Handicapper Tips & Picks

1-GOTTA B KITTEN ME drops and turns back in distance. She’s been tiring late in her races but has been displaying good speed early. Think she’ll finish with something left at this distance. 4-DR. BELLA ships in from Indiana. All of her previous races have been against better. Think she’s dropping to score.6-HIP HOP EMMY tired in last but she was making her first start since April. This race is a sixteenth shorter and she should be fitter from her recent trip. Could be on the lead throughout. 6-EVIE JEAN took 26 races to break her maiden but came right back with a good second-place finish at this level. Could be a major player once again.

3-GET NONE might get it all. She wasn’t up to the challenge when taking on $20k claimers in last but she did win her prior two races at the $10k claiming level giving her six local scores. Figures to be tough off the drop. 1-STACY ATTACK owns better speed than top choice and she did win her last but she also finished behind Get None the last two times they met. 6-JUJU’S SPECIALGIRL was favored over top choice in last and she did run well but got passed late and wound up in second place. But think she’s a bit quicker than her rivals in this spot. If she can secure the early lead, she might last on the front end.

5-SISTER KISSES was a commanding winner in her debut at Ellis. She was heavily favored in that race and drew off to win by seven. She was also claimed from that effort. Faces winners for the first time but is she runs today like she did in that last race she could win another by daylight. 1-VISIONISTA could stalk then pounce. It took her nine starts to break her maiden and they ran her back on turf in her first start against winners. But after that dismal experiment they sent her out of the main track and she finished third in allowance company. Drops in for a tag today. Has a good chance to edge by late. 2-MAGNA MASSA has been racing competitively for a while. Fresh off a third-place finish on the lawn, she heads back to the main track for this. Worth noting is her second-place finish at Churchill the last time she raced in a claimer on the main track.

Don’t really like 1-STAR ON THE MAP but he’s dropping sharply after showing nothing in his first race back after a 20-month layoff. He might still have enough left to win at this level. 3-CHERRY ORCHARD finished in the money the last five times he raced at this level. Might finally get over the hump in what appears to be an extremely weak field. 4-INDIO GUAPO is another dropper. He’s had eight career starts without showing much but he might suddenly improve at this level.

It’s possible that there will be a three to four-way fight for the early lead in this race but think 1-CONGRATS ON FIFTY just might have the edge in that department. This will be his turf debut but they had him entered for turf in his last start and that race got moved to the main track. He crushed the field in that five-furlong dirt sprint. As mentioned above, this is his turf debut and he’ll be meeting a plethora of other speed but he might be capable of putting them away. 2-SPEED WARNING makes his local (Hi Marty) and barn debut. He ran well in two of his three previous turf races. He could try for the lead today but think his game is just going to be pressing the pace. Turf experience could give him the edge. We’ll see. The pace of this race is likely to be fast and contested and that could set things up for the two Childers-trained runners, 9-KINGSBURRY ATTACK and 8-MAN ON ATTACK. Both are likely to go off at high prices and both are likely to be coming on late.

6-BLOW TORCH looks tough. The field he faced in last, though short, was superior to this. And the same can be said for his prior two races, which he won. Of course, he’s going to need some help in the pace department. There isn’t that much speed in this race and is one of the runners gets clear easily, this late runner could have a hard time catching them. 7-CAN MAN DO looks like the best of the speed. He’s probably going to face some early pressure but seems likely to put them away before too long. If he can do that soon enough, he might not get caught. 4-TRY TRY AGAIN is usually in the hunt. He owns competitive speed figures. Like top choice, he could be pace dependent, however. Will make a late move but not sure it will be enough.

7-RACE DRIVER might surprise. He raced on the main track all of 2023 but he was good on turf in the past. He narrowly lost his last two turf races here in December. Figures to be stalking the pace in his first race after getting claimed by this barn. Could get there late. 1-REAL NEWS, stablemate of top choice, certainly figures. He’s earned more on turf and more at this distance than any of his rivals. He’s had trouble in both races this meet. A clean trip could get him home in front. 2-COMISKEY PARK, 6-SMOKIN RICHIE and maybe a couple others, could be fighting it out on the front end but if one does succeed in getting clear early, they might not get caught. 9-LETS GO ALAMO ships from a tougher circuit and drops in class. Wouldn’t count him out.

3-READTHECLIFFNOTES is always tough against Illinois breds. His lone win this year came in the Black Tie Affair against state breds. But he generally runs well against any kind of competition and any kind of surface. He’s been good on the lead or coming from off the pace. Won 10 of his 17 local starts and he’s five for 11 at the distance. Can’t guarantee that he’ll win this but he does promise to give his all. 5-CAT ATTACK could be worth another look. She’s a mare meeting the boys but she is loaded with speed and seems likely to grab the early lead. If not challenged quickly, she could take it all the way. 2-WESLAN is likely to show some late run. Don’t think he’s fast enough to win this but he could get up for the show dough at a price.

8-MADAM BLUE seems likely to graduate. She finished second in her debut in Louisiana after leading much of the race. Today she’ll get Lasix and make her first start for the leading barn. Don’t think they’ll catch her. 6-ANGEL EXPRESS was favored in last and did run well but she was checked late which cost her momentum. She still finished third but would likely have been better with a clean trip. 5-GETOUTOFMYKITCHEN never had a chance in last. She lost her footing at the start and never recovered. But her other turf races weren’t bad and she’s turning back to her best distance for this. Could come flying late.