Jeiron Barbosa, an Eclipse Award finalist as Outstanding Apprentice Jockey in 2022, picked up where he left off to start this year at Laurel Park. He rode the winners in three legs of the 50-cent Late Pick 4 last Friday and has two live mounts and one longshot in the sequence on this week’s card that shapes up this way:
LRL 6th race (2:52 EST) -- DEEDS OF LOVE’s sire is 1-18 with 2-year-old first-time starters and her dam was winless in five starts; however, she stepped it up a notch in two recent 5F workouts from the gate for a solid barn with debut runners. MAMA’S EYES blew a commanding lead on a muddy track at 6F with blinkers on for the first time, now she adds Lasix on the cutback to 5-1/2F. MARIA FROM MIAMI just missed winning in her only non-MSW start two back at Aqueduct on short rest and she, too, gets Lasix for the first time. CALM N COLLECTED hasn’t shown much in the morning, but her dam was 3-for-3 with two stakes victories sprinting to start her career.
LRL 7th race (3:21 EST) -- Four of the seven entrants in this Maryland-bred allowance arrive off easy victories. On top of that, morning-line favorite SHE IS WISKY is a tricky read. She was under a drive on the turn and had a lively pace to rally into in a comeback sprint but only managed to finish a distant third. On the other hand, she ran second in her prior route attempt on the main track to stakes winner Bazinga C (6-14, $247k). Hit the ‘ALL’ button in this leg of the Pick 4.
LRL 8th race (3:50 EST) -- COAL MINE goes from one top barn to another for her first long-distance test, but at 5-2 on the morning line, take a stand against her because the rivals she faced in her last three starts were a combined 0-for-12 with no seconds in their next start. Trainer Brittany Russell sends out an uncoupled entry of Maiden Special Weight sprint winners CATS IN THE TIMBER and PHAROAHS BABY GIRL. Both start fresh and both get Lasix – both good angles in this barn.
LRL 9th race (4:20 EST) – SAPPHIRE BEAUTY has speed and the rail with Barbosa to pilot and takes a magnified class drop in this field. COFFEE BEAN ran third as the favorite coming out of a ‘key’ race three starts back, had troubled last out and will be running late today.
Suggested 50-cent Ticket
LRL 6th Race: 2, 3, 5, 9
LRL 7th Race: ALL
LRL 8th Race: 3, 4
LRL 9th Race: 1, 6
COST: $56
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