Trip notes for Laurel Park’s late pick-3 today, plus three horses to follow. Good luck!
Make sure to check out the fantastic daily handicapping guide put together by the MJC Team via THIS LINK.
Race 7: MC 25k, 3-6YO, 6F, Dirt
| HORSE | RACE | TRIP NOTE |
| DIVINE SWAGGER | MD MSW, Lrl, 5 1/2F, Firm, 05/24/25 – 6th | Having broken slowly from the outside post, ‘DS’ chased the pace under patient handling from ~8L back racing to ~7/16 pole. He then gave away ground by lugging out & drifting extremely wide when he hit the bend, dropping further behind to pass the ¼ pole ~20L off the lead. From there, he was ridden hard through the lane but found nothing & trailed to the wire. Lacked speed, then lugged out on the bend & never factored. This was an uninspiring debut 7 he’ll need much more today. |
| MR ON HIGH | MC12k, CT, 7F, Fast, 04/19/25 – 2nd | ‘MOH’ broke sharp from gate seven, crossed to the rail & set the pace heading into the first turn. He was then joined for the lead halfway around the far turn & dueled to the 7/16 pole. His stronger traveling rival then began to edge into the lead, so he came under pressure racing into the far turn to stick with that foe. He gamely managed to stick within 1L of that rival to ~3/16 pole, then he dropped back & came under a strong ride. From there, despite treading water, he battled hard in the stretch & held 2nd late. Clean trip. Dueled to the 7/16 pole, then gamely held 2nd late despite tiring. It wasn’t the most visually impressive performance, we’re not sure how much improvement he’ll find today, & he’ll likely need more to score, but his attitude was commendable. |
| PREACHA MEYERS | MC45k, Lrl, 6F, Fast, 04/25/25 – 6th | ‘PM’ was hustled hard from gate one having broken in a touch, then he chased the pace while being scrubbed on from ~4L back racing to the far turn. From there, he steadily began to back pedal, despite trying hard, came under a strong ride & then finished evenly in the lane. Was under pressure to keep up throughout, then finished evenly. He’s entitled to step forward for this debut effort, blinkers will help today, as will the drop in class, and his attitude was commendable. However, he really looked like he’d be better over a longer distance here and his chance might rely on how fast they go early. |
| RAILROAD INN | MD MSW, Lrl, 5 1/2F, Firm, 05/24/25 – 7th | ‘RI’ broke very slowly from gate two, trailed by ~15L after the opening furlong, then weakened further under a ride to the wire & never factored. Broke very slowly & trailed by a long way throughout. Needs much, much more today. |
| ATTENTION TO DETAIL | MC25k, Mth, 6F, Fast, 05/18/25 – 3rd | ‘ATD’ broke out violently from gate four & bumped his neighbor, then was corrected & ridden into a favorable stalking position in the clear 3W, ~2L off the lead racing to the far turn. From there, he was nudged along & advanced to be racing within 1L of the lead ~5/16 pole, then he came under a strong ride but could not go with the top two & dropped back into 3rd where he remained to the wire, despite trying hard. His rider had accepted that 3rd was their best possible result ~1/8th pole & did not ride hard late. Overcame a messy start to adopt a favorable position early, then got caught 3W on the bend & could not go with the top two. Showed a likable attitude in defeat & wasn’t hard ridden late, so there’s reason to believe, as he now makes his second start of the form cycle as a first-time gelding, he can improve on this effort to go very close today. |
| BRINDANO | MC40k, Prx, 6F, Fast, 06/18/24 – 7th | BRINDANO displayed a poor action from the gate, trailed early & was essential pulled up. Young horses can sometimes ‘lock-up’ when breaking from the gate which was seemingly what happened here, so it’s hard to make any conclusive judgments about his ability from this effort. This wasn’t what you want to see on debut though, and it’s hard to suggest that, off a 355-day break, he’ll play a role today. |
| EDELWEISS | MC45k, Lrl, 1M, Fast, 12/22/24 – 3rd | Having broken cleanly from gate five, EDELWEISS dropped back to chase the body of the field from ~5L back in the 2P where he was gently nudged along to go with the early pace. He then eased out into the 3P ~7/16 pole & began to advance closer to the pace on the far turn, passing the ¼ pole just 2L back in the 4P with decent momentum behind him. From there, he came under a strong ride & stayed on well between horses in the lane but lacked the pace to challenge. Sat a clean trip but was wide on the bend. Was nudged along to keep up early, then stayed on well. A decent effort against tougher competition than he’ll face today, but he didn’t really look fast enough for today’s 6F trip. Will need pace to run at off the layoff. |
| HEAD OF THE CLASS | MSW, Pen, 6F, Fast, 05/01/25 – 5th | ‘HOTC’ broke in violently from the rail draw, bumped his neighbor & got away slowly towards rear, then quickly advanced along the rail from from ~6L back to pass the 7/16 pole just 1 1/2L off the lead, racing in the pocket. From there, as the pace increased, he came under a ride to keep up but lacked a gear & lugged out. He dropped back to be 3L behind ~1/4 pole, then made an early lead change while still on the bend & weakened in the lane while continuing to drift out. Adopted a decent position heading into the far turn following a messy break but then lugged out on the turn, dropped back, made an early lead change & weakened, leaving lots of things to be desired. Today’s class drop will help, but this wasn’t the most encouraging effort. Wore a run-out blinker. |
| WINNING TRIP | MC45k, Lrl, 6F, Fast, 04/25/25 – 9th | ‘WT’ showed good speed from gate three to stalk the pace between horses in the 2P from just 1L back in 2nd racing to the 1/2m pole. He then dropped to the rail & came under pressure to advance but failed to do so & gradually dropped back to pass the ¼ pole ~7L behind before weakening further in the lane. Clean ground saving trip. Showed good speed to stalk the hot pace early but could not go on from ~3/8 pole & weakened. Today’s class drop will help. Would have liked to have seen a better finish here though. |
Race 8: OC 25k/SAL 25k, 3YO+, 7F, Dirt
| HORSE | RACE | TRIP NOTE |
| TETCHED | Clm25k, Pim, 1 1/8M, Firm, 05/11/25 – 8th | TETCHED turned his head at the start, hopped & got away well behind in last. He then chased the pace under patient handling from ~15L behind in the 2-3P to the 9/16 pole. From there, he was nudged along to advance & did slightly but could only get to within ~10L of the lead ~5/16 pole before his forward momentum petered. He then flopped leads in the lane & weakened again. Trailed throughout following a poor start & was never involved. He seemingly didn’t take to the turf & could bounce back with a return to turf today. However, it’s hard to have a ton of confidence in him following this dull effort, regardless of the surface. Didn’t like his lead change in the lane. |
| LIFTING | Alw, Lrl, 5 1/2F, Fast, 04/25/25 – 6th | LIFTING broke cleanly from gate five, then chased the pace while being squeezed along between horses in the clear from ~3L back racing to the 1/2m pole. From there, as the top two opened up on the bend, he came under more pressure but struggled to keep up & dropped back. Having then passed the ¼ pole ~6L back in the 3P, he came under an even stronger ride, shifted out into the centre & finished evenly to the ~1/16 pole but failed to improve & then treaded water close home. Was under pressure chasing the pace between horses to the bend, then became outpaced/outclassed & faded. Ran like he’ll be more comfortable racing in a slower paced affair over today’s distance & it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him improve on this effort today. However, we’d have liked him to have finished better here to endorse him with confidence. |
| GREY FLANNEL BOSS | Clm25k, Pim, 1 1/8M, Firm, 05/11/25 – 8th | Having broken cleanly from gate nine, ‘GFB’ lacked speed under patient handling, wanted no part of the hot early pace, crossed to the 2P & gradually dropped back to be racing ~17L behind ~5/8 pole. From there, while being squeezed along, he very steadily began to move closer as the field began to bunch heading into the far turn. He then continued to progress on the turn, angled out into the clear 5W ~1/4 pole, turned for home ~6L behind in the 6P & came under a strong ride. He then finished evenly at one pace in a slow-motion finish to the wire following a late lead change while trying to drift in but lacked the pace to ever challenge & wasn’t really a factor. Wanted no part of the early pace & dropped far back, then tried to stay on from the rear but lacked the ability/finishing effort to do so. Tried to drift in through the stretch & did not look fast enough for today’s 7F trip. A fairly uninspiring effort. |
| BLO BY’EM | Alw, Pim, 6F, Fast, 05/16/25 – 5th | ‘BB’ got away well from the outside gate, then traveled well tracking the pace in the clear from ~4L back in 3rd racing to the 1/2m pole. He was then nudged along to go after the dueling leaders while 3W on the turn. Despite trying hard, he was not able to go with those two but did hold his position in 3rd to ~1/4 pole before finishing evenly under a strong ride to ~1/8th pole. However, he failed to change leads in the lane & had no more to give from then on, weakening into a distant 4th. Tried to sit close to two talented horses early & paid the price late. Despite the defeat, we liked his attitude & thought he ran in a manner that suggested he’d be more effective over today’s 7F trip,; positives can be taken from this with today’s test in mind. So long as he switches leads in the stretch, based on this run, he could be competitive today against this softer group. |
| KEY STAT | MC25k, Lrl, 1M, Good, 04/06/25 – 1st | ‘KS’ got away well from gate four & adopted a favorable stalking position in the clear 2W, ~1L off the pace in 2nd racing through the back stretch. He was then nudged along when reaching the far turn & quickly advanced into the lead while 2W on the bend before opening up to reach the top of the stretch ~8L in front. From there, he was very confidently ridden to the wire, barley came off the bridle & cruised home for the easiest of wins. A visually impressive performance. He took control from ~3/8 pole, opened up by many & barely came off the bridle. Not sure what he beat, but he certainly looks to have more in the locker. |
| BARONG | Clm25k, Pim, 5F, Muddy, 05/09/25 – 2nd | (Off turf event). BARONG was not rushed from gate seven & dropped back into mid-division in the opening strides, then he was nudged along & chased the pace while wide from ~5L heading into the far turn. He maintained his position under pressure to ~3/8 pole but failed to advance, then dropped down to the 2-3P, hit the top of the stretch ~7L behind & came under a stronger ride. From there, he began to rally down the inside but lacked a clear path & was forced to alter course out into the centre. He then gobbled up the ground in the final furlong to nab 2nd on the wire but had no chance of reaching the winner. Was hard at work chasing the pace to the top of the stretch, then rallied powerfully late. This was the first time he’d experienced kickback, which could well have been why he was off the bridle but not advancing for the majority of the race. Based on this effort, he’ll be more effective over 7F today & we suspect he can improve again as he remains lightly raced. His stretch run wasn’t the cleanest either here, opening room for further improvement again. |
| TWICE GOLD | Clm12, Lrl, 6F, Sloppy, 05/04/25 – 3rd | ‘TG’ broke very slowly from gate seven & got away in a detached last, then came under pressure & advanced in the clear 5W to hit the bend ~5L off the lead. From there, he maintained his position while 4W on the turn to ~5/16 pole, then came under a strong ride, swung out 5-8W into the lane & rallied persistently down the centre to get 3rd. However, he lacked the pace to threaten for the win. Broke very slowly, then came very wide into the lane & rallied with a nice attitude from last into 3rd. Today’s extra yardage will be more to his liking & if he gets pace to run at, especially if he can save more ground, he can step forward from this effort. Whether that will be good enough though is the question. |
| JOE THE JET | Alw, Lrl, 1M, Firm, 05/25/25 – 6th | ‘JTJ’ broke sharp from the rail & vied for the lead into the first turn, then took sole control on the bend & traveled well setting a honest, slightly pressured pace all the way to the 5/16 pole. He was then challenged for the lead approaching the ¼ pole & quickly came under a strong ride but, despite trying hard, could not go on in the lane & weakened. Traveled well setting an honest pace to the ¼ pole, then weakened. It’s hard to assess his chances today based on this effort against talented horses, but he did run well for a long way at 19/1 & earn a speed figure that makes him competitive against this softer group. Feel it would be harsh to knock him too much for this defeat. |
| DADDY YANKEE | Clm12k, Lrl, 6F, Sloppy, 05/04/25 – 2nd | ‘DY’ was hard ridden while drifting out leaving gate four, then chased the pace while being squeezed along from ~4L back in the 2-3P to ~5/16 pole. He then came under a strong ride, drifted into the 5P, hit the top of the lane fully extended ~6L behind & stayed on well to the wire between tired foes into 2nd but could not get by the leader. Was outpaced chasing the pace under pressure to the top of the stretch, then stayed on well past tired foes. He’ll need to step forward & get pace to run at if he’s to score today, but based on this effort, 7F should be more to his liking. |
Race 9: MC 25k, 3-6YO, 5 1/2F, Turf
| HORSE | RACE | TRIP NOTE |
| VALID CONNECTION | MC30k, Aqu, 7F, Fast, 12/08/24 – 5th | ‘VC’ broke alertly from the rail but lacked speed & quickly dropped back to chase the pace while being squeezed along from ~7L back heading to the far turn. As the front three then sped away, he dropped further off the pace & came under a strong ride but found nothing off the bridle & weakened tamely to the wire. Lacked speed, then became even more outpaced on the bend & weakened. This was an uninspiring effort followed by a lengthy layoff & he’ll need much more today. |
| MADEFROMLIONA | MC25k, Pim, 5F, Firm, 05/11/25 – 6th | MADEFROMLIONA broke slowly in rear & trailed between foes ~12L off the pace heading to the far turn. He then stayed in that position into & around the bend before coming under a ride ~1/4 pole & swinging out into the 5P at the top of the stretch. From there, he finished okay & closed to be beaten just 4 1/2L, seemingly with energy left. However, he was also lugging in badly which restricted his forward momentum & made life hard for his rider. Lacked speed, then finished okay with energetic strides but was lugging in hard which cost him. A typically green debutant, his ability seems greater than the bare result from this race & he can improve for the experience today. The extra 1/16 today should also help. |
| DAD JOKE | MC45k, Lrl, 6F, Fast, 04/25/25 – 7th | ‘DJ’ was bumped around a little at the break, then dropped well back to be racing in last, ~12L off the lead heading into the far turn. He then came under pressure on the bend but struggled to respond & hit the top of the lane ~11L off the lead in the 3P before working out into the centre & finishing evenly past tiring foes for a nonthreatening 7th. Lacked speed, then struggled to get involved. This effort did not suggest he’ll appreciate today’s cut back to 5 1/2F on the grass & he’ll need more to score. |
| TAKETHEFIFTH | MD MSW, Lrl, 5 1/2F, Firm, 05/24/25 – 4th | TAKETHEFIFTH broke out a touch from the rail post, then lacked speed under patient handling & dropped well behind the leading group of four to hit the far turn ~10L off the pace. He then came under pressure on the bend & made a sustained but very steady rally to the wire, finishing a nonthreatening 4th, 4L behind the leader. Lacked speed in a race that saw the pace hold up relatively well & struggled to get involved, despite offering a mild rally late. It appeared that his rider thought the pace would come back to them but in hindsight, he could have done with a more aggressive ride in the early stages of the race. He did stay on okay to the wire though & show a decent attitude. Against today’s softer competition, a repeat/slightly improved effort could go close in his third start of the form cycle, especially if the pace is hot early. |
| ITALIANO KID | MC16k, Pim, 5F, Firm, 05/11/25 – 2nd | ‘IK’ took a bump at the break, then under patient handling, settled into a tracking/mid-pack position in the 4P, ~4L off the lead heading into the far turn. He traveled well to this point, then held his position while bottled up between horses rounding the bend to pass the ¼ pole under a hold ~3L down. From there, he worked out into the clear in the centre of the track, came under a strong ride & following a slightly late lead change, stayed on well past rivals into 2nd. However, he then flopped his leads again ~50yds from the wire & could not reach the winner. Other than the fact that he wasn’t good with his leads in the lane, he ran a decent race, traveling powerfully while bottled up behind horses to thee ¼ pole before finishing nicely down the centre. He clearly improved for the switch to turf & could have more to offer again over today’s slightly longer distance. |
| TRANSACTIONAL GUY | DEBUTANT | |
| TRIPLE NICKLES | MSW, Prx, 6F, Sloppy, 05/13/25 – 6th | ‘TN’ didn’t break on top but was ridden hard from the gate & sent forward to vie for the lead through the opening furlong before he gained a neck advantage & set a hot, pressured pace to the 3/8 pole. He then started struggling to hold his advantage & came under a ride but had nothing more to offer & finished very tired through the lane, weakening into a detached last. Went very hard early & had nothing left when it mattered. A more patient ride can see him step forward from this debut as he faces easier company over shorter on the turf today. However, we’d still have liked to have seen him carry his speed a little further/fight harder to have full confidence that he can score today. |
| GO TO BINGO | MC16k, Pim, 5F, Firm, 05/11/25 – 5th | ‘GTB’ lacked speed from gate two & set up shop racing towards the rear, ~6L off the lead heading to the far turn. He traveled well under patient handling to the bend, then continued to go well when waiting for room on the rail, just 5L behind to the 1/4 pole. From there, he eased out into the clear 2W & came under a ride but was then briefly shut off again & forced back down to the rail. He then finished willingly along the rail but lacked room again inside the final 1/16m & was steadied hard, eventually crossing the wire 4 3/4L behind in 5th. Traveled well into the race from the rear but had a very rough go of things from ~5/16 pole home. Liked his attitude & though today’s 5 1/2F test would be more to his liking. This effort was better than this result/speed figure would suggest & he can improve today making his second start off the layoff. |
| PRETTY JIMMY | MC25k, Pim, 5F, Firm, 05/11/25 – 4th | ‘PJ’ broke alertly but lacked speed & dropped well back early while being scrubbed on to keep up racing along the rail to the far turn. He then came under a much stronger rider when ~12L behind rounding the bend & steadily began to gather full stride. He hit the top of the lane ~8L behind in the 2P, then shifted out a touch & despite not changing leads till late, stayed on to finish 4th. He lacked the pace & race track to challenge for the win though. Lacked speed, then stayed on but had too much to do. A typical deep closing sprinter who’ll be seen to better effect over today’s 5 1/2F distance with a long run to the second wire. We’ve seen him try this before though & he still hasn’t got up in time. Really needs to close into a hot pace going 6-7F. |
| LOCOMOTIVE | MC25k, Pim, 5F, Firm, 05/11/25 – 7th | LOCOMOTIVE showed decent speed from gate nine & worked into a favorable stalking position 3W, ~1L off the pace in 3rd heading into the far turn. He traveled powerfully in this position to ~3/8 pole, then dropped back slightly off the quickening leaders, received a squeeze from his rider & hit the top the stretch ~2L down. From there, he came under a strong ride but failed to switch leads & weakened tamely. Other than the fact that he was coming off a layoff, he had no excuse from the position he was in as the 8/5 favorite but failed to change leads in the lane & finished weakly. He’s entitled to improve for this comeback run, but it wasn’t overly encouraging. |
| DATS TAP | MC45k, Lrl, 5 1/2F, Good, 05/23/25 – 6th | ‘DT’ was bumped on both sides leaving gate three which left him racing under patient handling at the rear of the body of the tightly grouped field, ~6L off the lead racing down the back stretch. As the leader then stepped on the gas ~7/16 pole & the field begun to string out, he dropped further off the lead, worked to the outside 3W & came under pressure. He responded well to his rider’s urgings, however, he was also giving away ground & failed to make any progress, hitting the top of the lane 8L down in the 5P. From there, he lacked a solid finishing effort & ran evenly to the wire. This was a disappointing result at odds of 9/2. However, he as well behind a pace that held & also gave away plenty of ground on the bend which cost him numerous lengths. Feel this set-up didn’t see him to best effect & he didn’t actually underperform in the way the PP’s would suggest. He can run better today against a softer group as he makes his third start of the form cycle. |
Horses to Follow
R7: ATTENTION TO DETAIL (2/1 ML)
With his main rival EDELWEISS facing a 164-day layoff after just five reported workouts, ATTENTION TO DETAIL looks tough to beat in today’s seventh, a $25,000 maiden claimer over 6-furlongs on the main track. The Kelly Breen trained son of KHOZAN returned from a 134-day break at Monmouth 21 days ago and as highlighted in the tip notes, ran a strong race in defeat. After overcoming a messy start to secure a good early position, he got hung three-wide on the turn and couldn’t match the favored top two but still showed grit chasing them in third to the wire for a career-best 56 Beyer – the top last-out figure in today’s field. A simple repeat of that effort should see him go very close this afternoon, but there’s good reasons to expect even more again. First, his last trip was far from perfect, so a cleaner run should help. Second, as that was his first start off the layoff, he’s likely sharper now. Third, his rider eased up in the stretch last time, accepting third, so a more aggressive ride could unlock extra. And finally, he’s been gelded since that run, which often sharpens a horse’s focus and performance. With these upsides, his proven speed, good form, and the red-hot Michael Sanchez riding him for the first time, ATTENTION TO DETAIL could simply be too much for this group.
R8: BARONG (5/2 ML)
Stretching back out to the same 7-furlong distance that saw him waltz home by 4-lengths on debut, BARONG looks the horse to side with in today’s eighth – a starter allowance on the main track. The Brittany Russell trained $325k son of CATALINA CRUISER lost his perfect record going 5F in the mud at Pimlico when making his second start last month. However, as noted in the trip notes, his effort was still very promising. Understandably for a youngster facing kickback for the first time, he raced uncomfortably through the early stages of the race and had dropped himself well off the pace set by the 8/5 favorite and eventual gate to wire winner, MEDAGOOCH, by the time they hit the far turn. However, when he finally found a clear path at the top of the stretch, BARONG rallied strongly through the lane for second, despite having met trouble around the furlong pole which forced him to alter course way out into the centre of the track. For a second time starter, he did exceptionally well to finish as close as he did and despite the trouble, still managed to earn a 68-Beyer which is one of the fastest on offer in today’s race. There’s no doubt he has room to improve further today as he now makes his third lifetime start, and with scant speed drawn outside him, he should be able to take that step forward with a kickback-free trip back over his preferred distance, making him a formidable favorite against this group who lack upside. Leading rider Sheldon Russell retains the ride for his wife, Brittany – they’ve clicked at 40% (17-for-43) in dirt sprints at Laurel this year – and he should have no trouble guiding this one to the winners’ circle.
R9: GO TO BINGO (15/1 ML)
A full field of eleven are set to line up in the nightcap today – a $25,000 maiden claimer sprinting 5 1/2-furlongs on the turf – where GO TO BINGO could run well at a big price. The Susan Cooney trained 3-year-old of HOLY BOSS returned from a 217-day layoff with lasix on for the first time to finish fifth in his seasonal debut going 5-furlongs at Pimlico last month, 4-lengths behind the re-opposing ITALIANO KID. On the face of it, that 42-Beyer earning effort would leave him with work to do if he’s going to be competitive this afternoon. However, as noted in the trip notes, he had a torrid time of things from the 5 1/6-pole home in that race, getting shuffled back on the turn before twice having to steady hard in the lane. With a cleaner trip today and the long stretch run to the second wire in his favor, he should be able significantly improve upon that effort as he makes his second start of the form cycle, and that could make him a big player. His attitude is hard to knock and with a sharp bullet workout leading into this race, he appears to be sitting on a big effort.
Good luck playing Laurel today!
