After a day that saw Bill Mott conditioned Sovereignty come from last-to-first in his first start as a 3YO to nail River Thames at the wire in the Fountain of Youth (G2), there will be a mandatory payout of the Rainbow 6. With $447,538 in carryover money, track officials are estimating today’s pool around $4M. Let’s see if we can earn our share!
Grade Descriptions: Grade A=Highest degree of confidence; Grade B=Solid Play. Grade C=Least preferred or pass; Grade X=probable winner but likely at odds too short to play.
Race 6:
Grade: C+
Main Ticket: 4 Eturian; 1 Tiger Belle; 2 Creed’s Gold; 8 Simply Stated
Backups: None
Forecast: I am willing to let 2-1-morning line favorite #6 Tiffany Gold beat me in this second-level allowance at 5-furlongs over the lawn. The Speightster filly is consistent, but has just one win despite taking a lot of public support since starting off her career with a pair of impressive victories for trainer Victor Barboza Jr. She is likely to hit the board yet again, but I prefer others on top.
#4 Eturian should be prominently placed early under Edgard Zayas. She battled early and held on for third over the all-weather last out and appears poised for a good run third off the bench. #1 Tiger Belle has not raced since last July at Monmouth Park when she broke well from the rail, but shortly thereafter was shuffled back costing her any real chance. She attracts Luis Saez in her start for trainer Bobby DiBona. #2 Creed’s Gold stayed in the clear and finished well in her allowance win against lesser on January 23. If she translates that form to the grass, she could easily make it 2 in a row. #8 Simply Stated is the wild card. The PA-bred has never raced over the lawn, but has kept solid company and attracts Irad Ortiz Jr.
Race 7:
Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 1 Golden Skull; 5 Trappezoid
Backups: None
Forecast: The likelihood is that most horseplayers will opt to spread deep in this open $6250 claimer with a lukewarm 7-2-morning line favorite, so taking the alternative approach could prove beneficial. I will do just that and try to get out using just #1 Golden Skull and 16-time winner #5 Trapezoid. Golden Skull makes his third start off the layoff after a runner-up effort at nearly 15-1 on January 29. He could find himself in a perfect pocket spot under jockey Jonathan Ocasio. Trapezoid is more obvious. He is long in the tooth, but still winning races. He gets a fast main track after failing as the favorite over an off track in mid-January.
Race 8:
Grade: C+
Main Ticket: 9 Inesperee; 7 Tellus Mater; 2 Hereforagoodtime; 5 More for Sure; 6 Don’t Jinx It; 8 Ocean Ripple
Backups: None
Forecast: One of the reasons I am going thinner in Race 7 is to get more coverage in this wide-open MSW event for 3YO filles going 9-furlongs on the grass. #2 Hereforagoodtime is the lukewarm ML favorite and deserves respect after a strong runner-up effort over the all-weather to kick off her 3YO campaign. She very well could find herself on the lead, but has never run over the grass and like the entire field, at 1 1/8-miles. So, I will use several including a quartet of second-time starters in #6 Don’t Jinx It, #7 Tellus Mater, #8 Ocean Ripple, and #9 Inesperee.
Race 9:
Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 3 Uncaptured Warrior; 2 Pay Zone
Backups: 1 Dilger
Forecast: Saffie Joseph Jr. holds a very strong hand in this first-level allowance at 6-furlongs. #1 Dilger was made the 8-5-ML favorite by oddsmaker Brian Nadeau, but not sure he is a stand out over his stablemate #3 Uncaptured Warrior or class dropper #2 Pay Zone. The likely chalk was down on the rail, but had a good trip overall in his runner-up effort at 3-2 on January 29. The rail draw is not ideal in here, nor is the fact his only win came last March by a nose. I will include him as a backup, but prefer two others that should offer a bit better value in the sequence.
Uncaptured Warrior moves back to the main track after trying the all-weather on January 29. He attracts Irad Ortiz Jr. and has already proven to have a nose for the wire. Pay Zone has had to work hard in each of his last two races in the early stages. He draws inside and potentially could find a more favorable race shape.
Race 10:
Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 2 Kid Cairo; 4 Meyer; 7 Corruption; 10 Wentru
Backups: None
Forecast: I am going to let 7-2-favorite #11 Vesting beat me in this 1 1/2-mile affair over the grass. The Chad Brown trainee’s only win came by a neck at odds-on in June ’22 and he had a great trip last out and was turned away. I will try to beat him with a pair of Mark Casse and Marty Drexler trainees.
Of the two Casse runners, I like #2 Kid Cairo more on paper, but Dylan Davis opts to ride #7 Corruption off of two wins against lesser. Kid Cairo should get a great trip from his inside draw with Frankie Dettori taking over riding duties. Of the Drexler runners, I like #4 Meyer more. The Ontario-bred moves to the lawn after shaking off the rust over the all-weather on February 5. He is far from a win machine of late, but should have a move forward in him second off the bench. #10 Wentru should be aggressively ridden from the gate by John Velazquez. He has not won in some time, but should appreciate moving back to the green.
Race 11:
Grade: B
Main Ticket: 9 Bulldoze; 1 Murabeh
Backups: None
Forecast: I am going to try to close things out using two in this 1 1/8-mile turf race for 3YOs. #9 Bulldoze makes his second career start after debuting on Pegasus World Cup Day for Todd Pletcher. The winner wired out the field and this colt should some ability to finish fourth. He should move forward this afternoon. I will also include #1 Murabeh. The son of Bernardini debuted on the turf in December and then battled early and tired late over the all-weather in late January. Edgard Zayas should have him in a favorable prominent position throughout.
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