Handicapper Tips & Picks

2-SHADOW BELLE makes her local debut. She’s dropping to face probably her easiest field since her maiden score. Ignore that last race. She was making her turf debut and obviously didn’t take to the surface. However, she did win the last two times she ran on dirt. Bounces back in a big way. 5-COUGAR returns from a brief freshening. She was in good form prior to her “vacation” and she could pick up right where she left off. 3-C C’S WORLD won her last two dirt starts, the only two dirt routes of her brief career. She’ll be taking on a bit tougher but no standouts. Deserves serious consideration.

I like the chances of 4-BALI BABY. She’s been meeting lower-level claimers on the main track recently but she ran well against better in her four starts on turf, winning once and finishing second a couple times. Makes her first local start and her first start for this barn after a winter campaign at Gulfstream. It’s been about 14 weeks since her last start but think she’ll be ready off drills. 1-GHAALEB’S DREAM needed last. That was her first race in about 17 months. It’s been six weeks again since that last race but believe her connections will have her ready to roll. 5-FREE LOVE can surprise. She never ran on turf but she does look like she could be the best of the speed in this race. She was outclassed in her most recent start but think she’ll break on top in this one. The only question is how long she’ll last.

5-TABLE MONEY found a little softer spot than he was in when he made his local debut. Plus, that was his first race as a gelding. He’s capable of running well on or off the pace. Expecting a better performance from him today. 2-SWISS GUARD could be the quickest of these. He tired in his first two starts after breaking his maiden here back in March. He’s moving up in claiming price but probably meeting somewhat easier than he’s been facing. 3-GALLANT BUCK is another with speed who tends to tire but this field came up easy and he might be able to last on the lead.

Interesting race. It’s strange that the field is dominated by closers and that is likely to benefit 6-FOLLOW THE SIGNS. He is jumping in class but he seems likely to grab an unchallenged lead. If his rider can get this old timer to relax on the lead, they might not get caught. Have to take another look at 1-SIMPSON BAY. He came from far back to break his maiden in last, a race originally scheduled for turf, but he won that much shorter race going away and he was able to close well on what was a pedestrian pace. Could be even tough with the extra real estate. 3-DASH TO THE CASH has been begging for more distance and today he’ll get the chance. He finished third versus similar going six furlongs in last. Could fare better at today’s distance.

Cautiously optimistic we’ll be on grass today. If that’s the case, 6-LAWMAKER could be the one to beat. He just graduated, in his seventh turf attempt, but he had been competitive in most of his recent turf starts. He’s shown the capacity to either run well on the lead or coming from out of it. He doesn’t look like a lock, on paper anyway, but certainly figures to be one of the major players. 4-STORM APPROACHING tries turf for the first time but his barn has been good at developing turf runners and his rider has been strong on the lawn, including riding a $154 winner Sunday. He could be the best of the speed. 1-STORM’S REFLECTION was just second as the favorite in a similar race. Could make amends. 2-UNDISMAYED tired in his turf debut but he is meeting an easier group in his first local start.

Out of the seven runners in this race, five could be gunning for the lead, including two from the same barn. Unfortunately, the two most likely to try to make a late move have records of 1-for-37 and 1-for-32. So, we’ll try to guess which of the speed can sustain herself despite early pressure. Have to figure it will be 4-GETTING DOWN. She tired in her first two starts and ran like a champ when dropped into a $6250 maiden last time out. She was never tested and won for fun. Others in here seem a tad quicker but she was never all out in last. There could be more in the tank. 1-SEQUAYA just missed in a route in last start which was her best race in years. She pressed the pace in that race but probably won’t get near the early lead today. Instead, with the turn back, she’ll try to come on late. But she is 1-for-37 for a reason. 6-BELLS OF JOY, another turn back, finished third in her last three. Like Sequaya, she’ll be coming late and like that runner, she already has a ton of starts under her belt.

2-MINING CAMP takes a much-needed drop in class. He finished sixth in his lone turf start after chasing blistering fractions but he could find himself on the lead through a gentler pace in this spot. He is bred to love the lawn. Might surprise. 3-MO TIME AT ALL will also try for the lead and might prove to be the quickest of them all. He led for all but the last couple of jumps going a mile and a sixteenth when dropped to this level for last. Might not let anyone by him today. 7-MONSTERONTHEMIDWAY finished over seven lengths behind Mo Time At All in last but he was making his first start since November and he was starting to come on late after a lack of interest early. The pace of this race suggests a closer could have the best chance and he just might be the best closer in here.

7-BAREFOOTBOOTLEGGER could be headed back to the winner’s circle. He just missed in last to old-timer Nyoman but didn’t miss by much. Would be a much stronger selection if this race was at six furlongs but believe he can still get the job done. 1-WILDWOOD SECRET didn’t handle the turf in his most recent start but he was narrowly defeated by top choice, as the favorite, two races back. Speed, the inside post, the drop in class and the return to the right surface could make him tough to beat. 5-BORN AGAIN GEORGE has been razor sharp the last couple with a daylight win in last following a narrow loss. Loses his rider from those races to Wildwood Secret but picks up Felix who has won on him before.