Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 2-Prince Dolce (Race 4)
Race #1: Selections: 1-4-5-6
1-Goodies flashed solid speed before tiring to third in a well-bet grass sprint unveiling May 9 for trainer Phil D’Amato, earning a strong (72) turf Beyer. The daughter of Collected figures to be a handful with any normal second-out progression. 4-Tiz Alluring also ran well on debut for conditioner Richard Baltas. The sophomore filly rallied for the show spot after getting crowded and bumped at the start. This barn has above-average stats with second-time turf starters. 5-Somerset West is a logical win candidate based on her back-to-back runner-up efforts on turf, including finishing ahead of Tiz Alluring in her last try. Rosario on. 6-Velvet Reign (Ire) is an interesting import for Simon Callaghan who hit the board in both bulky fields overseas last fall. She makes her U.S. unveiling off a steady line of synthetic track drills, luring Hernandez.
Race #2: Selections: 1-4-6
Two sprints to a route, 1-Proud Racer is wheeled back on short rest after just missing by a nose May 29, when finishing a well-clear second. This 5-year-old maiden gelding has now finished second or third in seven of eight lifetime starts for Miller. The Sean McCarthy-trained 4-Van Gogh Style was an improved third when switching to the main track in start number two and now stretches out for the all-important third career try. He should appreciate routing being by Grade 1 winner Paynter (17% dirt routes). 6-Low Tox (by Vekoma) hasn’t been out in seven months but makes his first start routing for the Papaprodromou barn with blinkers and Lasix and could be better as a 3-year-old.
Race #3: Selections: 1-4-2
The 9-time winning 1-Red Flag steps up in class off his game April 25 score for trainer Jeff Mullins and has run well in all four starts this campaign. The veteran 8-year-old gelding has the best late-pace figure in this field and is likely to save ground from the inside draw. 4-Santarena finished an even fourth off the 13-month hiatus on April 2 for trainer Mark Glatt behind the undefeated Crude Velocity, who runs in the Woody Stephens (G1) at Saratoga this afternoon. This gelded son of Omaha Beach posted some of the swiftest main-track Beyers in this field last year. 2-Captivator returns off a six-month freshening for trainer John Sadler and, when last seen, stumbled and was pulled up in the Los Al Futurity (G2) back in mid-December. The lightly raced Charlatan sophomore returns as a gelding this afternoon off a spirited work tab, which includes a bullet five furlongs in :58.3 on May 29.
Race #4: Selections: 2-5-6
The late-closing 2-Prince Dolce is the Day’s Best Bet, with a double turf Beyer advantage over the rest of this field and likely to benefit from a projected swift race flow. The gelded son of Sir Prancealot loves this turf course, evidenced by his 8-3-1-2 mark, and should run these down late on the class drop. 5-Matt At Five has run first or second in all four lifetime starts and exits back-to-back grass sprint wins by a combined 8 ¼ lengths. The streaking gelding figures to handle today’s one-mile trip but has other speed-types to deal with this afternoon. 6-Highplainsdrifter rallied 5-wide to grab the place spot when facing a trio of today’s returning rivals on May 9 and is another who should get the pace he needs to be most effective closing through the lane.
Race #5: Selections: 3-7-5
3-Confidence Man goes turf-to-dirt off a decent third on debut May 10 for trainer Brian Koriner and should be tough with any normal second-out progression. The 3-year-old son of Stay Thirsty fired back-to-back main-track bullets on May 23 and 30, since that encouraging unveiling, indicating he’ll improve substantially over the main track. 7-What Has Been returns off a nearly year-long layoff for conditioner Ed Freeman, breaking slowly on a well-backed Los Al debut and finishing fifth. The gelding adds Lasix today off a steady work tab. Turf to dirt 5-He Got Lit ships in from Turf Paradise for new conditioner Val Brinkerhoff while showing some early zip in his last pair of starts.
Race #6: Selections: 9-4-8
9-Empress Matilda (GB) ran on well for third considering it was her first start in a year on April 19 and now slashes her claiming tag in half, second off the bench. That last race has produced a pair of next-out winners, and this 4-year-old filly appears poised to pick up the pieces late with veteran Hall of Famer Kent Desormeaux. Class dropping 4-Rich of Joy returns off the three-month mini-freshening for trainer Victor Garcia and is another who should benefit from a live race flow. The speedy 8-Preem has other need-the-lead types to deal with this afternoon but figures to come out smoothly from her outside post and just ran second at this level in her last try after blowing a three-length stretch lead.
Race #7: Selections: 3-7-4
The veteran 10-year-old gelding 3-Windribbon has shown no signs of slowing down, exiting two sharp tries and figures to be tough to beat this afternoon at this bottom $5k claiming level. He looks primed to take his 13th career victory. Blinkers off 7-Chasin Munny drops in for a career-low claiming tag, exiting a recent runner-up finish on May 17. Rosario takes over the riding assignment. 4-Devil Moon has been trounced by double digits in his last several starts but slashes his claiming tag in half, gets in light, and figures to try and bottom out this field.
Race #8: Selections: 9-2-7
The stakes-winning 9-Light Won Up goes two sprints to a route for team O’Neill, exiting a recent runner-up try in the Senorita (G3). The 3-year-old filly has posted some of the swiftest turf Beyers in the field, and today’s one-mile trip figures to be well within her distance limitation wheelhouse. 2-Inbox (GB) finished a better-than-looks-on-paper wide fourth when facing a trio of today’s returning rivals on April 5 and is on the improve for D’Amato, who sends out four of the 10 fillies lined up here. The 3-year-old by multiple Grade 1 winner Ectot still offers plenty of upside. 7-Wild Like the West just missed in the Providencia S. and now has run second in three straight for conditioner Richard Baltas. The daughter of Into Mischief loses Hernandez, who sticks with the top choice.
Race #9: Selections: 2-3-9
The class-dropping 2-Hard to Figure is 0-for-12 at Santa Anita but returns to a mile, where he finished second two back with a lofty (85) main-track Beyer and drops in for a career-low claiming tag. The gelding figures for another upfront-pressing trip. 3-Duran ran well for the runner-up spot off the claim, posting the field’s best last-out main-track Beyer (80) on May 2. A multiple winner over the track and distance, the 6-year-old gelding is a logical fit right back at this $16k claiming level. 9-Royal ‘n Rando steps up in class, exiting a sharp 2 ½-length win on May 15 for the red-hot Mike Puype barn and is fully capable of the repeat with Rosario despite the class hike.
Race #10: Selections: 4-5-10
A full field of maiden fillies sprints on turf to close out the last leg of the multi-race exotics in what looks like a wide-open field. 4-Winika backed up badly to finish last in her most recent try April 30 while flashing speed and wide. The Mullins filly shortens back up to a sprint this afternoon and switches to Hernandez. Blinkers off 5-Queen Kimbe makes her first start for new barn after flashing improved speed on May 3 before tiring to sixth. The daughter of More Than Ready makes her third start off the form cycle today and can improve further. The Drysdale-trained 10-Egyptian Mistress shortens back up to a sprint today while making her second try at the $50k maiden claiming level. She can improve by switching to Rosario.
