Handicapper Tips & Picks

I’m going to give 6-RUMBLING the benefit of the doubt. He’s dropping to his lowest level yet. However, he hasn’t raced in two months and his drills haven’t had the optimum spacing. Slim pick. Logical favorite 3-MARK MY MEMORY dueled for the lead throughout in last when returning from Canterbury and still managed to hang on for second. He looks like he could be the beat, and possibly most consistent, speed of these runners. Has a legitimate chance to lead throughout. 7-TOUGH HEART comes off a tough loss downstate. He made two moves in that race and held for third, beaten less than a length. If that race had been at today’s distance, he might have won. Maybe today.  

3-SPINNING GLORY drops in class and turns back in distance. She hasn’t raced in two months and has had only two recent drills in preparation. But one of those drills was a bullet and she probably doesn’t have to be in peak form to win at this short sprint distance. Can lead throughout. 2-WILDWOOD ADIOS finished ahead of top choice the last time they met.  Like top pick, she’s turning back in distance. The good speed she displayed in her last two route races will probably turn into good stalking speed in this short sprint. But maybe today, she’ll finish with something left. 1-RACING THE LIGHT can’t be ignored. She’s the quickest of these. She didn’t show much in her lone turf race but has been consistently better since that race. Has a very real chance to wire the field.  

1-OEUVRE goes for her third straight Jean Elizabeth Handicap victory. She won by a length and three quarters in 2023 but by around six lengths in last year’s edition. She might not be as fast as she used to be but this field seems to be a bit easier than the editions in years past. 5-COMMISSIONER GULCH races at Fairmount more often than here but this could be her preferred track. She had nine local races and won four of them, while finishing in the money in the other five. She finished second to Oeuvre in last year’s Jean Elizabeth. Could easily do it again. 2-BEEHIVE is likely to be tracking the early pace. She was in too deep in last, a $100k stakes race, and still managed to finish fourth. That was the first time in her 13 local races that she didn’t finish in the money.  

I stared at this race for an hour and still have no real idea on how things will set up. But, I have to select one of them so guess I’ll go with 7-VINO COURAGIO. He's been pretty inconsistent but when he does fire, he closes well. So many of his rivals have early speed and few of them are able to sustain it through the lane. So, it should set up for this guy. 1-LITTLE STEVEN just missed when racing at this level and distance. He led for all but the last couple of jumps. He’s likely to face plenty of early pressure but he could outlast them all. 6-SKIP THE LINE could be fighting for the lead. Or maybe he won’t. He owns good speed when he fires but sometimes he doesn’t. Your call.  

Can the old guy do it one more time? 5-ANOTHER MYSTERY is chasing $1,000,000 in career earnings and a victory in this spot would put him over the top. He won last year’s edition of the Carey. He’s not the same horse he was a couple years ago but he does have home field advantage, and he still looks like the best closer in this speed-filled field. You know he’s going to have dead aim late. Might get there. 10-EMMANUEL could be the one to beat. Like top choice he’s a very good closer. He’s a multiple graded stakes winner. I would ignore his last race at Kentucky Downs. He broke from the 12 and was pushed hard to try to get position but the fractions were blistering and he just got outrun. This race will be a different story. The pace will also be blistering but he should be able to tuck in pretty quickly and save something for his stretch run. I couldn’t ignore 7-KATIE M’LADY. She is a mare facing the boys and she’ll be meeting many with speed, some who appear quicker than her. But she is as stubborn as it gets. She finished second to Another Mystery in last year's edition. That can happen again. 6-PAROS hasn’t been in the best of form lately but he has been in against some awfully tough company and he can close a ton when he fires. 4-FROSTY VIEW might be the quickest of these. He’ll probably be fighting Katie for the lead but if he can jump to the lead quickly, he might not get caught.  

8-SILVER QUARTERS could be dropping to score. This late runner finds himself in a race filled with front runners. Not all of them will be trying for the lead but those pressing the pace won’t let those on the lead to relax. Silver Quarters should love the way the pace sets up. Flies by late. 7-FREEDOM LASS is more versatile than most in here. She’s a mare meeting the boys but we are nearing the meet’s end and horses have to race. This mare is good on the pace or coming from behind. Price shot is worth another look. 5-WELLSWORT is another capable of racing on the front end but think he’s better coming from behind. I expect the front end to be a busy place but if the other riders decide to take back and not get caught in a frenzied pace, his rider might choose to send him instead. 9-WODETON is another capable of going for the lead or to come from far back. His rider will have to decide in the first 100 yards of so which tactic they will try. 

4-CLOUDY LASS get the call. She ran well enough to finish third in her career debut but runners from the Block barn almost always improve with experience. It’s been two months since her debut race but she had five good drills in the interim. Ready. 3-SPECIAL SAUCE should be ready to roll. She’s making her first start but has been training very well. Her barn has great averages in all relevant categories. 5-LILA'S OAK TREE is worth a look. She finished third in a maiden claimer on turf but runners going from turf often exceed expectations. 2-SHE'S TOPS just finished an unexpected second at 73-1 after showing little in her first two starts. Now we know she has good speed. They might have to catch her. Trainer Michele Boyce has a pair in this race. 1-ESPADA and10-CULTURE SHOCK. Both are working steadily and you know that barn brings them ready to race. 9-LAST CANDY improved with each passing start. Wouldn’t take much more to make her a major player. 8-DREAM EAGLE was a non-threatening fourth in her lone start but she’s another from a barn whose runners improve with experience. 6-PETRONIA STREET has good drills and a great pedigree. Watch for board for action. 7-MOTOWN SOUND lost ground throughout in her debut. Needs to show far more. 

1-POLSKA SUE could be tough with a clean start. She looks like the only real speed in the race. If she breaks without an issue, she might not get caught. 4-DRAMA SPEAKER takes a much-needed drop in class. Her dull efforts since breaking her maiden are a bit concerning but this is quite possibly the easiest field she has ever met. Big improvement expected. 6-CHEVAL B also drops. She showed little on dirt versus allowance company in last but did finish a close third in a slightly better claiming race in her previous start.