Handicapper Tips & Picks

Not sure what happened with 4-GLOBAL EMPIRE in last but he had been in good form for a while prior to that race. He has far more wins than any of his rivals. Expecting him to bounce back. 2-ELECTRIC CHARGE is in better form than most. However, he does his best running late and not sure there will be enough early pace to set up for his closing move. 5-SLAVA UKRAINI could be the best, possibly, only speed in the field. He had been in poor form for months but had one of his better races this year in last. Could be rounding back into form. 

4-DEAL'EM AND WEEP drops to the lowest level of her career. She doesn’t own much early speed and the pace of this race could be rather slow but maybe she has enough of a class advantage to overcome it. 2-DESERT GLOW ships in from Minnesota. This speedy mare was in good form all summer. Has a legitimate chance to grab an unchallenged lead and just coast on the front end. 1-GET N TIPSY hasn’t been in the best of form this year but maybe the rider switch and the drop in class could get her headed back in the right direction. 

This could look like a quarter horse race with every runner going for the lead. I tried to find a runner that might come from a bit off the pace and landed on 4-RACARINO. It’s not that he doesn’t want the early lead; he just doesn’t seem as quick as many in here. He has tracked the pace with some success and has been in good form all year. Might edge by late. 8-MON AMIE FUZZIE is another capable of coming on late. He’s one of the few in here that isn’t in good form but that could change with the drop in class. 2-LATIN CASINO could be slightly the quickest. Was impressed that he wired the field in last, his first start of the year. Might be able to do the same thing today. 

8-TINA BALLERINA starts for the first time in 17 months but this filly has been training very well for one of the top barns. She had two previous turf races, one in New York and the other in Florida and she ran well in both. This field seems to have come up surprisingly easy. If she can shake the rust off, she could be on her way to her second victory. 5-RIETTA should never be far back. She’s coming off a bit of a dull effort but the winner of that race just crushed the field and will be back to take on the boys in The Hawthorne Derby on Sunday. 1-CATATONIC has only faced Indiana breds so far and never ran on turf but she does boast a pretty strong turf pedigree and she races for Larry Rivelli with Jareth Loveberry in the irons. You can never overlook that team. 

1-SINE QUA NON looks tough. He just missed in his local debut, coming off a 10-month layoff and making his first start away from California. He was gelded two weeks ago (ouch) but he came out of that and worked a bullet. Races for an always hot barn and keeps the leading rider in the irons. 6-DR. PERRY ran well in his three turf races but he just ran out of real estate. He’ll get an extra sixteenth mile to play with today. Could make full use of every step. Might run by them all. 7-RED RIZZLER has been a constant threat on the lawn. He finished a length and a half behind top choice in last but was still closing late. The pace will also set up for him. He is capable of the upset.  

There is plenty of other speed in this race but don’t think any are as quick as 4-PASTOR DAVE.  He’s stretching out for this and he stopped badly in his only other two turn start but that race was on grass. Think he’ll build a commanding lead in this spot and never look back.  3-WOLF HUNTER took 29 starts to break his maiden and didn’t show a lot in his two races since but he is dropping in class and meeting his easiest field since his maiden score. 1-TARPS STORM looks like the only runner in this speed-field field capable of making a late run.

No standouts in this race but 1-REGAINED POWER looks like the only true front runner. He’s been badly running out of gas but with no other real speed to press him, there is no need for him to run a :44 half. Might last on the lead. 2-XAVI got crushed when stretched out to navigate two turns in his most recent start but he’s turning back to a sprint for this and his recent sprints were far better. This will be the easiest field he has met since he was claimed from his maiden win last year. Might be tough. 3-EASY FAST apparently has an issue staying sound and is plagued by frequent layoffs but he did finish second in his last three races. It’s been nearly 10 weeks since his last start and two recent drills haven’t impressed but would never ignore his connections. 7-DASH TO THE CASH finished a fast-closing third the last time he raced at this level but not sure there will be enough pace to set up for his late run. 

There is so much speed in this race that it’s hard to imagine that a horse coming from off the pace won’t have the advantage. 8-SIXWILLBERICH could get the trip. He narrowly lost last while meeting many of these rivals and he won his prior start. Mojica aboard is always a plus. I’m never right on 3-DANVILLE. He won his last start and is probably the best closer in this field. 7-REGIMENTAL and 6-ROCKET HOTSHOT are also capable of making bold late runs.