Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 3-Clouseau (Race 8)
Race #1: Selections: 4-6-2
4-Zip Me Up ran a solid second when back off the nine-month freshening on May 22 for trainer Carla Gaines, posting the field’s top turf Beyer (74), and this 4-year-old filly should prove to be a handful if she can build on that encouraging effort. 6-Sacred Sound flashed good speed before tiring to fifth off a similar layoff to the top choice, finishing behind her in the aforementioned turf sprint, and figures to be much tighter this afternoon, second off the bench. Hernandez replaces Rosario for the Peter Miller barn. The 5-year-old mare 2-Zuzu’s Classic Gal makes her long-awaited career debut for conditioner Mark Glatt. The daughter of Classic Empire has worked well in the a.m., but the barn is below average (7%) with turf sprint firsters over the past five years.
Race #2: Selections: 4-5-2
A beaten favorite in the last three tries, 4-Can’t Say That ran well for fourth despite late traffic issues in her most recent start on May 17 and deserves another chance to pick up the pieces late in a weak field. Her momentum was clearly interrupted when she was making her best run late. 5-Lady Ruth was running evenly through the stretch on the same May 17 one-mile dirt route as the top choice when hampered and squeezed 50 yards from the wire, but was likely never going to win that event. Nonetheless, her dirt Beyer matches up well again. 2-Stormy Gal has a ton of early zip but has yet to hold on when it matters most in the late stages of her races. The 5-year-old mare returned from a 520-day hiatus to finish sixth and will now make her 12th lifetime start.
Race #3: Selections: 3-1-2
3-She’s No Quant steps up to face winners today after a sharp May 22 maiden-breaking win for trainer Ed Freeman, in which she posted the field’s best turf Beyer (78). This daughter of Pavel has seen her speed figures improve with each subsequent start, and she looks primed for a potential repeat despite the class hike. 1-Tiger of the Sea goes dirt to turf today, exiting a wide trip beaten-favorite fifth in a short field on May 3, and that race has produced a pair of next-out winners. This filly’s grass sprint efforts have been solid, and she figures to get a favorable upfront-pressing trip this afternoon while reunited with winning pilot, Emisael Jaramillo. 2-Tis Sunrise just got up to break her maiden on May 16 and now shortens back up to six furlongs for her first crack against winners.
Race #4: Selections: 1-2-6
1-Nayar is an $850k OBS March purchase by Tiz the Law, debuting from the rail for Team Baffert off the barn’s typical snappy a.m. drills. The colt should leave running from the fence and gets the barn’s go-to pilot, Juan Hernandez, who remains a solid 40% with dirt-sprint Baffert firsters. 2-Clear and Present is by multiple Grade 1 winner freshman sire Jack Christopher, who has yet to produce a winner but was an 8 ¾-length debut winner at Saratoga. The colt has trained like a good thing for D’Amato, including a “best of 81” bullet four-furlongs in: 46.3 on June 6. 6-Billy Goat is a Calumet Farm firster sent out by trainer Doug O’Neill and is by Vekoma, who gets a strong 23% with his juvenile progeny. The colt gets a cozy outside post for this afternoon’s unveiling.
Race #5: Selections: 1-9-10-6
1-Debbies Gettinghot finished second, sandwiched between a pair of next-out winners on May 10 and earning a career-best (72) turf Beyer. This is start number 10 today, but this gelding is a logical fit if he can repeat that last performance. 9-De Facto surely needed that first start, when well-backed, breaking slowly and racing greenly throughout before finishing up to place a respectable fourth. Improvement likely. 10-Booked Clubhouse makes career try number nine today but has managed to close for minor awards in half his starts. Hernandez hops aboard as Frey sticks with top choice. 6-Owl was dismissed at 40-1 on debut but rallied from far back to just miss the show spot and can improve, adding Lasix for start number two.
Race #6: Selections: 9-6-2
9-Tess of Hemet finished an even third against similar on May 15 and now makes his second start at this maiden claiming $20k level. The colt has worked twice since that effort and is as good as any in here, which amounts to a low-level head-scratcher. Beaten by double digits in his last three starts, 6-Attack Now drops again, returns as a first-time gelding, and shortens back up to a sprint. The 4-year-old’s best effort did come at 6 ½ furlongs last December when a well-beaten second with a (67) Beyer. 2-Johnlino was dismissed at 70-1 and 80-1 and ran accordingly in both turf Maiden Special Weight sprint tries, but now moves to dirt on the class plunge, and one would think he should improve today.
Race #7: Selections: 5-2-8
The Michael McCarthy-trained 5-Ulysses Rose (Ire) is the least experienced filly in this field but may offer the most upside with only three career starts. The 4-year-old flattened out to finish third in the Santa Barbara S. but now makes her third start Stateside and third start of the form cycle. Hernandez climbs back aboard, and her grass Beyers are going in the right direction. There were some anxious moments late for her backers, but 2-Resolve got up in time to win on May 25 after a wide rally, and figures to make her customary late surge. 8-Hey Jessie defeated a trio of today’s returning rivals in the aforementioned May 3 Santa Barbara S. and is a logical fit again this afternoon. The daughter of Grazen has some versatility, which always makes her dangerous in grass marathons where the pace and trip usually determine the outcome.
Race #8: Selections: 3-6-4
The 9-time winning 3-Clouseau powered to an impressive 4 ¼-length win after a 5 ½-month layoff for trainer George Papaprodromou and should prove tough to beat today at short odds if able to run something close to that 100 Beyer. The gelding shortens up to six panels, where he’s 2-for-2. 6-Gettinby is an interesting newcomer for trainer Sean Williams (who sends out two in here), arriving here via the May 2 Oaklawn claim, where he had a blowout victory of his own and a lofty (92) Beyer. The 4-year-old colt looks to extend his win streak to three and picks up Hernandez for his Southern California unveiling. 4-Mega Moon was nailed late after nearly pulling off a gate-to-wire win off an 11-month layoff for trainer Ron Ellis back on April 25, and will probably try a stalking trip today with so much speed signed on.
Race #9: Selections: 3-1-7
A tricky $32k optional claiming turf sprint closes out the Friday payout leg with several different directions one could go. 3-Corporate Violette (Ire) returns off the mini-freshening after an 8-1 mild upset going longer back in the end of February and has trained well in the interim for Mark Rheinford. In a wide-open race, this 6-time winner will probably offer more than fair value again this afternoon. 1-Candy Bar was overmatched in the Mizdirection S. when stepped off the claim, but the 6-year-old mare is back where she belongs and shows up protected. She’s continued to train well and is a solid threat for a win with the right trip. 7-Andiamo Ragazza is winless since August 2024, having lost her last dozen races, but drops in class today, making her third start of the form cycle, and is likely to improve with Hernandez back aboard.
