Frank Carulli: Laurel Park Pick 4 Analysis | Saturday, January 21, 2023

Laurel Park’s nine-race card this Saturday features six consecutive stakes races of at least $75,000. Four of the stakes comprise a 50-cent Pick 4 wager that shapes up this way:

LRL 4th race (1:54 EST) -- Little separates OURNATIONONPARADE and AIN’T DA BEER COLD after their recent matchup in the Robert Manfuso Stakes at 1-1/16 miles. OURNATIONONPARADE had no breathers, maintaining rail position and dueling throughout before he tired late. He’s versatile enough to change tactics with more pace presence in this one-turn, one-mile test. AIN’T DA BEER COLD pressed the moderate pace 3-wide, forged a short lead when asked for run mid-turn and ran second to the trip-sitting winner. But also use price plays ONE TEN and GALERIO in the leadoff leg. ONE TEN hung late at 7F when second to Alwaysinahurry (6-20, $347k) two back, but he has the right running style in this field and his price will go up after a troubled allowance run as the beaten favorite. GALERIO, first or second in 26 of 36 starts, took money in his seasonal debut off a nine-month layoff but flattened out after an early move.

LRL 5th race (2:25 EST) -- INTREPID DREAM was scratched from the Carousel Stakes won by her stablemate, MALIBU BEAUTY, setting up an intriguing matchup between the Gary Capuano-trained mares in the $75,000 Geisha Stakes. INTREPID DREAM has raced only five times in her career, but the 5-year-old is one troubled trip from perfection, winning her last three route races by a combined 14-1/4 lengths. MALIBU BEAUTY boasts three wire-to-wire stakes victories in her last seven starts, most recently in the 1-1/8-mile Carousel when she set faster middle fractions than a same-day, 1-1/16-mile stakes for the boys and won by 7-3/4 lengths.

LRL 6th race (2:56 EST) -- BEREN delivers time and time again, at any track and at any sprint distance in stakes company. He rushed up after breaking a step slow last out, backed off a fast pace set by FACTOR IT IN and determinedly chased the winner as the top pair separated from the field. FIVE DREAMS earned his top speed figure but got caught by stakes repeater Repo Rocks last out. But his last four races produced five next-out winners (average 89 Beyer) and he has shown a stalking gear that could come in handy today.  

LRL 7th race (3:27 EST) – DISCO EBO stumbled, out-dueled the favorite and was ‘displaced from the front’ in upper stretch before Betsy Blue (9-20, $604k) passed by to win the Garland of Roses Stakes at Aqueduct. FILLE D’ESPRIT was well-beaten as the favorite against several of the same rivals in her stakes three-peat attempt, but she should sit an ideal trip at an inflated price for a sharp outfit. SWAYIN TO AND FRO dueled and won at 6F, 6-1/2F and 7F in her last four stakes sprints.

Suggested 50-cent Ticket

LRL 4th Race: 1, 4, 5, 8
LRL 5th Race: 1, 6
LRL 6th Race: 2, 5, 9
LRL 7th Race: 3, 4, 6

COST: $36

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