Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 2-Miss Joannie (Race 6)
Race #1: 5-Hennys Cozy Train comes off a disappointing effort in last but lands in a much softer spot for his Los Al afternoon unveiling and is nicely drawn to the outside with good positional speed. Her stablemate 4-Annie’s Song (Ire) has never tried dirt in 17 career starts but comes in with sharp grass form for Sadler and recent a.m. drills indicate she might successfully handle the surface switch. 1-Keep Your Coil returns to the big afternoon layout where she’s had great success (7-3-3-0) and makes third start of the form cycle for conditioner Milton Pineda.
Selections: 5-4-1
Race #2: 3-Mongolian Wind hasn’t been out since July of last year but has proven he runs well fresh and should get a favorable race flow to close into cutting back to 6 furlongs for his initial start of 2023. He’s 1 for 1 over the strip albeit that came back in 2020. 5-Jamming Eddy is back on the main track off a 9-month layoff and has worked extremely well at San Luis Rey for today’s return try for great layoff barn. 6-Commander Khai has done most of his recent running on turf and synthetic but is nicely drawn outside with good positional speed and drops in class for trainer Mark Glatt.
Selections: 3-5-6
Race #3: The speedy 5-Wrong Turn Cupid makes 3rd start off the bench today and drops in class for trainer Sergio Morfin. This 5-year-old mare could be tough to reel in going 5 furlongs. The 8-year-old mare 6-Crown Kitten has 15 career victories and comes off a decent 2nd on the evening program on May 14. She tries hard every start and can land part of the trifecta if not more in this spot. 1-Flashy Pass moves to the larger afternoon layout off two recent tries under the lights for a very lucrative jockey/trainer combo. This mare figures to trip out nicely from the rail.
Selections: 5-6-1
Race #4: 4-Icy Breeze ran a decent 3rd off the bench for Sadler and figures tough with a progressive move forward off that effort. The 6-year-old Maiden 3-Fursace returns off a 6-month freshening with an encouraging worktab and figures to be tough if she can run back to her 2021 debut Beyer. 1-Ryders Candy hasn’t shown much in last three efforts against better in 2023 but was a sharp 2nd when last trying this level last fall.
Selections: 4-3-1
Race #5: 4-Song of Shadows goes turf to dirt on the class drop and removes the blinkers today after flashing good speed in each three career efforts. She’s likely to employ “gun and run” tactics and hops to hold on late. 1-Dorine’s Wild Cat didn’t have the greatest start from the rail on June 4 debut for trainer Ron Ellis when breaking slowly and can improve with that initial experience behind her. She should appreciate moving all the way outside this afternoon. Her sire Ministers Wild Cat broke his Maiden in career start number two. 3-Dialing Scotty makes first start over the main track for trainer Carla Gaines after flashing improved speed in 2023 return in April. She’s by Grade 1 winner Dialed Inn so today’s surface chance should be welcome and this gal figures to sit a nice forward trip making second start for a tag.
Selections: 4-1-3
Race #6: The sample is small, but trainer Jorge Periban is 2 for 3 with a 2nd place finish with recent claim acquisitions running at Los Al. He sends out recent purchase 2-Miss Joannie who slipped and broke in a tangle in her last start quickly spotting the field a couple lengths. She adds blinkers today and has trained well since that last troubled start. 3-Violet Crown goes turf to dirt on the class drop and was a sharp 3rd when last trying this reduced level three-back over this strip going a mile. 7-Electric Glide has been off for roughly 8 months and returns for a first-time tag with Lasix for Sadler. This filly figures to come away running with outside draw and aggressive gate rider.
Selections: 2-3-7
Race #7: 6-Episode Five didn’t have the cleanest of trips on June 11 debut and can improve significantly in second career start. Trainer Luis Mendez is sharp 6 for 12 (50%) with a lofty $8.55 ROI with Los Al second time starters and barn began this mini-meet 2 for 2. 8-Buraq’s Reflection was hardly disgraced with 3rd place finish in debut when facing several of these same juveniles and this barn usually improves their runners substantially in start number two. He can turn the tables on 7-Mr. Dreamcycle who was a much-improved runner-up in second career start and figures to be a handful in here with another forward move.
Selections: 6-8-7
Race #8: The lightly raced recent Maiden winner 5-Halosnheaven has shown ability in all three career starts for Baffert and returned off the layoff with sharp win. The Curlin filly should improve on the stretch-out. 7-Glorious Spring has been freshened since last win going this mile trip and is proven over this racetrack for trainer Dan Blacker. 2-Trouville is the most experienced gal in this field with 34 career starts and has run exceptionally well over this course (8-2-3-2). She can compete with this younger group if able to replicate 2nd place finish from two-back where she earned an (80) Beyer.
Selections: 5-7-2
Race #9: 1-Swamp’n Ain’t Ez has speed and today’s rail draw and is a multiple winner over this afternoon layout. 2-Tangledupinggrey takes a substantial class drop for Sadler on the turnback and surface change. This barn has proved to be successful in the past with similar fire sales and the recent 4-furlong drill on June 26 indicates the gelding comes into this event on his toes. 4-Excessive Cat stretches out on the class drop for Uranga and this gelding has proven he can handle this distance in the past. A sharp bullet drill on June 24 indicates improvement is likely getting on to the bigger afternoon oval.
Selections: 1-2-4
