Expert Selections

6-MAXY LEVENS ran very well in both of her starts at this level. She was narrowly beaten in both of them. Can’t guarantee that she’ll get over the hump but, off recent form, she has to be considered to be the one to beat. 1-NOT SOUH was in too tough in her last start and never made an impact but she had been in great form prior to that race. Has speed, the rail, and she’s dropping in class. Could leave with the lead and never look back. 5-CHUFFED has had some competitive efforts against slightly better. Drops to the lowest level of her career. That drop could wind up being the winning move.

4-MONTY CAT is a well-bred first-time starter. He’s been training well, his barn has been red-hot all meet, and he gets one of the top riders in the irons. This colt gets the nod in a wide-open race. 8-BROADWAY PROMISE didn’t show a lot in his debut but he was meeting better at Churchill, racing on dirt. He’s bred to love Polytrack. Drops in class and makes his debut on this surface. Could improve in a big way. 5-UNDAUNTED ONE beat only one in his first start after getting claimed by this barn but he ran into the starting gate when leaving. Moves back up in class for this race but he’s been training well since that last race and his barn won five of 11 starts at the meet. Deserves another chance.

6-SKY AND MIGHTY could win right back. She gets into a speed-filled race again. She ran well in two of her three races at the meet but was acting up badly, pre-start, in the other. Beat many of these in that last win. Can do it again. 3-SASSY SHORE BREEZE finished second in her last two races, most recently behind top choice, but she just might be able to lead all the way in this one. 5-GENTLE LANA ran well in all of her starts against claimers. She hasn’t won since August but she generally gets close. Has to be considered in the mix.

This might be one of the tougher races that we have had this meet. 6-ERDISTON goes for his third in a row, and he’s been beating most of these rivals at this level. He scored in five of his eight Polytrack races. With his stalking style of running, he should be racing right off the pace, just poised to grab the lead in midstretch. However, 3-GO BUCKY GO has different plans for the outcome. He’s riding a win streak of his own and his is three races long. But, he was a daylight winner in last, meeting better, and he’s dropping in class for this. There must be a reason for that move. 4-JAYGAR DANCER hasn’t visited the winner’s circle this year but he has finished in the money in six of his seven starts in 2009. One of these days he’s going to cross the finish line first. This could be the day. 8-MADDY’S BOBCAT is a hard-knocking veteran that is usually in the hunt. Might not be able to win this but he does have a good chance of finishing in the money.

1a-CITY ROYALE and 1-WILDWOOD MEADOW make a pretty strong entry. City Royale takes on winners for the first time but she displayed very good speed to break her maiden in last. Her entrymate, Wildwood Meadow, has been racing competitively against similar rivals. She owns pretty good speed but she can finish with authority. Both figure to be top contenders. 3-DUBIOUS should show some late run with the turn back in distance. She was a dominant winner, going long against cheaper, in last but she did show a good late move at this level in her prior start. Makes her first start after getting claimed by this barn. Could get into the hunt late in this long sprint. 5-EVE’S APPLE showed little in last but she was making her first start of the year. Raced competitively against this type in 2008. Could be tougher now that she had a recent race under her belt.

8-LUMEN could be in the right spot. He had been running well at Fair Grounds earlier in the year. Got claimed from his last. Took a couple of months off since his last but he has been training very well. Could be meeting his easiest field ever. Seems most likely to graduate. 3-PALACE TENOR finished third in his local debut and ran even better in the first race of his career. Took a couple of months off since his last start but he has continued to train well. Races for sharp connections. Gets another hot rider. Turns back in distance. All systems are go. 2-WEST WEB drops into maiden claimers while racing for this barn for the first time. However, he’ll also be starting for the first time in 14 months. His works have been sufficient. His barn is always hot. Deserves serious consideration.

7-ATHEIST crushed the competition in his first start of the meet. That race was on Polytrack but he did have a similar effort in his lone turf sprint. Moves up to face better but he just might be the quickest of these. 1-STORMY BALLAD showed little in last at Tampa but he has had some success in previous turf sprints, mostly on this course. Has been freshened for four months. Owns a decent late move. Could awaken in this one. 2-TWO BEE wired the field, on Poly, in his local debut. Worked easily since. Tries turf for the first time but he’s bred to handle anything. Might be able to win right back.

5-LEOPOLD BLOOM tired badly in last couple but he was in against better, going longer, and he faded under pressure. Should have an easier time of it at this level. Taking blinkers off could help him to relax. Might be able to make a late, and winning, move. 3-BLACK VICAR could be the best of the speed. He’s moving up in class but he did win his lone start rather easier. Wouldn’t be a big surprise if he was on the front end throughout. 1-FAST PROMISES narrowly missed in his two races this meet; losing last by less than a length. He’s been showing good late run. Maybe his third trip over the track will prove to be the charm.

8-SOUTHERN ANTHEM showed little in last but he was in against far, far tougher. Drops out of stakes company. He had little trouble beating allowance company two races back. Seems likely to get back on the winning track against this easier group. 11-APPROVEDBYTHEMINT has been fairly successful on turf, winning three of his eight grass races. Finished up the track in two of his three races this year but those poor efforts were on the main track. He narrowly lost his lone turf race of 2009. Could be the main competition. 7-GARBORATOR showed little in his turf debut but he pulled things together in last and scored by daylight. Takes on tougher here but an effort anything like last would most likely make him a top contender in this one.

4-IMA QUICK CAT might not get caught. He’s been tiring late in his races after showing good early speed but he faced open claimers in all of those starts. This will be the first time that he meets state breds. It could make all the difference. 6-TRUSTY LEVEN showed little in his debut but he narrowly lost when dropped to this level for the first time. That was his first trip over the track. this race is shorter but he now has experience on the surface. Could improve in a big way. 8-MR. INDIGO finished up the track in his only start after showing good speed but he’s dropping to a much easier level while dropping into maiden claimers for the first time. Figures to be far more competitive at this level.