Buy TicketsBy Bob Ehalt and Matt Shifman
Hot List Key:
A : A preferred horse to watch B: Secondary horse to watch
*C: Went down 2 or more betting notches in the final 3 minutes and finished 1st through 3rd
*D: Went down 2 or more betting notches and finished 4th or worse
* - 4 or more betting notches if 11-1 or more.
1st race – (1) Mi Amada drops a notch and should lead throughout from the rail. (7) Del Mar Sunrise missed by a nose and is dangerous off the claim and bump in claiming price. (6) Looking At Unicity is worth a look in his debut. (5) Nyfive fits in this field. Betting strategy: 1 to win, place. Exacta box: 1-5-6-7.
3rd race – (9) Tapstick has some speed and will welcome a return to Tapeta. (3) Lomax should be a main threat in the stretch. (1) Bernabeu takes a big class drop here. (4) Animated can sneak into the picture. Betting strategy: 9 to win, place. Exacta box: 1-3-4-9.
5th race – (5) Miso Spicy might respond to the return to turf with a big effort. (1) Will Reign has not raced since August but is working out fast. (6) Phoebeinwonderland will be helped by a fast pace. (4) Brittany’s Way can hang around until the end. Betting strategy: 5 to win, place. Exacta box: 1-4-5-6.
7th race – (7) Esoooo faces winners off a sharp maiden win but should be hard to catch. (6) Chalky White should be effective at this level. (8) Kazooza cannot be ignored in this field. (2) Italian Wine exits a sweet maiden win. Betting strategy: 7 to win, place. Exacta box: 2-6-7-8.
9th race – (7) Kapoor seeks a third straight win and gets top billing. (4) Chatter can make a lot of noise here. (6) Merry Madison looks like a stretch threat. (3) Isla Grande is an intriguing foreign import. Betting strategy: 7 to win, place. Exacta box: 3-4-6-7.