Top pick selections for all races at Laurel Park today, plus select trip horses to follow. Good luck!
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Race Selections
R1: 5-1-6
R2: 4-2-3
R3: 10-2-7
R4: 1-5-4
R5: 10-8-3
R6: 10-8-9
R7: 4-1-2
R8: 5-6-3
R9: 5-4-8
Horses to Follow
R1: BEEKMAN STREET (6/1 ML)
BEEKMAN STREET raced a little behind the bridle, lugged in through the lane and then had to steady inside the final furlong when last seen contesting a high quality allowance over today’s course and distance. Despite all that, he was only beaten 4 1/2 lengths while posting a 71 Beyer that makes him very live as he drops in class today. Connections also re-apply the blinkers to this regally bred Godolphin homebred son of STREET SENSE, hailing from the same family as supermare HYSTERICALADY, making him even more interesting at a price. When previously fitted with blinkers last year — before his gelding operation — he put together three solid efforts: a 3/4-length defeat in a competitive MSW at Delaware despite a troubled trip, then a sharp maiden win at Fair Grounds in November where he drew off from eleven rivals and earned a 78 Beyer (first start with Lasix), before being out-sprinted by subsequent G2 winner and G1 runner-up REMEMBER MAMBA in a slowly run allowance next time — no disgrace there. Combining the equipment change and drop in class, with the fact he scrapes in here with just 111 pounds on his back thanks to leading apprentice Rea’s allowance, it would be disappointing if he couldn’t step forward off a recent non-representative effort without blinkers and go close at a fair price.
R3: ZETA JONES (6/1 ML)
Although well beaten on both occasions, ZETA JONES has actually done well to hit the board in two of her last three dirt starts, given the complete lack of pace she had to close into on both occasions. More notably, she’s achieved those results despite a pedigree that strongly suggests she wants nothing more than to go long on the turf—she’s out of a two-time winning turf mare by G1-winning turf router ALQAAM (GB), and is herself by multiple G1-winning turf router OSCAR PERFORMANCE, a son of KITTEN’S JOY, a champion on the grass. Unsurprisingly, her best effort to date came when beaten just 2 1/2 lengths with a 57 Beyer in her lone try turf routing last November. That performance makes her a major player in today’s third, and with blinkers now added, there’s little reason to think she can’t reproduce that level of form returning to the weeds. A wide draw is a possible concern, but her morning-line odds still look more than fair.
R5: DANCING BEAR (6/1 ML)
DANCING BEAR will need to step up if he’s to score in today’s fifth and, from a wide post, he’s hardly single material. However, he likely has a much better chance than both his morning-line odds and latest effort would suggest owing to the trouble he encountered last time. Typically a runner who races prominently and on the speed, he took a hefty bump leaving the gate that left him hopelessly out of position and trailing the even pace that held well by more than 10 lengths at the first call. He then lost further ground racing four wide on the far turn before beginning to rally in the lane, only to run up on the re-opposing CALL ME A CAB’s heels in deep stretch, forcing him to check and ending any chance he had of hitting the board. In truth, the race was a complete disaster and no fair reflection of his ability, but it’s worth remembering he was sent off at 3/1 that day for a reason: multiple efforts throughout his 11-start career make him very competitive at this level. Julio Hernandez takes the reins today and it would come as no surprise to see him outrun his odds.
