray, $250,000, 3yo & up open trot
• The Meadowlands:  Miss New Jersey, $125,000, 3yo filly pace
• The Meadows:  PASS, $200,00, 3yo c&g pace

Related posts:

1. Players Edge Newsletter – August 10, 2012
2. Players Edge Newsletter – August 17, 2012
3. Players Edge Newsletter – August 24, 2012

Monmouth Park – Haskell Invitational

A Six-Pack of Three-Year-Olds

This weekend’s biggest races take place on Sunday with the Grade 1 Bing Crosby at Del Mar and the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational for the three-year-olds and Monmouth Park.

Only six horses will line up for the nine-furlong, $1-million race, but it’s a solid field that includes two Grade 1 winners, a Grade 3 winner and a Grade 1 placed horse. Of those four, it’s the Grade 1-placed colt that has landed the favorite’s role.

Paynter had huge expectations when he stepped on the track for his debut in February. He won like a good thing then was sent directly into Grade 1 competition in the Santa Anita Derby against the likes of I’ll Have Another and Creative Cause. With just a maiden win on his resume, Paynter showed heart in the Santa Anita Derby and finished fourth. He then ran over one of the sloppiest tracks in Churchill Downs history and was an excellent second to the Steve Asmussen-trained Hierro.

Instead of taking some time off, trainer Bob Baffert decided to push his colt and won with ease in an allowance race on Preakness day at Pimlico. After that impressive victory the connections decided to point their colt for the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes and Paynter showed just how talented he may be, even in defeat.

Whether or not you blame the ride, Paynter lost to a stakes-seasoned horse in Union Rags and lost nothing in defeat. Back in the Haskell for the Zayat Stables, Paynter can add a Grade 1 victory to his resume and give the connections two of the best three-year-olds in training.

There is no secret as to the preferred running style of Paynter no matter who is the jockey. Rafael Bejarano takes over the mount from Mike Smith and will be out winging on the front-end. Just to his outside will be Gemologist, who suffered his first defeat in the Kentucky Derby.

Gemologist began his career over the Polytrack at Turfway Park, but took the dirt with the greatest of ease winning the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs as a two-year-old and the Grade 1 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct earlier this year. It was not; however, meant to be as his win streak came to an end in the Kentucky Derby after appearing to not handle the track. Back with two straight black-letter workouts at Saratoga, Gemologist looks to start off the second half of his three-year-old season with a win.

While those two will be carving out the fractions on the front end the other four horses will be sitting chilly.

Nonios is a good one for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, who is no stranger to shipping his horses east from California. Nonios won the Grade 3 Affirmed Handicap at Hollywood Park then was a game second to Blueskiesnrainbows in the Grade 2 Swaps. While he has never run on dirt, the Pleasantly Perfect colt is certainly bred to get over it well.

Stealcase and Handsome Mike are the two longest shots in the board and drew the outside two posts. Stealcase was third in the Derby Trial behind Paynter and second in the Grade 3 Matt Winn at Churchill Downs while Handsome Mike only has a maiden win to his credit.

Handsome Mike is the wildcard horse in the race because he could put pressure on the top two under Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Mario Gutierrez. Handsome Mike is quick and off since March could be very fresh.

Should Mike go with the two favorites then the connections of Dullahan will be smiling. Dullahan is a stone-cold closer who needs a fast pace in front of him. Of course even if he does get that pace he may simply not be a dirt horse even thought he is a half-brother to Kentucky Derby-winner Mine That Bird.

On paper it looks like a two-horse race with Paynter expected to make short work of the short field.

Post time for the Haskell on Sunday is 6:17 ET and goes as race 13 on the day. The card also includes the Grade 2 Molly Pitcher, Grade 3 Oceanport Stakes and Grade 3 Matchmaker Stakes.

Calder Race Course – Saturday Stakes Action

Two-Year-Olds and Turf Fillies

The Saturday card at Calder Race Course includes three stake races, two for two-year-olds and one for fillies and mares on the turf.

The first stakes race is the Dr. Fager for open two-year-olds and drew a field of six. Dixie High, Two T’s At Two B and Cat Five Hurricane are expected to take the majority of the wagering action in the six furlongs sprint.

Two T’s At Two B is coming off of back-to-back wins including a five and one-quarter length score in a $100,000 stakes race over the track while Dixie High and Cat Five Hurricane are facing winners for the first time. Dixie High was very impressive in his debut and earned a speed figure greater than Two T’s At Two B did.

The next race, the Desert Vixen, is for the two-year-old fillies and this race drew a field of seven. Contention runs a little bit deeper here with Putyourdreamsaway, Anita’s Comprise, So Blessed and Candy Coded Kisses look best. Don’t completely discount the second-time-starter Be My Love, who was bet in her debut only to duck in at the start. Right back with a bullet five-furlong drill last week and Be My Love could upset the field.

Finally we come to the $55,000 Ms Brookski Stakes for fillies and mares, three-years-old and upward going one mile on the turf.

The morning line favorite in the field of 12 is Callmethesqueeze for trainer Manuel Azpurua and owner Gary Aiken. Callmethesqueeze just won the $100,000 Hollywood Wildcat over the Calder turf course and is four-for-seven on turf overall. Behind her in the Hollywood Wildcat were Brinca, Trip for A.J., Catch That Kitten, Timezone and Beso Grande.

Callmethesqueeze got a decent pace to run into that day and looks to have another decent pace on Saturday. Catch That Kitten was second in the early stages and does her best running on the front end. Wild Bout Tiffany stretches out to two turns for what looks to be the first time in her career and was sitting second in the Grade 1 Princess Rooney on the main track in her last start.

Those two may set the pace, but gut feeling is that jockey Jesus Rios will gun his mount, Montessa G, from the far outside post when the gates open and will be the one on the engine early. The three-year-old Montbrook filly just loss by a nose in a $55,000 stakes race over the turf course at Calder and should be better fit in her second start off the long layoff.

The new faces to the Calder turf stakes are Prize Doll and Fine Silver, both are coming off of wins. Prize Doll is 10-1 on the morning line and is a head away from being a perfect two-for-two at Calder. Fine Silver won by a nose in her last race, Prize Doll was third, and two starts back was seventh in the $100,000 Calder Oaks. At a robust 20-1 on the morning line Fine Silver looks to be a fine play.

First post on Saturday at Calder is 12:55 ET with the stakes action kicking off at 4:35. The Dr. Fager is the first leg of the late pick-4, which includes all three stake races and ends with a low-level claiming race going six furlongs on the main track.

Del Mar – San Diego Handicap

Baffert Sends Out a Pair

The feature race on Saturday at Del Mar is the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap for three-year-olds and upward around two turns on the main Polytrack. This year’s race drew a field of seven; let’s take a look.

The good news for the field is that the Bob Baffert-trained Game On Dude and Richard’s Kid are not in the race; the bad news is that he has two very talented replacements.

Lightly raced Take Control is the preferred Baffert horse making only his third career start since debuting three years ago. Why is he preferred over Grade 2 winner Prayer for Relief? He is by a Horse of the Year, A.P. Indy, out of a Horse of the Year, Azeri. The negatives are that he will need a fast pace up front and the horses he beat in the race at Hollywood Park did not come back to run well last weekend at Del Mar.

Prayer for Relief will be positioned ahead of his stablemate and is looking to win his first race since taking the Super Derby at Louisiana Downs last September. He meets rival Kettle Corn for the third straight time after facing that foe in the Mervyn LeRoy and California stake races at Hollywood Park.

Kettle Corn is winless in his last three starts, but has been running into a loose-on-the-lead, top older horse in the country in Game On Dude. Last year, Kettle Corn won six of ten races including a win at Del Mar. With a six furlong drill over the track last week and hot riding Garrett Gomez in the irons, Kettle Corn may be sitting on a top effort. Whether they get the pace to run into is another story.

Speaking of pace, on paper it’s John Scott on an uncontested lead wire-to-wire. He comes in off a game victory over Rail Trip, also in the San Diego, and the only two losses of his career were to Lookin at Lucky and off a two and one-half year layoff. John Scott has always been a highly thought of prospect and he gets his chance to shine on Saturday.

Against John Scott in his last race, Rail Trip looked like he was going to motor on by at the top of the stretch, but could not get by the winner. Was it a case of hanging or was not he fully cranked in only his second start off the layoff since shipping back to California? If he finds the form he displayed when finishing third in the 2010 Pacific Classic then watch out. The San Diego will tell the story of what type of horse the seven-year-old gelding will be the rest of the year.

Rounding out the field are Mobilized, who is a late-running sprinter stretching out, and Tres Borrachos, who won this race last year at nearly 9-1. It’s possible that new pilot Mike Smith may take the initiative aboard Tres Borrachos and send him to the lead, perhaps a little left on the mind of the Hall of Fame jockey?

First post on Saturday at Del Mar is 5:05 ET with the San Diego off at 8:30. Earlier on the day is the Fleet Treat Stakes for three-year-old State-bred fillies.

Penn National – Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup

Cal-Bred Turf Fillies and Mares

Since the inclusion of the turf sprint in the Breeders’ Cup the class of horses that do their best running in these races now play an important part in the yearly stake races. One of the events on the road to the downhill turf course at Santa Anita is the $200,000 Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup Handicap on Saturday at Penn National.

The favorite’s role is likely to go to last year’s winner Ben’s Cat, who is coming off a huge win in the Dash at Parx last month. After two disappointing efforts the six-year-old gelding was sent off at odds of over 10-1, but he showed that there is still some late kick in those legs.

Looking over his most recent starts it would appear that Ben’s Cat wants to be in the mix early. If he is too far back he does not fire like he once did. On Saturday, the pace may be a fast one, which could compromise the favorite.

Expected to battle for the lead are Blue Tick Hound, Varsity, Great Mills and Cat Thief. Blue Tick Hound needs a career best to compete against this field and Cat Thief did not draw well in post ten, leaving the very capable Varsity and Great Mills.

Varsity has won four of seven turf sprints, including two straight, and is a head and neck away from another two wins. The only time the five-year-old gelding did not run well was in the Grade 3 Woodford over a Keeneland turf course that many top horses struggle with.

Three bullet works on the tab suggest that it’s go time for the son of Indian Charlie, but the caveat about Varsity is that he does get a little weary in the late stages of the race.

Looking to pounce inside the sixteenth pole will be Great Mills, who drew just to the outside of Varsity in post six. The Millennium Farms-owned, Steve Asmussen-trained son of War Front is two noses away from being a dual-Grade 2 winner and exits a decent fourth place finish in the Grade 3 Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby bay. Great Mills has been off since that race, but note that over the last year he has done his best running first off the layoff.

In addition to Blue Tick Hound, the locally based horses are Jack on the Rocks, Super Chunky and Kyma. Of the four, first preference goes to the four-year-old Kyma for trainer Brandon Kulp and owner Thomas McClay. The gelding has won four of six races in his career and is a perfect two-for-two in turf sprints at Penn National.

Scheduled as race five Saturday, post time for the Governor’s Cup is 7:52 ET. It is part of a ten-race card that also includes the East Hanover Stakes at twelve furlongs on the turf and the Mountainview Handicap at nine furlongs on the main track.

Thoroughbred Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

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

Saturday – July 28

• Del Mar:  San Diego Handicap – G2, $200,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f
• Del Mar:  Fleet Treat Stakes, $200,000, 3yo f, 7f
• Calder Race Course:  Dr. Fager Stakes, $75,000, 2yo, 6f
• Calder Race Course:  Desert Vixen Stakes, $75,000, 2yo f, 6f
• Calder Race Course:  Ms Brookski, $55,000, 3yo & up f&m, 8f turf
• Penn National:  Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup, $200,000, 3yo & up, 5f turf
• Penn National:  Mountainview Handicap, $175,000, 3yo & up, 9f
• Penn National:  East Hanover Stakes, $100,000, 3yo & up, 12f turf
• Canterbury:  Mystic Lake Derby, $150,000, 3yo, 8f turf
• Evangeline Downs:  D.S. Young Memorial Futurity, $100,000, 2yo, 5.5f
• Parx:  Crowd Pleaser, $75,000, 3yo, 8.5f turf
• Parx:  Power By Far Stakes, $75,000, 3yo & up, 6f
• Monmouth Park:  Desert Vixen Stakes, $60,000, 3yo, 8.5f turf
• Prairie Meadows:  Prairie Meadows Handicap, $100,000, 3yo & up, 10f
• Woodbine:  Vandal Stakes, $150,000, 2yo, 6f
• Woodbine:  Duchess Stakes, $150,000, 3yo, 7f

Sunday – July 29

• Monmouth Park:  Haskell Invitational – G1, $1,000,000, 3yo, 9f
• Monmouth Park:  Molly Pitcher Stakes – G2, $200,000, 3yo & up f&m, 8.5f
• Monmouth Park:  Oceanport Stakes – G3, $150,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f turf
• Monmouth Park:  Matchmaker Stakes – G3, $150,000, 3yo & up f&m, 9f turf
• Monmouth Park:  Regret Stakes, $100,000, 3yo & up, 6f
• Monmouth Park:  Teddy Drone Stakes, $100,000, 3yo & up, 6f
• Monmouth Park:  Majestic Light Stakes, $100,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f
• Del Mar:  Bing Crosby Stakes – G1, $300,000, 3yo & up, 6f
• Woodbine:  Wonder Where Stakes, $250,000, 3yo, 10f turf
• Emerald Downs:  Premio Esmeralda Stakes, $50,000, 2yo, 6f
• Santa Rosa:  Luther Burbank Handicap, $50,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f turf

Harness Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

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

Friday – July 27

• Saratoga Harness:  NYSS, $185,000, 2yo c&g trot
• The Meadows:  Arden Downs, $80,000, 3yo filly trot
• The Meadows:  Arden Downs, $65,000, 3yo c&g trot

Saturday – July 28

• Batavia Downs:  NYSS, $120,000, 3yo filly trot
• The Meadows:  Adios, $500,000, 3yo c&g pace
• The Meadows:  Adioo Volo, $150,000, 3yo filly pace
• The Meadows:  Arden Downs, $100,000, 2yo c&g pace
• The Meadows:  Arden Downs, $100,000, 2yo filly pace

Related posts:

1. Players Edge Newsletter – July 6, 2012
2. Players Edge Newsletter – July 13, 2012
3. Players Edge Newsletter – July 20, 2012

Delaware Park – Delaware Handicap

Royal Delta and a Pair of Pletchers

One week after Grace Hall made short work of the Oaks field at Delaware Park, the older fillies and mares will get their turn to shine in the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap. The ten-furlong race drew a field of seven including multiple Grade 1 winner Royal Delta.

Royal Delta comes into the Delaware Handicap off a dominating win in the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis Handicap at Churchill Downs. The Fleue de Lis was her first start since finishing a better-than-looked ninth place finish in the Grade 1, $10-million World Cup against the boys in Dubai.

Throw out the World Cup and her second career start over a surface at Tampa that many horses do not handle and Royal Delta has been a model of consistency. She has won six of eleven races with earnings of over $1.8-million. As a three-year-old the Empire Maker-filly won the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan, Grade 1 Alabama and Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic.

Mike Smith will be aboard again after guiding her to the eight-length score at Churchill and will be looking to turn the tables on one of the only fillies to defeat her, Awesome Maria.

The Todd Pletcher-trained Awesome Maria is making her first start since a disappointing effort in the Grade 1 Odgen Phipps Handicap at Belmont Park in late May. Prior to that; however, Awesome Maria had been awesome. From February 2011 through March 2012, the grey-mare won six straight races including the Odgen Phipps in 2011.

With regular go-to rider John Velazquez on the shelf Pletcher will turn to top rider Ramon Dominguez, who is no stranger to the oval at Delaware Park. Ramon should be sitting just off the early pace of the other Todd Pletcher trainee, Love and Pride.

As a three-year-old, Love and Pride was good, but not great. She won a small stakes race then was second to It’s Tricky in the Grade 2 Top Flight Handicap over the inner dirt at Aqueduct. After a fourth place finish in her four-year-old debut at Hawthorne, the A.P. Indy-filly has come into her own.

Two starts back she was second, beaten just a head, to the heavily favored Bob Baffert-trained Awesomemundo then took the Grade 3 Obeah over the Delaware Park track a month ago. She won that race in wire-to-wire fashion, but jockey Jeremy Rose will have to decide on whether to send his mount early or sit off of the other speed, Cash for Clunkers.

Cash for Clunkers has yet to finish worse than third in her seven-race career. She was second behind It’s Tricky in the Ogden Phipps last out, which was the last time she has run. Off the layoff with a bullet work in tow, the daughter of Tiznow may be keyed up in the early stages. Should she and Love and Pride go nuts then it will set up a great stretch run between Royal Delta and Awesome Maria. Perhaps it will be as exciting as the 2011 Delaware Handicap with Blind Luck and Havre de Grace.

First post on Saturday at Delaware Park is 1:15 ET with the Delaware Handicap scheduled for 5:45. Also on the card are the $100,000 Sussex Stakes and $50,000 Dashing Beauty Stakes.

Arlington Park – Arlington Oaks

Eight Fillies Go Nine

Last weekend at Arlington Park was all about the turf, this weekend is all about the three-year-old fillies at the Arlington Oaks. A field of eight will line up for the nine furlong race; let’s take a look.

The top three finishers of the Mariah Storm Stakes, which is the local prep for the Oaks, are all back and since they were separated by a length it is hard to favor one over the others. Also keep in mind the Mariah Storm was a one-turn mile with a first line finish while the Oaks is a furlong longer around two turns.

The winner of the Mariah Storm was Lady Candidate, who was winning her third career race in five starts. Prior to the neck win, the Bob and John-filly won an allowance race against older fillies and mares by almost 14 lengths.

Lady Candidate basically ran gate-to-wire that day and, breaking from the rail, will likely be on the lead again on Saturday. It’s possible that around two turns with the added distance that Lady Candidate will be setting an easier pace, but the gut feeling is that pressure from La Tia will get to her that last sixteenth.

Both Ire and Ann of the Dance were closing late in the Mariah Storm with Ire doing the better of the two. Ire has yet to win since her second career start over the Polytrack at Keeneland, but she should love the distance and with another move forward will contend for the win.

In addition to those three the local hopes also include Emonda and Annie Russell, but it is the shippers that pose the biggest danger.

The morning line favorite for the Arlington Oaks is Treasured Up for trainer Al Stall, who is also the trainer of Ire. Treasured Up is moving from turf to synthetic after a late-running third in the Grade 3 Regret at Churchill Downs. Based on her style, Treasured Up will always be at the mercy of the pace. She has no early speed and does all her best running late. With only two confirmed speed horses in the Oaks, Treasured Up may not get the pace to run at.

Sky Dreamer is the second choice on the morning line and looks to get stronger as the race gets longer. She exits an easy score in an allowance race at over the synthetic surface at Woodbine and has even tactical speed to adapt to any pace scenario. Trainer Mark Casse just won the Prince of Wales Stakes last weekend at Erie and can continue his hot hand in the Oaks. By Sky Mesa out of a Monarchos mare, Sky Dream will run all day.

Carded as race eight on the 11-race card, post time for the Grade 3 race, which starts the 50-cent late pick-4, is 5:34 ET.

Colonial Downs – Virginia Derby

Silver Max Looks for Six Straight

Last weekend was supposed to feature Silver Max in the American Derby at Arlington Park, but the connections had other ideas with the son of Badge of Silver, pointing him towards the $600,000, Grade 3 Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs.

Trainer Dale Romans did not mind the scratching as he sent out Cozzetti to a gutsy, rail-skimming ride to a victory in the American Derby and he will try to keep the hot hand with Silver Max, who has won five straight races at five different tracks.

There is no secret to how Silver Max likes to run and that is free wining on the front-end. The concern in the American Derby was the distance and it is the concern this Saturday. Stretching a front runner to ten furlongs is asking a lot, especially on a turf course that plays well for the stretch runners.

Of course it may be real easy for Silver Max as there are no other horses that, on paper, can run with the favorite early. Two Months Rent three starts back was up front setting soft fractions, but his two wins have come from just off-the-pace.

Should that last furlong be too much for the favorite then another Dale Romans-trainee and two from the Christophe Clement barn look like the biggest danger.

Finnegans Wake was a long shot look two starts back in the American Turf at Churchill Downs, but found the waters too deep. He returned with a good win in an allowance race at Churchill and will love this ten furlong distance. Kent Desormeaux must push the button at the right time to get the son of Powerscourt rolling.

The Clement pair are going to be the second and third choices as they have more early speed than Finnegans Wake. Summer Front exits a traffic filled win in the Grade 3 Hill Prince at Belmont Park while his stablemate, Easy Crossing, is coming off a two disappointing second place finishes as the favorite in stake races at Belmont and Pimlico. Give the edge to Summer Front, who will be ridden by Ramon Dominguez. Yes, Ramon will pilot Amesome Maria at Delaware Park around 5:30 PM then motor his way down to Virginia for the Derby three hours later.

Lucky Chappy, first start since a seventh place finish in the Grade 2 U.A.E. Derby at Meydan, rates next with Optimizer, Coach Royal and Mr. Handsome completing the field.

Saturday’s card at Colonial Downs, first post 5:00 ET, is a tremendous one with five stake races. Post time for the Virginia Derby is 8:38. One race prior is the Grade 3 Virginia Oaks for three-year-old fillies.

Del Mar – Osunitas Stakes

Cal-Bred Turf Fillies and Mares

The feature race on Saturday at Del Mar is the Grade 1 Eddie Read Stakes for older horses on the turf. While the quality is good, the field size is not with Acclamation expected to handle his foes en route to his seventh straight win and second straight Eddie Read.

In contrast, the $85,000 Osunitas drew a field of ten with five of the runners between 7-2 and 6-1 on the morning line. It’s also part of the late pick-4, which always pays well where the turf meets the surf.

The favorite for the mile and one-sixteenth race is Byrony, who is a perfect two-for-two for trainer John Sadler since shipping across the pond from England. In her stateside debut Byrony was no secret, she was bet down to favoritism and won going away. She then went to the next allowance level and also won with plenty to spare.

It’s likely that Byrony goes off at less than her 7-2 morning line, but there is still value to be had and she must work out a trip on a course that played well to speed horses on opening day.

Briecat is the co-second choice and is the most likely runner to be setting the pace. The seven-year-old mare drops in class out of the Grade 3 Royal Heroine Mile and looks for only her first win since December 2011. The negative is her previous three runs over the turf at Del Mar have resulted in no wins and no in-the-money finishes.

If Briecat does not make the lead then it will be Halo Dolly and she may need to be gunned when the gates open breaking from the disadvantageous eight post. Last year it was almost impossible to win from posts eight, nine and ten so Halo Dolly will have to be much the best.

The two fillies that should get first run on the leaders are Hard to Resist and Imperialistic Diva.

Hard to Resist just finished in front of Briecat in the Redondo Beach at Hollywood Park and was in no way disgraced in losing to All Star Heart, who had won three straight until she ran poor in the Royal Heroine. Hard to Resist, one-for-one over the Del Mar turf, retains David Flores in the irons and breaks from post six.

Directly to her outside is Imperialistic Diva, who exits a fourth place finish behind Capital Plan, Cambina and Quaintly in the Grade 3 Beverly Hills Handicap. She does cut back from ten furlongs, but two starts back won at the distance of the Osunitas. The biggest change may be going from Joe Talamo to Corey Nakatani. Talamo is an excellent rider, but Corey is top notch on the turf. Look for him to tuck in behind the speed and try to get the jump on Byrony.

Rounding out the field are Jet Blue Girl, Teroda, Score Boyera, Broken Dreams and Warren’s Jitterbug with post time scheduled for 8:30 ET.

Thoroughbred Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

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

Saturday – July 21

• Delaware Park:  Delaware Handicap – G2, $750,000, 3yo & up f&m, 10f
• Delaware Park:  Sussex Stakes, $100,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f turf
• Delaware Park:  Dashing Beauty Stakes, $50,000, 3yo & up f&m, 6f
• Arlington Park:  Arlington Oaks – G3, $150,000, 3yo f, 9f
• Colonial Downs:  Virginia Derby – G2, $600,000, 3yo, 10f turf
• Colonial Downs:  Virginia Oaks – G3, $150,000, 3yo f, 9f turf
• Colonial Downs:  Chenery Stakes, $50,000, 2yo, 5.5f turf
• Colonial Downs:  Tippett Stakes, $50,000, 2yo f, 5.5f turf
• Colonial Downs:  Kitten’s Joy Stakes, $50,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f turf
• Del Mar:  Eddie Read Stakes – G1, $300,000, 3yo & up, 9f turf
• Del Mar:  Osunitas Stakes, $85,000, 3yo & up f&m, 8.5f turf
• Calder Race Course:  El Kaiser Stakes, $75,000, 3yo, 8f 70y
• Calder Race Course:  Three Ring Stakes, $75,000, 3yo f, 8f 70y
• Evangeline Downs:  Matron Stakes, $50,000, 3yo & up f&m, 8f turf
• Monmouth Park:  Jersey Derby, $60,000, 3yo, 8.5f turf
• Finger Lakes:  New York Derby, $150,000, 3yo, 8.5f
• Finger Lakes:  Arctic Queen Handicap, $50,000, 3yo & up f&m, 6f
• Prairie Meadows:  Prairie Gold Juvenile Stakes, $75,000, 2yo, 5.5f
• Prairie Meadows:  Prairie Gold Lassie Stakes, $75,000, 2yo f, 5.5f
• River Downs:  Norm Barron Queen City Oaks, $75,000, 3yo f, 9f
• River Downs:  Tah Dah Stakes, $50,000, 2yo f, 5.5f
• Delaware Park:  Oh Say Stakes, $50,000, 3yo, 6f
• Woodbine:  Passing Mood Stakes, $125,000, 3yo f, 7f turf

Sunday – July 22

• Del Mar:  San Clemente Handicap – G2, $150,000, 3yo f, 8f turf
• Del Mar:  California Dreamin’ Handicap, $100,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f turf
• Woodbine:  Nijinsky Stakes – G2, $300,000, 3yo & up, 9f turf
• Woodbine:  Ontario Matron Stakes – G3, $150,000, 3yo & up f&m, 8.5f
• Monmouth Park:  Klassy Briefcase Stakes, $60,000, 3yo & up f&m, 5.5f turf
• Emerald Downs:  Mt. Rainier Handicap, $50,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f

Harness Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

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

Friday – July 20

• The Meadowlands:  Nadia Lobell, $200,000, 3yo filly pace
• Yonkers Raceway:  NYSS, $205,000, 2yo c&g trot
• Tioga Downs:  Tompkins-Geers, $100,000, 2yo filly pace
• Tioga Downs:  Tompkins-Geers, $89,000, 2yo c&g pace

Saturday – July 21

• Mohawk Raceway:  Maple Leaf Trot, $750,000, 3yo & up open trot
• Mohawk Raceway:  Roses Are Red, $385,000, 3yo & up f&m pace
• Mohawk Raceway:  Canadian Breeders, 4 Races, $580,000 total purses
• Northfield Park:  Battle of Lake Erie, $100,000, 3yo & up open pace
• Mohegan Sun Pocono Downs:  PASS, $200,000, 3yo c&g trot
• The Meadowlands:  Meadowlands Pace, $800,000, 3yo open pace
• The Meadowlands:  Stanley Dancer Trot, $350,000, 3yo open trot
• The Meadowlands:  Mistletoe Shalee, $275,000, 3yo filly pace
• The Meadowlands:  Del Miller Memorial, $275,000, 3yo filly trot
• The Meadowlands:  Meadowlands Pace, $100,000, 3yo open pace
• The Meadows:  PASS, $200,000, 2yo c&g pace
• The Meadows:  PASS, $200,000, 3yo filly pace
• Tioga Downs:  Tompkins-Geers, $74,000, 3yo c&g trot
• Tioga Downs:  Tompkins-Geers, $65,000, 3yo filly trot
• Yonkers Raceway:  L.B. Sheppard, $100,000, 2yo c&g pace

Related posts:

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