Fair Grounds and Laurel Park put on the full-court press for stakes this Saturday and we’re treated to important races, coast to coast, from Gulfstream, Aqueduct, Turfway, Oaklawn and Santa Anita. Let’s get busy with the bottom-line verdict on each.
1:34 pm ET | Laurel | Race 4 | Nellie Morse Stakes
Cheap speed abounds in this race, where rail-drawn closer #1 Sea Dancer (7-5 ML) gets to save all the ground and repeat her winning trip from the Carousel Stakes, which was her first start since changing barns to high-percentage Brittany Russell.
2:04 pm ET | Aqueduct | Race 3 | Say Florida Sandy Stakes
#2 Mama’s Gold (1-1 ML) flopped this time a year ago coming off similarly dominant scores in prior starts, so I’ll try to beat his likely overbet, triple-digit Beyers with #4 Doc Sullivan (5-2 ML), the only other horse who looks capable of keeping up early.
2:29 pm ET | Laurel | Race 6 | Barbara Fritchie Stakes
Class edge to #6 Royal Spa (4-1 ML), who gets the perfect outside spying post in this 7-furlong race that projects to have a highly contentious early pace among the other main players.
2:59 pm ET | Laurel | Race 7 | John B. Campbell Stakes
The 1-1/8 miles trip is hardly a specialty to any of these but maybe brings #5 Cataleya Strike (6-1 ML) into the conversation for a tepid tab at what should be a healthy price.
3:27 pm ET | Laurel | Race 8 | General George Stakes
Facing a lineup that has made most of its hay vs. restricted state-breds, the super-consistent #5 Prince of Jericho (6-5 ML) should be a very tough out here Brittany Russell, who is sitting on another potentially big day.
4:30 pm ET | Fair Grounds | Race 8 | Colonel Power Stakes
#10 No Nay Hudson (9-2 ML) likely will be overbet for Wesley Ward and Flavien Prat with 1 win in his last 7 and from a tough post, so give me the rail speed of #1 Old Homestead (8-1 ML) and hope he takes to turf (definitely the play if off-turf).
5:22 pm ET | Gulfstream Park | Race 11 | Royal Delta Stakes
Let’s go on price patrol here with the well-drawn #1 American Retro (8-1 ML) having a chance to trip-out beautifully, while the bomber #6 Riding Pretty (20-1 ML) has a penchant for running big races when making surface switches back to dirt.
5:30 pm ET | Fair Grounds | Race 10 | Albert M. Stall Memorial Stakes
#8 Tufani (10-1 ML), a 2-time winner over this course with a pair of triple-digit BRIS Late Pace figures in her last 3 starts, has a penchant for firing fresh off similar breaks and should be rolling late with #5 Nanda Dea (7-2 ML).
5:51 pm ET | Oaklawn | Race 9 | Dixie Belle Stakes
#6 G W’s Girl (7-5 ML) is a deserving favorite after reeling in 2-5 shot and next-out Gulfstream winner Shisospicy in the Mockingbird Stakes, so use her over pricy #1 Miss Martini (12-1 ML), who may appreciate a forecasted wet track.
6:00 pm ET | Fair Grounds | Race 11 | Mineshaft Stakes
#4 Hall of Fame (4-1 ML) gets a 4-pound weight break from many of his prime rivals – and a tactical pace edge over #5 Catching Freedom (3-1 ML) at equal weights – while the Steve Asmussen-Jose Ortiz tandem has been exceptional.
6:30 pm ET | Fair Grounds | Race 12 | Fair Grounds Stakes
#2 Gigante (7-2 ML) is beautifully drawn and in raging form, capable of triple-digit BRIS Late Pace figures (103 when fourth in this race last year), and can give the Steve Asmussen-Jose Ortiz a back-to-back stakes double whether this race goes on turf or dirt.
6:40 pm ET | Santa Anita | Race 7 | Palos Verdes Stakes
#1 Big City Lights (2-5 ML) won this race at 2-5 last year and is just too strong on the back end for these when he runs his race, so I’ll use him as a single in the late Pick-N sequences.
7:00 pm ET | Fair Grounds | Race 13 | Rachel Alexandra Stakes
Difficult to see anyone but multi-race single #2 Good Cheer (6-5 ML) after the expected scratch of #3 Ballerina d’Oro (7-2 ML), who would have provided some opposition.
7:30 pm ET | Fair Grounds | Race 14 | Risen Star Stakes
Not going to get cute here as #4 East Avenue (9-5 ML) has trained exceptionally well on video for his 3-year-old return and should be forwardly placed in a field that lacks big-time finishers.
8:55 pm ET | Turfway | Race 7 | Dust Commander Stakes
Appreciate that late-running #6 Groveland (15-1 ML) got back on the workout tab just 8 days after a promising local debut, showing he got a lot out of that race, and he gets more pace to rally into tonight along with #3 Hush of a Storm (3-1 ML).
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