Buy TicketsBy Matt Shifman and Bob Ehalt
Hot List Key:
A: A preferred horse to watch B: Secondary horse to watch
*C: Went down 2 or more betting notches and finished 1st through 3rd
*D: Went down 2 or more betting notches and finished 4th or worst
* - 4 or more betting notches if 11-1 or more.
1st race [NY, Md 40000, 1 mi] – (4) Island Charm moved from turf to dirt for her third start and set the pace for a $50,000 tag and finished second. (6) Rose Lisa also went from turf to dirt for the first time, dropped down in class, and finished second as an even money favorite. Flavien Prat stays on board. (7) Luciana’s Honor was third in that same race as Rose Lisa while racing close to the pace. (5) Hudson River Line tried the main track in her second start and showed some early speed.
2nd race [Clm 20000B, 6F] – (1) Gunner Bay towers over this field in speed figures from his last two races where he was running for $50,000. Linda Rice claimed him in Kentucky for $62,500 in October. (3) Funny Uncle rallied wide last month to finish second in a N3L condition for a $17,500 tag. (6) Leading Role won at the N2L level three weeks ago with a front-end effort. (5) Panagiotis was third behind Funny Uncle last time out.
3rd race [Jerome, 1 mi] – (3) My World won his last two at Aqueduct in a maiden special weight and then moved to the mile distance while winning the Nashua by more than three lengths. (1) Enforced Agenda was a debut winner at the Big A in November going a mile for George Weaver at surprisingly high odds of 23-1. (4) Balboa has Derby trail experience in the Remsen (G2) where he had the lead and faded to third and the American Pharoah (G1) while racing fifth for Bob Baffert. He won the JF Lewis at Laurel Park for current trainer Brittany Russell. (2) Freedom’s Echo will be the longshot in the four-horse field shipping up from Parx racing as a maiden claiming winner.
7th race [Busanda, 1 mi] – (3) Shilling won the Tempted going the one-turn mile at Aqueduct in November. She then set the pace in the Demoiselle (G2) but was beaten by Zany who dominated that field. (5) Dazzling Dame won her first two starts including the Sorority at Monmouth Park. She is the October winner of a stakes at Delaware Park. (6) Believable was an $800,000 Saratoga yearling purchase who won her debut for Todd Pletcher and Repole Stable before running second in the Tempted. Last seen she was fifth in the Demoiselle. (2) Britain was a $1.05 million purchase as a 2-year-old who won her second start for Chad Brown as an odds-on favorite.
Best bets: Island Charm (1st); Gunner Bay (2nd). Best Value: My World (3rd); Shilling (7th).
Saturday Pick 3 Special --
Saturday Special $1 Pick 3 covers races 1-3 and includes the Jerome à 4 with 3, 4, 5 with 1, 3, 4 = $9.