Handicapper Tips & Picks

Interesting race. Many of the runners enjoy good early food but most of them are just as capable when coming from off the pace. But thinking 1-THE LAST FACT might have the edge. He seems a step quicker than the rest of the speed while maintaining the ability to close in case he doesn’t break alertly. Traffic trouble cost him a better placing in last. Can make up for it with a clean trip. 2-TRIPLE CHROME finished about seven lengths in front of top choice in last. He had been racing right behind that rival and though he couldn’t keep up with the eventual winner, he did outpace top choice. He has similar speed and can also close a bit. Could be tough. 6-BOURBON TEDDY has been in good form for a long time. He’s had a win, three seconds, and a third in his last six starts dating back to October. Makes his first start in two months, however, and had only limited drills since. Might need one.

They probably won’t do it but if I made the decision for the barn I would send 1-DEVIL’S RULE right to the lead. There is plenty of other speed in the race but with him stretching out, he should be the quickest from the gate. Speed continues to thrive on this track no matter the condition. He could surprise. 6-BOURBON DELIGHT and 5-TROY OUNCE are more traditional speed. Troy Ounce just wired a field for victory while the connections of Bourbon Delight opted to run him over his head in a sprint, possibly to sharpen his speed. He did wire the field in his previous start when Troy Ounce couldn’t keep up with him. Never know what to do with 3-GAGOOTS. He’s been pretty much all or nothing. The pace sets up well for his closing move but closers haven’t been winning that many races, though they often finish in the money. 

Not sure that 5-UNBRIDLED ANNSLEY holds a significant advantage over her rivals but she did look super sharp graduating in her local and route debut. She’ll be meeting others with speed, mostly runners stretching out, but she might be able to show even more with local and two-turn experience. 2-THIS MASQUERADE generated higher speed figures om synthetic but her best races came when she raced on dirt. Turfway shipper can wake up at a square price. 3-QUEEN EKATI switches to the hot apprentice rider with his seven-pound weight allowance in her first start after getting claimed by this barn. She probably needed last after five weeks off with only one short and slow drill. Could be a major player in this race.

7-DANVILLE should be tough. He’s had five races since getting back into the starter ranks and he hasn’t finished worse than third. He’s been taking on runners at the tough Gulfstream meet recently but he ran well here in the past. Probably meets a bit easier today than he has been facing. 6-PERFECT WAGER stretches out. He was narrowly beaten in two starter races this meet but those were sprints. However, he could be the only real speed in this two-turn race. Could grab the lead quickly and never look back. 3-JEFF THE LION finished up the track in his last two races but his second race back was his first in 13 months and it was another four months before his last. Today he drops to his lowest level ever while making his second start after a layoff. Improvement should be expected.

5-SONG OF AMERICA could be in a winning spot. This well-bred filly typically displays good early speed but either gets run down or runs out of gas late. She’s dropping to the lowest level of her career for this race. Might never look back. 6-LUNARCHY’s 16-length loss in her lone start is a bit misleading. It’s true that she lost by over 16 but the winner of that race was 12 lengths clear of the rest of the field. This filly drops. Obviously meets easier. Beaten favorite can make amends. 3-CRYSTAL SNOW also has a bit of early zip. Turfway invader has been better in route races but she’s another possibly meeting easier in this spot. Can be right there throughout. 

1-C F V RED NOVA stretches out. This gelding has been consistently competitive since returning from a year-long layoff. He’s likely to display far better speed at this longer distance but guessing he’ll still finish with something left. 3-DREAM ISLAND didn’t show a thing in his first race back from almost 14 months off but he was dropped in class for his next start and he won while racing just off the pace. He’ll be meeting many with speed today. Could get the perfect trip. 4-GATE CREW made a nice little late rally to get up for second in last. That was the first time he raced at this level. The pace could set up even better for him today. Might be able to run by them all.

I remember the connections of 2-UNCASHED being pretty high on his chances when he ran here last year. He was beaten as the odds-on favorite in that race but he only lost by a half length after pressing the pace through blistering fractions. This is his first start since that October race but he has been training well for his return. Can make amends. 7-FEVER NATION crushed a state-bred maiden field in his first start of the year. He finished second in the state-bred Futurity last year. Others in here possess better speed figures but I doubt if we’ve seen the best of this runner yet. 1-FIT TO FLY, the stablemate of top choice ran well in all his starts. He displayed good speed in his first two but it was his third start that might give a clue to the race. He came from off the pace to finish second and with all the speed in this race the ability to close can come in mighty handy.

Still expecting the speed bias to be prominent but there is so much early speed in this race that I looked for a runner to come from out of it. Landed on 9-QUILTING PARTY. She’s making her first start of the year and she has been far better going long but she has been training well, the pace should set up perfectly, and she gets a strong rider in the irons. 2-BEG BORROW N STEAL is another likely to make her best move late and she does have the benefit of a recent race. She finished second in a shorter sprint in her first start of the year. With the extra sixteenth of this race she could be prepared to fly by them all. 7-WILDWOOD DREAMER could turn out to be the best of the speed. She tired late in both starts this year, both shorter than this race, but her lone win came at six and a half so guessing she can get the distance.