Daily Handicapping

1-LINE CASTLE meets winners for the first time but she was a highly impressive winner in her second start. Should get plenty of speed ahead of her, setting things up for her late move. Can repeat. 7-SATIN SWEEP easily won her first start after getting claimed by this barn but they moved her to the turf and stretched her out for last and she didn’t respond. Turns back in distance and switches back to the main track. Could get it turned back around. 3-TIMELESS MISS simply crushed the field in her last start. Jumps in class for this but it is possible that she’ll grab another unchallenged lead. Might do it again.

8-NEVER BETTER split the field in his lone start. He was racing at a higher level, at Presque Isle, in that race. His barn sports a 24% win rate with runners making their second starts. This one could be ready to roll with the drop to this level. 1-AIRTIGHT didn’t show a thing in his debut but most of his rivals are in the same boat. He’s dropping in class and racing with the benefit of a trip. Would expect considerable improvement. 2-DADDY FORTY NINE finished third in both of his races. He wasn’t close in either of them but he did show some late run in each. Ships back from Turfway. Should get a decent pace ahead of him. Could come running late.

8-MANE AISLE just missed in last when making her local debut. She even held the lead late in the stretch but she couldn’t hang on. However, runners often improve after getting a trip over this track. She could be one of them. Might graduate today. 1-BLEACHERS displayed far better speed in last, her second start. Drew inside for this. Doesn’t appear to be facing too much other speed. She could be on the lead from start to finish. 6-GREATEST STAR completes the sprint-route-sprint cycle. She’ll also be taking blinkers off. Keeps a red-hot rider in the irons. Should be flying late. Could finally earn her diploma.

2-SUMMER FLIGHT showed little in her first start of the year but she’s been a top contender ever since. Won her next start and finished in the money in the three races since. Met tough fillies in her two turf races. Could earn her first turf victory in this one. 3-MONA LISA came from far behind to score in her local debut, which was also her first race of the year and her first in the U S. That race took place on turf. She didn’t run nearly as well in last, on Polytrack. But, she’s back on the lawn for this. She’ll be reunited with Robbie Albarado who was aboard in her AP debut win. She had only modest success is previous turf sprints in Europe but she certainly deserves to give it a try in the U S. 6-BREZING RAIN tries turf for the first time but she’s bred to love the law, she gets the top jock in the irons, her barn has been strong with turf runners in all applicable categories, and she’s been red hot since her initial start; winning two of three and finishing second in the other. 5-MEGAWATTIE is definitely having an off year but she’s always a threat. Wouldn’t take her too lightly.

2-SEDONA BELLE showed little in last, coming off a layoff, but she won her previous two races; one on turf and the other on Poly. Her last, an allowance race, turned out to be a key race. She’s dropping to meet easier. Should get back on track. 3-TOBIN’S REALTY won four of her eight turf sprints, including a stakes race at Hawthorne last fall. She’s as quick as any in here but can come on late if there is too much other speed. Could easily be the best of these. 1-BETWEEN US never really fired in her five turf races, including four sprints, but she switched to the top barn a couple of races back and she seems to be in better form ever since. With speed and the rail, she could be on the lead throughout. 6-PARTY OF EIGHT has earned nearly $100,000 on the turf but has taken 35 starts to do it. She won only three of those races. But, she has finished in the money 18 times. Might not like her to win but have to respect her chances in the gimmicks.

3-CLOSEOUT and 2-POSITIVELYCHARMING are potent stablemates. Both have been good on the turf. Both have scored on this course. However, Closeout, last year’s heroine of the Grade 3 Pucker Up, has been taking on extremely tough company since then. She won only one of her three races this year and wasn’t that effective in the other two but she’ll be in against easier than she’s been facing. This late runner will get a great pace, probably generated by her stablemate, ahead of her. Could go flying past everybody. Positivelycharming crushed the field in her last start, scoring here for the first time. That race took place nearly four months ago but that victory also came off a lengthy layoff. She’s been training well for the last six weeks. Could be ready to wire another field. 6-NEVER RETREAT didn’t seem to handle the soft turf or the layoff in her first start for Block but she’s been working well since. The footing should be far better this time for this past stakes winner. Would expect a much stronger effort. 4-SUN FOR FUN has been the model of consistency. She couldn’t catch Positivelycharming the last time they met but that has been the only time in her 15 race career that she didn’t finish in the money. Figures to be close at the finish.

6-ROYAL EXPRESS and 7-EXCHANGE IN MOTION have both been working bullets for their debut. Both race for strong connections. Exchange in Motion comes from a barn that sports a great win percentage with first timers. Royal Express does not. However, that last drill by Royal Express was hot, hot, hot! Gotta go with him. How can we ignore Summer Upcountry? He races for the top barn, that sports a 24% win rate with first timers, and he gets Alvarado in the irons. He hasn’t had the monster drills like those to his inside but that workout pattern was more than sufficient.1-BIG SKY finished third in his lone start but he got bumped around along the way. Wouldn’t be at all surprised if he improved in his second start and did it at a price. We probably won’t see 13-MIDNIGHT VIGIL draw into the race but this $260,000 yearling purchase would certainly be one to consider if he did draw into the race.

8-ASHTUNOFUN has been knocking at the door for awhile. This could be the day that it opens for him. Late runner moves up in class but his speed figures put him in the same class as many of these and he’s getting a hotter rider in the irons. 4-TURNPIKE TOMMY finished third in his lone mile turf race but it would seem to be the perfect distance for him. He’s been tiring late at a mile and a sixteenth and nine furlongs but should still be full of run at this distance. 6-HARBOR WIN narrowly missed in his last at this level. He’s been coming from out of it lately but he owned good speed in the past. Could be tough either way.

1-HOLY GERI drops to an easier level. She came up a little short in last but had won her previous two races. Could start another win streak right here. 4-MING SLING also drops and she does it off the claim. Plus, she’ll be racing with blinkers. She’s been in good form against better. Could dominate at this level. 7-HOLLY AT LAW goes from state-bred allowance company to low-level claimers. She’s been, basically, in good form. She did show a thing the last time they dropped her in for a tag but she’s in better form now than she was then. Can’t be taken lightly.

They found an awfully tough race for the last local contest of the year. 6-MATTIEANDMORGAN might be the one to beat. She’s shipping in from a tough East Coast circuit and make her first start for the top local barn. Had two good efforts at Monmouth, two months apart, and ran competitively in last. Could graduate in this one. 7-SHOW ‘EM ALL races for the first time in two years but she did look sharp in her previous outings, both at Belmont, and she’s been training well for her return. Races for one of the world’s top barns. Gets one of the better pilots around in her irons. Hard to ignore. 9-HERE OUI GO AGAIN couldn’t get past in her turf debut but this consistent filly could improve with experience over the surface. On or off the lead, she would have to be considered a top contender. 8-SENSATIONAL GOLD should never be far back. She finished second by a head in her turf debut and third in last but she did have the lead late in both of those races. Might be able to hang onto it in this one. 11-LIZ HUNTER is a beautifully-bred first timer. Her works haven’t been that impressive but this $280,000 purchase races for a barn that sports a 31% win rate with their first timers. Would be hard to ignore.

That’s all folks! See ya next year.