Handicapper Tips & Picks

No clear favorite here. Going to go with 5-SMOOTH ATTACK. They have been trying to run him on turf and should finally get the chance. Comes off a good second-place finish. Could score in his grassy debut. 7-J J’S SOLUTION had had seven turf tries and finished in the money in two of them. He’s been in decent form lately. Makes his 26^th start but maybe it will be his day. 1-JAKES CHANNEL might have the best turf pedigree. However, he has been crushed in every race. But, he did show some speed in his lone turf race, going a mile. Might be more effective on the turf at this distance.

Not in love with 1-BLURT but this race is almost devoid of early speed…other than him. He wired the field in last when dropped in class. Might be able to do the same here despite taking on better. 5-IOYA AGAIN never won on the main track but he did have three seconds and two thirds in 13 starts while taking on far better. Drops to the lowest level of his career. Good late move is possible. 2-GOLD BUCKLE will never be considered quick but, compared to most in here, he’s a speed demon. He’s been running evenly but might have only top pick ahead of him coming out of the far turn.

8-TEXAS PRINCESS gets the nod. She raced competitively in her three turf starts. Might be taking on a bit better here but she can finish with a rush. 2-QUICK AND DIRTY showed some ability in her turf races. Unfortunately those races took place in 2020 and 2021. She had only one start, on dirt, in nearly two and a half years. Not sure what she has left. 4-LIMANI might be the quickest of these and early speed has been tough on this very firm turf course.

No guarantees here but 4-ROCK TO FAME displayed good speed in his debut at Ellis. He got caught in a speed duel which doomed his effort there but probably set him up perfectly for his Hawthorne debut. 3-MAXIMUM COLOR has been training forwardly for a barn that does well with their first-time starters. Esquivel (42% win percentage this meet) in the irons is certainly a plus. Owner Carolyn Wilson sends out a pair trained by Larry Rivelli. Both 1-GAVEL and 5-LAST MINUTE own sufficient drills and both could figure in the outcome.

8-EXCITABLE BOY was favored in his debut after the heavy favorite scratched at the gate. He almost lived up to his odds by leading from the start. He tired a bit to finish second. Not quite sure how to gauge that race but runners from his barn almost always improve with experience. Have to give him the benefit of the doubt. 6-NEON DEION ran well in his debut, finishing third of eight on the lawn. Moves to the main track for this. Runners often benefit from that move. Races for the leading barn. Could be tough. 3-KING ANTHONY had a couple sharp works coming into this race. He finished on even terms with another from this barn, two drills back, and that runner won a very tough heat on Thursday. This none might fly under the radar. Don’t ignore.

Hard to look past 5-PRANCIPANTS. She could very well be the most successful runner at the meet. She’s making her 15^th start of the year, winning five times. She was racing for the $5k claiming tag early in the year but she just scored an allowance win. She was getting good anyway but really kicked it into another gear after they moved her to grass. 1-APRIL’S GEM moves up in class but she’s riding a two-race win streak and she beat the morning-line favorite of this race in her last. Her last two wins were at seven and a half but the extra sixteenth mile of this race should be well within her realm. 2-COMMAND POINT has been favored in her last five races but managed to win only one of them. However, she’s been competitive every time. Could finally make amends.

The red-hot 1-SAMARITA should be tough. She won her last three races, showing good speed in two of the races and coming from off the pace in the other. She’s beaten many of these runners at least once. Has a good chance to do it again. 4-LONG TALL WOMAN was favored in last but couldn’t catch Samarita, finishing third by a neck. But she could get some help today. There are other front runners in here that might soften up top choice on the front end, if they choose to send that filly. Maybe this one will get the best of that one today. 7-FIRST KITTEN is always a threat. She’s dropping back out of allowance company. Like top choice, she’s comfortable on or off the lead. Could be right there at the finish.

6-LYRICAL POET takes a strange drop after making a strange trip here from Saratoga. This fleet gelding narrowly lost for $32k. Can’t understand the drop or the trip here but he does loom as the one to catch. 5-MALPAIS has some past class. He hasn’t been too sharp this year but he hasn’t been in this easy. The move back to the lawn should certainly help. 8-EXPROMPT also figures big time. He was the odds-on favorite in last but had to settle for second. Could get his revenge for that loss today.