Exotic wager possibilities
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette handicapper Rick Lee seeks out horses which make good “key” horses in multi-horse and/or multi-race wagers, commonly called exotic wagers.
The daily double looks inexpensive to hit as the first race appears to be a two-horse race, and I believe Baby Wildcat is a “single” in the second race. The 50-cent Pick 3 starting in the third race has a big payoff potential as the first leg is a wide-open field of 11, the second leg looks formful with less contention, and the final leg is a contentious field of 10 and winning tickets will deserve a healthy payoff.
Levels of confidence
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette handicapper Rick Lee is attaching a confidence rating next to his top selection in each race. Readers should consider selections with:
*Educated guess
** Things to like
*** Plenty to like
**** Confident choice
LEE’S LOCK Baby Wildcat in the second. BEST BET My Sister’s Secret in the fourth. LONG SHOT With Excellence in the third. THURSDAY’S RESULTS 2-9 (22.2 percent) MEET 76-234 (32.4 percent)
1 Purse $20,000, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds and up who have never won two races, Arkansas-bred, claiming $10,000. ***POETIC POSER broke his maiden at first asking Jan. 22, and he is dropping a condition following a second-place finish against better. OLIVER’S BULL faltered after contesting the pace in a state-bred allowance sprint, and the speedy gelding may have needed the race after 10 weeks on the sidelines. ARWALKINGDEPUTY proved determined as the post-time favorite in a maiden victory, and the lightly raced and improving 3-year-old seems capable of repeating.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
12 Poetic Poser Borel Howard 7-2 8 Oliver’s Bull BQuinonez Ashauer 4-1 7 Arwalkingdeputy Berry Creighton 5-1 11 Reinforce Laviolette Gonzalez 8-1 10 Suspecting Gold De La Cruz Martin 10-1 3 A.P. Brannigan Corbett Von Hemel 5-1 1 My Rio Chama Wethey Bauserman 12-1 2 Port of Storms Landeros Wiggins 20-1 4 Bones Baxter LQuinonez Prather 8-1 6 Hunting Diamonds Ocampo Allen 15-1 9 Karber Canchari Litfin 30-1 5 Wargamer Loveberry Wolfe 30-1
2 Purse $20,000, 1 1/16 miles, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $5,000. ****BABY WILDCAT dominated $6,250 rivals in her first start at the meeting, and new trainer J R Caldwell is going after a quick buck with a drop to $5,000. LOUWALA CLOUGH followed a fourth-place finish behind the top selection with a runner-up finish Feb. 12, and she figures to be a late danger if the pace is fast enough. IN TALL COTTON was one-paced in a sixth-place sprint tuneup, but she is taking a considerable drop in class and was able to carry her speed in a pair of two-turn turf races last season.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
1 Baby Wildcat Loveberry Caldwell 2-1 7 Louwala Clough Borel Wiggins 5-2 6 In Tall Cotton Ocampo Morse 8-1 3 Queen of Scioto Johnson Hartlage 9-2 2 Miesque Amour Berry Calhoun 8-1 5 Molly Z Birzer Lukas 6-1 4 Lucky Flo Rocco Lauer 8-1
3 Purse $21,000, 6 furlongs, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $7,500. **WITH EXCELLENCE sprinted competitively against much better last fall at Churchill, and she is taking a significant class drop and adding blinkers for high-percentage trainer Chris Richard. TAVARA had to overcome a slightly troubled start when narrowly defeated in a $5,000 claimer, and she appears more than sharp enough to move up and contend. MISS ADDICATE is dropping a notch following a late-running third-place finish, and this trainer-owner team runs horses where they can win.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
11 With Excellence Bridgmohan Richard 6-1 10 Tavara Laviolette Shorter 3-1 5 Miss Addicate Vazquez Villafranco 9-2 1 Sparkling Ruler Court McBride 8-1 3 Here Comes Polly Loveberry Caldwell 5-1 4 Forever Since LQuinonez Martin 6-1 2 My Place Or Yours Hamilton Lynn 10-1 9 Miss Julia Canchari Brueggemann 12-1 7 My Dear Desert Felix Mason 15-1 6 All About Brownie De La Cruz Puhl 20-1 8 Value Your Song Wethey Martin 20-1
4 Purse $22,000, 6 furlongs, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up who have never won two races, claiming $15,000. ***MY SISTER’S SECRET set a rapid pace in a clear second-place return to the races, and she is strictly the one to catch and beat despite a slight jump in price. RAVISHINGLY defeated $30,000 maiden claimers last March at Oaklawn, and the lightly raced 5-year-old mare has connections that must be respected. MISS QUEEN BLING rallied from last in a third-place finish at this condition, which followed a 10-length maiden victory at Remington.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
3 My Sister’s Secret Felix McBride 3-1 5 Ravishingly Canchari Brueggemann 7-2 1 Miss Queen Bling Corbett Durham 7-2 8 Expect a Prize Thompson Hiles 6-1 4 Perfect Setting Laviolette Rouck 8-1 2 Donna’sdramaqueen Esquivel Seagle 5-1 6 Miss the Cue LQuinonez Shumake 8-1 7 Deemie De La Cruz Moquett 15-1
5 Purse $22,000, 6 furlongs, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $10,000. **MY CRAFTY FRIEND should be fit following three front-running route races, and he is finally back at a preferred sprint distance and his new trainer does well with first-back claims. GENTLEMANS CODE had a tworace winning streak snapped when second-best Jan. 23, and he was claimed by a trainer who has won with three of his past five claimed horses. STORM DEVIL has been consistently good since his return in November, and the pace should be contested enough to flatter his late run.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
10 My Crafty Friend Canchari Anderson 10-1 6 Gentlemans Code Corbett Atras 9-2 8 Storm Devil Birzer Von Hemel 5-2 5 Lake Creek Kuntzweiler Hornsby 8-1 1 Sea of Change Felix Mason 4-1 4 Wild by Nature Borel Litfin 15-1 2 Lawyer Clyde Vazquez Chleborad 6-1 9 Star’s Valentino Loveberry Petalino 6-1 1a Muazzaz Felix Mason 4-1 3 Riseseastsetswest BQuinonez Riecken 20-1 7 J.Z.’s Crafty Boy Ocampo Lynn 20-1
6 Purse $24,000, 6 furlongs, 4-year-olds and up, starter allowance. ***COMO SE LLAMA is only a neck from having won five consecutive races, and his early speed always puts him in position to win. ZENARO hit the wire only a neck behind the top selection Jan. 29, and he may benefit from a five-pound swing in the weights. HOLLYWOOD ICE sprinted once last season, but the effort produced a decisive stakes victory at Remington and he benefits from a useful fourth-place route finish two weeks ago.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
4 Como Se Llama Bridgmohan Richard 8-5 1 Zenaro Castanon Cox 2-1 7 Hollywood Ice BQuinonez Young 5-1 2 Royal Dehere Santana Cox 8-1 5 Space Traveler Esquivel Mullins 10-1 8 Springandaprayer Wethey Frazee 15-1 3 Tensaw Mello Martin 12-1 6 Only Liquor Loveberry Page 15-1
7 Purse $64,000, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds, maiden special weight. **SHARM caught a sharp first-timer when second and four lengths clear of third Feb. 14, and the Lukas trainee likely graduates with a similar effort. TODAY’S AGENDA finished in the money in two sprint races as a juvenile at Saratoga, and he appears to be rounding back into peak form and is switching to the leading rider. DUNBRODY has a series of encouraging works leading up to his career debut, and trainer Wayne Catalano excels with this kind.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
9 Sharm Birzer Lukas 4-1 6 Today’s Agenda Santana Dutrow 6-1 7 Dunbrody Hill Catalano 7-2 10 Battleofburlington Ocampo Casse 6-1 3 Airborne Austin Borel Cates 10-1 4 Dr. Shipley LQuinonez Von Hemel 12-1 1 Malibu Man Landeros Atras 10-1 2 London by Night Hamilton Hartman 12-1 8 Whoop Ti Do Bridgmohan Hiles 8-1 5 Doritoz Johnson Morse 15-1 11 I’ll Play My Hand Canchari Brueggemann 15-1 12 Charnocks Vazquez Moquett 20-1
8 Purse $67,000, 1 1/16 miles, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, allowance optional claiming. **GHOST LOCKET has been very competitive at this condition, and the wet-track specialist has speed and drew an inside post. GLORYS LAST CHANCE used similar sprint-to-route tactics in an allowance victory last season at Oaklawn, and she is a multiple stakes-placed mare. I AM MISS BROWN finished second behind a lone speed winner in a $25,000 claiming race, and she was claimed by a sharp barn and she likes a wet track.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
2 Ghost Locket Laviolette Von Hemel 5-2 6 Glorys Last Chance Thompson Hall 7-2 3 I Am Miss Brown Castanon Cox 4-1 5 I Tour Wethey Jacquot 12-1 8 Trans Continental Birzer Sims 8-1 9 Talkin Taylor LQuinonez Broberg 9-2 10 Wild Ritzy Mello Chleborad 15-1 1 Cowgirl in Love Loveberry Milligan 15-1 4 Graceful Rage Santana Moquett 15-1 7 Tiawe Borel Wiggins 20-1
9 Purse $66,500, 6 furlongs, fillies, 3-year-olds, allowance optional claiming. ***MEGYNS GOLD has made every pole a winning one in both races at the meeting, and she gets to run with similar since she is eligible to be claimed. LADY PAISLEE dueled through honest fractions before tiring inside the final furlong in her return from a layoff, and speed figures to hold well over a wet-fast track. KATHBALLU earned good Beyer speed figures as a juvenile filly, and she figures stronger and faster as a 3-year-old.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
8 Megyns Gold Berry Hartman 3-1 4 Lady Paislee Canchari Robertson 6-1 6 Kathballu Landeros McPeek 12-1 1 Scadaddle Bridgmohan Richard 7-2 9 Star of Gallantry Vazquez Villafranco 10-1 5 Empressive Humor Santana Asmussen 4-1 3 Everything Bling Corbett Durham 10-1 7 Bling It On Baby Loveberry Caldwell 12-1 2 Rachel’s Ready Thompson Vance 15-1