Sunday, January 18, 2015
RACE 1:
7 WILDCATPLEASURES is turning back to 7
furlongs on the dirt after showing speed and fading
vs. $30,000 ‘2-lifetime’ claimers going a mile on the
GP West turf. Trainer Jorge Navarro, 24% with the
surface switch, has Jose Lezcano named to ride.
5 ELUSIVE BLUEBOY, a winner of 3 of 10 career
races, is dropping to the $25,000 conditioned claiming
level on the dirt after proving no match for the
competition in the $110,000 Claiming Crown
Canterbury going 5 furlongs on the turf; Edgar Prado
rides. 3 ALFREDO ROMANA will try conditioned
claimers in S Fla after shipping from Laurel to Tampa
and finishing a 4-wide 5th vs. $32,000 optional
claimers. The winner of 3 of 9 career starts (9-3-1-2)
fits beautifully with this level of competition.
SELECTIONS: 7-5-3
RACE 2:
6 FOREVER FOR ALWAYS is stepping up to the
next logical level after rallying 5-wide to defeat
$20,000 maidens going a mile here on the grass.
Trainer Jena Antonucci has Edgard Zayas going for
two in a row. 9 PRINCESS ROMANA will try ‘nonwinners of 2-lifetime’ claimers after following a 6th
place finish behind Forever for Always on Dec 11th
with a $20,000 maiden score going 7 ½ furlongs last
out. 10 CHICA CHAPINA is turning back to a mile
after rallying late to finish a respectable 4th vs. this
caliber of competition going a mile and a sixteenth.
SELECTIONS: 6-9-10
RACE 3:
4 PIRATES VOW, a winner of 3 of 5 turf sprints vs
this caliber of competition during 2014, drops after
rushing up to stalk the pace and fading from
contention in the $110,000 Claiming Crown
Canterbury. Trainer Jorge Navarro has Rafael
Hernandez atop the White Wabbit Wacing gelding.
1 CIELO CLASSIC should be primed and ready to
offer a winning performance after shipping in from the
Midwest to finish 3rd – beaten 2 lengths – going 5
furlongs on the grass, despite the fact that he had to
alter course twice.
5 CATALACTIC is dropping to the $20,000 level, and
turning back to 5 furlongs after tracking the pace and
finishing 6th vs. $25,000 optional claimers going 7 ½
furlongs. Trainer Marcus Vitali has Javier Castellano
in the saddle.
SELECTIONS: 4-1-5
RACE 4:
6 SYLVIASGIVENANGEL moved to the Rowan
Dixon via the claim after coming within a nose – as
the favorite – of defeating $6,250 “3-lifetime’ claimers
at the distance. 8 RUN GIA RUN is dropping into this
$6,250 conditioned claimer on the dirt after facing
tougher in 7 consecutive races on the turf. Trainer
Kirk Ziadie, a whopping 8 for 15 (53%) with the grass
to dirt angle, has Edgard Zayas at the controls.
5 LADYFROMHAVANA is stretching out to a mile
after stalking the pace and hitting the board in 2 of 3
recent sprints vs similar opposition. Trainer Larry
Pilotti has apprentice Tyler Gaffalione in the saddle.
SELECTIONS: 6-8-5
RACE 5:
2 FANTASMAGORICO is making his first start since
encountering trouble at the start (bumped), chasing
the pace, and weakening to finish 4th vs multiple
winners in a $6,250 claimer at GP West on Nov 15th.
Trainer Efren Loza Jr. is 31% with the 61-180 days
layoff. 12 LITTLE BAKER is stepping up to the next
level after dueling early, getting the lead, then holding
on to defeat $6,250 ‘2-lifetime’ claimers at the
distance. Trainer Carlo Vaccarezza has Luis Saez
handling the outside post. 7 BIG GRANDPA moved
to the Kirk Ziadie barn via the claim after facing
tougher during his summer/fall campaign on the local
scene. Trainer Ziadie, 38% with the 61-180 days
layoff, has Edgard Zayas at the helm.
SELECTIONS: 2-12-7
RACE 6:
12 PEARL OF A GIRL is plunging to the $6,250 level
after facing considerably tougher, with some success
(6-2-2-0), during 2014. The big concern is the
demanding outside post (12).
5 JESSIE CAN MAMBO is dropping to the $6,250
level on the dirt after knocking heads with tougher in 7
consecutive turf races. The mare, 7-2-1-1 on a fast
main track, has Edgard Zayas handling the surface
switch. 9 SKIPPY IS BACK is a stalk/close type of
runner that ‘hit’ the board’ in 9 of 13 races last year,
thus earning her a spot on the exacta and trifecta
ticket.
SELECTIONS: 12-5-9
RACE 7:
7 CONFRONTATIONAL is stretching out to a mile
and a sixteenth after a promising 7-furlong career
debut at GP West in which she recovered from a slow
start to come within a nose of exiting the maiden
ranks at first asking. Trainer Pletcher, 25% with the
stretchout move, has John Velazquez named to ride.
6 SWEET CORINE, a half-sister $1.6 million dollar
earner Verrazano, and a full sister to Grade 2 winner
El Padrino, is making her first trip around 2 turns after
finishing a workman-like fifth in the 6 ½-furlong career
debut at Aqueduct on Nov 29th. Trainer Shug
McGaughey has her training forwardly for her 3-yearold debut. 2 MISS PINK DIVA is returning to the dirt
after following a 2nd place finish going a mile on the
Churchill main track with a fast closing 3rd going a
mile on the local turf. Trainer Buff Bradley adds
second-time blinkers for the surface switch.
Crown Tiara. Trainer Mike Pino has Joe Bravo
handling the inside speed. 10 STARSHIP SHAWTY,
who does her best running in the latter stages of the
race, can reap the spoils if Issheit gets hounded on or
near the lead.
11 SUMMERTIME MUSIC is
stretching out to a mile and a sixteenth after returning
from an extended layoff to set the pace and get tired
late when finishing 3rd vs similar going 7 ½ furlongs.
The proverbial screws should be tightened in her 2nd
start back from a 3 ½-month layoff.
SELECTIONS: 1-10-11
RACE 10:
8 I AM NOW is stepping up, and turning back, after
encountering trouble at the ¼-pole and finishing 2nd –
beaten a length – vs $35,000 optional claimers going
a mile and three-sixteenths. Trainer Todd Pletcher
has John Velazquez atop the daughter of Tiznow.
5 ARTEMIS will tussle with allowance level
competition on the grass after facing graded stakes
competition in California during 2014. Chad Brown,
who takes over the training, has the daughter of
Empire Maker training consistently on the Palm
Meadows turf. 3 MARKET MAGIC is expected to
show more after returning from the 10-month layoff,
breaking from the tough Post 13, and finishing a late
running fifth. Trainer Bill Mott, 36% with the 2nd start
after longer than 180 days layoff, has Jose Lezcano in
the saddle again.
SELECTIONS: 7-6-2
SELECTIONS: 8-5-3
RACE 8:
9 GIANT CRYSTAL, a half to Wood Memorial winner
Gemologist, is stretching out to 9 furlongs after a
strong late rally produced a 3rd place finish – beaten a
neck – in her local turf debut at a mile and a sixteenth.
5 BUGLE is another stretching out to a mile and an
eighth after just getting nipped at the wire going a mile
and a sixteenth here last out. Trainer Eddie Kenneally
has Corey Lanerie returning on the $400,000
daughter of War Front. 6 COVER UP will be treated
with Lasix after ending her freshman season with a 4th
place finish going a mile and a sixteenth on the
Aqueduct turf. Trainer Shug McGaughey, 23% with
first-time Lasix, has Javier Castellano atop the Phipps
Stable homebred daughter of Tapit.
RACE 11:
9 AMAZON KING is turning back to 7 ½ furlongs after
surrendering the lead to finish 4th in his local turf
debut vs this level of competition going a mile. Trainer
Chad Brown is 23% with the 2nd start after a 45-180
days layoff. 7 STRIKE EM DOWN will race with
blinkers off after breaking from Post 10, tracking the
pace, and finishing an even 5th vs maiden special
weight competition going a mile and a sixteenth.
Trainer Greg Sacco has Rafael Hernandez in the
saddle. 2 FLASH TRADING is a $170,000 son of
Broke Vow debuting in this $75,000 maiden test for
trainer Chad Brown, who is 21% with his first-time
starters. The colt starts his campaign with Lasix, and
John Velazquez in the saddle.
SELECTIONS: 9-5-6
SELECTIONS: 9-7-2
RACE 9:
1 ISSHEIT, a speedy 7-year-old daughter of Crimson
Classic, is dropping to the $20,000 level , and moving
to the rail, after tracking the pace and faltering vs
tougher in the mile and a sixteenth $125,000 Claiming
BEST BET: RACE 10 – 8 I AM NOW
LONGSHOT: RACE 11 – 10 MR MONEYPANTS