Handicapper Tips & Picks

WHITMORE (G3):

#2 TEJANO TWIST won this race last year and will be tested to repeat and earn it on his own without his complementary stablemates in the field to keep the pace honest. His body of works speaks for itself - he is a legitimate racehorse though still has a pattern of breaking SLOG giving the field a head start before making his serious late run.

The pace of this race should be honest with part of the early speed from the two S. Asmussen runners #6 JAXON TRAVELER does his better running on the lead he showed that in the Zia sprint closing out 2023 and rebounding last month at Sunland. His form gave him a look in the King Cotton stakes and buried sophomore local stakes form though was not as effective trying to rate inside on the off track. #3 RYVIT comes into this race off a front end score and has a lot of success on the lead though found himself off the pace in the Steel Valley Sprint by default and the race dynamic assisted with that trip. He projects to be forward here and tested looking for that first graded stakes win against older and to turn the tables on TEJANO TWIST.

#1 OSBOURNE scratched from a reasonable spot last Sunday to run in this spot instead. Given the complexion of this field he moves up naturally and on overall form in this second start of the cycle and positive distance change back to the sprint. #4 SURVEILLANCE also takes the rise in class and given his current form the test is earned though this is a big step up and was not as effective here last season in the Count Fleet (G3) though still earned a solid figure. The local form could be an edge for #5 NINJA WARRIOR one that requires every edge possible with the rise in class following a BLANKET finish win that might have been aided by the track profile.

#7 COWAN is the wild card first off the Jacobson claim and ambitious placement here making the trip to run in this graded stakes event. As a juvenile he finished second in the BC Juv turf Sprint (G2) at the 5.5f distance at the time in the Asmussen barn so there is some class there and some figures at times that stack up with the others. He also has a pair of local starts including a place finish in the Smarty Jones stakes.