Handicapper Tips & Picks

It's been a while since 3-CHIQUITA REINA has been competitive but that should change today. She’s taking a much-needed drop in class. Should find plenty of pace ahead of her despite the short field. Can run them down. 2-RACING THE LIGHT and 4-MARY MOONGLOW could be fighting it out on the front end. Racing the Light just finished second at this level after leading most of the way while Mary Moonglow takes an ambitious jump in class after a dominating win, versus bottom-level maiden claimers. 

Trainer Manny Perez starts a pair in this event. 2-GAME SANTA could be the one to beat. He’s stretching out for the first time. He seems likely to clear the field quickly. Might lead all the way. 5-MY LAST ESCAPADE probably has the second-best speed. Don’t think he’ll challenge for the lead early but he could be a clear second throughout and he’s seasoned enough to get the distance. 1-BLACK RUSSIAN, the other Perez-trained runner, has been better on turf and he’s making his 23^rd start as a maiden but he has some late run and should be coming late if the top pair start to tire.

This race has a pretty good mix of speed runners and closers. The six-and-a-half-furlong distance makes things more interesting. 6-FAST N HAPPY, fresh off victory, might have a small edge. She finishes well and the pace ahead of her should set up perfectly. 2-SISTERSOUTTACHROME hasn’t raced in almost six months but she, like top choice, should finish well. Dropping to her lowest level ever can only help. 7-ANNA AFTERMIDNITE and 1-LITTLE SASS both own good speed but fighting for the lead at this extended sprint distance could be too much for them to overcome.

5-BRODY ships back to Illinois after tackling some tough runners in Kentucky. He broke his maiden here back in May. He hasn’t shown a lot since his maiden victory but think he’ll be meeting an easier group today, despite moving back into allowance company. Could awaken. 3-RAVIN’S RANSOM and 6-GOOD TO BE A PRINCE are both quick from the gate and both have been enjoying success downstate. But they are likely to be vying for the lead and possibly joined in front by Mon Ami Fuzzie. 1-BALADINE doesn’t like to win but he’s just an honest runner. He hasn’t finished out of the money this year. That streak could continue. 2-DICK BEST either fires and runs well or he doesn’t. Turning back in distance could enhance his chances.

Unfortunately, due to all the rain on Tuesday, this race has been moved to the main track. However, the overall quality probably improved with the move. 6-STAR’S IMAGE looked to be tough on turf but he might be at least as good on dirt. He’s had only one dirt race, resulting in a narrow loss, but it could possibly be his best race yet, even though both of his wins came on the lawn.  He generally displays speed but he came from off the pace in that narrow dirt loss. If that race had been at today’s distance, he probably would have won. They like him enough to have tried him in a couple of stakes races but this will be a good test for him, if they don’t scratch. 4-INDYVILLE is a versatile runner. He’s had six races, with three wins, and he has won both on and from off the pace. The cutback in distance could be to his benefit if they choose to send him early. The speed figures of 1-VINEGAR HILL might imply that he’s slower than some in this race but he won three of his last four races and finished second in the other. 9-LUCKY SHOT could possibly add to the early pace but he has shown the ability to come on late in the past. The pace sets up well for 2-CLYDE’S GREEN GO. 

3-PHILIPSBURG takes a big time drop in class. He’s been tiring late in recent races but the rest of this crew is going to have to work awfully hard to catch him at this level. 1-ALTO ROAD looks like the main competition. He’s been racing competitively downstate while facing better. He finished second here, as the odds-on favorite, in his lone start here three races back, in the only race he ran at this level. Could make amends. 7-ALIBI IKE just beat a slightly easier group. The runner that finished second in that contest came right back to romp in his next start. Don’t ignore.

5-PAT’S PROPERTY showed little in last but he was making his first start in three months and he had only one recent workout in preparation.  He generally displays good early speed and there really isn’t much other speed in this race. Could leave with the lead and never look back. 3-CALIBRATE seeks his third straight victory. In his first start of the meet, he finished 16 lengths back but that was still good enough for second place. He won his next start by a hard-fought head and then cruised to an easy victory in last. Still, this field came up pretty tough.  Toss out the last race by 1-ETERNALLY GRATEFUL. He had serious traffic troubles early and never recovered. But he had been in great form prior. He’s equally adept on or off the lead. Could give the top pair a run for the money. 

Wide-open race. Can make a case for almost every runner. But going to go with 3-LAST MINUTE. This one-time $475,000 purchase was claimed for only $5,000 from his last start. He’s moving up in conditions and moving up in claiming price, but this speedy runner is now in a barn that wins with 44% of their first-time claims. 8-VERRAZANOINTHESKY is in better form than most. He tired in last when they stretched him out but he won his previous start at this distance and narrowly lost his prior start in a shorter sprint. 5-RED MOSCATO just missed. His prior start should be ignored since he wasn’t prepared for the start. He won his third race back. He should never be too far back in the field. Can take over if top pick runs out of gas.