Handicapper Tips & Picks

6-PALAGO seems to have the perfect running style for this race. This seven-time winner scored in last and she could get an even better pace to run at in this spot. 1-AWESOME SUNDAY stretches to her best distance, moves back to the main track and, most importantly, she drops to the right level. She’s one of many with speed but she might hold that advantage from the rail. 3-FIRST SQUADRON figures prominently. He’s been running on turf and displaying only brief speed. Now he’s dropping in class and heading back to the right surface. He wired the fields in his last two main-track starts here. Might be able to do it again. 

Not many in here sport strong turf pedigrees and fewer still have turf experience. Because of that, have to go with 3-LUCKY ROMANCE. He split the field in his debut, on turf, but he was making up ground late in that short sprint. Stretches out and adds blinkers. Experience could be the key. The well-bred 5-BERNIN TUNE is the stablemate of top choice. He’s been training well and runners from his barn usually are competitive when making their debut.  2-SAVE THE KING is the only other with turf experience and one of only two others that have had a race. He also split the field in his lone start, on turf and he was another making up ground late. 6-DOUBLE DRIBBLE hasn’t shown much in drills but he does have some turf pedigree and appreciate Loveberry in the irons. 

You can never really know what will happen until it happens but this track has been awfully speed favoring lately and 7-LARRY THE POET seems to hold the advantage in the speed department. He’s coming off a strong second-place finish where he led most of the way. But that race was at six and a half and he cuts back to six for this. Might not get caught. 1-BLACK RAVEN completes the sprint-route-sprint sequence. He ran competitively in all of his races. Think he’ll finish this one with authority. 3-GONE AGAIN hasn’t raced in nearly two months and recent drills have been sparse but he had some good efforts in the past and his barn brings them ready off layoffs. 

Heard they liked 1-NO NAP NEEDED in her debut but she seemed to need the race. However, she did lead most of the way and only tired late. That race was the tightener she needed. The cutback in distance could be a big help. 4-WILDWOOD GHALY races for the first time since November but she has been training well. She finished third here in her most recent start. She’s one of two in here from the same barn. The other, 5-CAHOKIA POSSE displayed good speed in both races. She finished first in last but got DQ’d. Would imagine she’ll be trying for the lead once again. Could be tough. 7-JOYZELLA makes her 15th start as a maiden. Think this race is a bit too short for her but she will be moving well late and could easily get up to share. 

6-CAPTIVATING MOON hasn’t been in the best of form lately and he hasn’t won in at least two years but he has never been in this easy. His speed figs remain among the highest of any in here. It would be a surprise if he didn’t win this one. 7-FLY NIGHTLY reeled off three straight victories, including last at this level. Good natural speed will keep him close to the early leaders. He’s beaten most of these rivals in at least one of those three races. Not sure he can beat top choice but he might be able to make a race of it. 1-COMMAND CENTRAL was narrowly beaten in his last couple, losing last by a head after getting defeated by a nose in his prior start. He’s a versatile runner capable of running well on or off the pace. Can figure in the outcome.  

9-GO ON GIRL has been racing over her head since getting claimed. There’s no guarantee that she’ll win with the drop but she did finish second as the odds-on favorite the last time she ran at this level. 4-HOLY STAR has had some competitive efforts when racing around this level. She made a couple moves and finished third in last. Could be in the hunt in this one. 8-LADY WHITE SOX drops into maiden claimers for the first time. She hasn’t shown a thing this year but that can change at this level. 

10-ONE WAY HOME might be able to steal this. He’s been sprinting for a long time but he’s got a great record at the distance, with two wins and four seconds from seven tries. Might tire and might get caught but he also has a chance to wire them at a price. 11-GAGOOTS comes from far back and that could be his undoing. He always makes a big late run but, more often than not, he comes up a little short. But, he’s usually right there at the finish. Maybe today he’ll get the job done. 2-OVERTHOUGHT will try to ensure that top pick doesn’t get away unchallenged. He does own good speed but seems to have distance limitations.