Handicapper Tips & Picks

1-FAST N HAPPY has been a fairly consistent competitor all meet and has been especially good after taking a small break early. Since coming back, she’s had a win and a second. She shows speed at times but is probably best when coming from off the pace and she should get plenty of speed to set up for her. 4-ANNA AFTER MIDNITE and 3-MISS SAIPAN could duel for the lead but if either gets loose early, she might not get caught. 6-WRITTEN CONSENT finished fourth in her last three races, including a couple lengths behind top choice in last but we know she’s better than that. Could be a late threat. 

1-I'M HUNGOVER hasn’t shown a thing in her two races but have to give her one more chance. She’s dropping in class and returning to the turf. She had a couple strong works since her last race. Expecting better from her today. 8-WW BEST OF TIMES should get the early lead to herself. She tired late in all her races and this will be her longest race yet but she might prevail if she faces no early pressure. 4-TRINITYTHREEINONE could be very tough. She finished third in her last two turf races and was still making up ground late in those seven and a half furlong events. The stretch to one mile could be all that she needs.  

This race is full of horses in good form but probably have to stick with 2-RACARINO. In five races this year he has managed to win two and finish second three times. Good speed will keep him close to the early leaders and a late burst of speed could get him past nearing the wire. 3-STRANGE ARRANGE has a win and a second since dropping to this level and he has been claimed from both those starts. So, he is starting for his third different barn in as many starts. We’ll see if he keeps the hot hand. I haven’t used the term “horse for the course” in a long time but that could apply to 4-HURTS SO BAD. His last couple races leave a lot to his last was in Indiana and his previous race was on the lawn. But it’s been a different story on the local dirt. Six of his seven victories came on this track. He managed only one win his 20 races at different venues. Guessing he wakes up at a price now that he’s back in the right spot. 

3-WINGS OF GOD doesn’t have a big late move but with all the speed in this race, he might not need it. Expecting him to be stalking the early pace and start to run down those ahead of him once they turn for home. 4-A P BLAZING GREEN has had so many competitive races that it’s hard to believe that he’s had only the one victory. He’s another who should be stalking. Maybe this will be the day that he passes them all. 2-GUNNY SACK just graduated while facing Illinois breds but like the way she finished. She also ran second in her other two grass starts. Guessing she’ll come on late.  

Tough little race but have to go with 2-C F V BULLET. He won his first start of the meet and then ran into Calibrate in last and that runner might be the hottest horse on the grounds right now. He finished second in that spot. Worked well since that last race. Would expect him to be at the top of his game right now. 5-LITTLE STEVEN stopped badly in last when they shipped him to Fairmount but he had reeled off four in a row here prior to that downstate race. He isn’t the only speed in this race but he doesn’t back down from a challenge. Could put the rest of the front runners away and still finish with something left. The speedy 4-GENERAL ISSUE is at the top of his game. He wired two of the last four dirt fields he faced and almost succeeded in the other two, finishing second in each. Would be no big surprise if he wired this one.  

Don’t really know who will grab the early lead in this speed-filled race but expect 9-MIDNIGHT SPECIAL to be the first one to run past them late. He ran well in all his local turf starts, winning twice and finishing third in the other two. Gets Lasix back after racing without it in a stakes last time out. That can only help. 10-GRAND HIDEAWAY should like the probable contested pace as much as top choice and he could take advantage of it at a much higher price. He finished second in his last pair of races. Could be a major player once again. 4-JOE THE TAILOR tired fighting for the lead in last, in a race containing many of these runners, but he stalked the pace in his prior start and came away with the victory. If they choose that tactic for him today, he could come away with the upset victory.