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 Super Saks in the ninth. BEST BET Maybelle Slew in the first. LONG SHOT Nearshore in the third. THURSDAY’S RESULTS 4-9 (44.4 percent) MEET 27-90 (30.0 percent)
Exotic wager possibilities
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette handicapper Rick Lee seeks out horses which make good “key” horses in multiple-horse and/or multiple-race wagers, commonly called exotic wagers.
With Excellence looks like a good “key” horse in the fifth race. The race drew a field of 10 and several contenders should make for an attractive trifecta or superfecta payoff. I believe Super Saks is a good “single” in the ninth, therefore the 50-cent Pick 4 starting in race six is once again a good play. The first three legs appear tricky so spreading out to catch a price is the way to put together a ticket.
1 Purse $18,000, 5½ furlongs, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $5,000. ***MAYBELLE SLEW was compromised by a slow pace when beaten by a head opening day, and the seventeen-race winner is a picture of consistency and the one to beat. TAVARA has not raced since June, but she won her first start following a similar layoff last winter and trainer Aaron Shorter has had his horses ready to compete. ANOTHER TRICK raced on the lead when posting a mild upset over the top selection, but the pace went her way and she picks up seven pounds in the rematch.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
6 Maybelle Slew Santana Gibson 7-2 2 Tavara Laviolette Shorter 6-1 3 Another Trick Vazquez Villafranco 5-2 1 Slick Philly De La Cruz Brueggemann 10-1 7 Our Valid Twirl Mello Glyshaw 6-1 8 Lemondropspritzer BQuinonez Martin 5-1 4 Sister Kathy Johnson Holthus 10-1 5 Southern Symphony Loveberry Compton 6-1
2 Purse $18,000, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds and up, Arkansas-bred, maiden claiming $12,500. ***COMEBACK CREEK followed a second-place debut at Retama Park in Selma, Texas, with a front-running third-place finish here just eight days ago, and he should continue to improve and may finally get a dry and fast track. BULLERO was a non-threatening second while three-lengths clear of third in a solid return to the races, and the seven-time runner-up has enough talent but his willingness may be the question for this twenty-two race maiden. BEE’S BULL earned a competitive Beyer figure in a front-running fifth-place finish at Delta Downs in Vinton, La., and he has improved in each of his four races.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
1 Comeback Creek Loveberry Witt 3-1 8 Bullero Franklin Jackson 5-2 6 Bee’s Bull Court Williams 6-1 2 Mr Rink Dinker Mello Martin 8-1 3 Big Statement Rodriguez Whited 10-1 4 A.P. Brannigan Corbett Von Hemel 9-2 5 Deputyarcoop Santana Creighton 10-1 9 Mister S Johnson Hartlage 12-1 7 Seymour Red BQuinonez Williams 15-1
3 Purse $23,000, 6 furlongs, 3-year-old fillies which have never won two races, claiming $25,000. **NEARSHORE raced outside the leaders before taking over in upper-stretch in a clear maiden victory at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., and she has worked well in subsequent breezes at Oaklawn and keeps top rider Ricardo Santana Jr. LEAP YEAR LADY dominated maiden claiming rivals at first asking at Keeneland, and she is dropping in class after a disappointing optional claiming try at Hawthorne Race Course in Cicero, Ill. BERNSTEIN’S DREAM is adding blinkers after a fourth-place finish at Delta, and note the winner of the race came back to win a stake.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
5 Nearshore Santana Moquett 6-1 6 Leap Year Lady Felix Mason 7-2 2 Bernstein’s Dream Vazquez Broberg 7-2 4 Miss Queen Bling Corbett Durham 9-2 9 Redlace and Pearls Rocco Hobby 6-1 3 Bullofthewoods Loveberry Milligan 12-1 7 A Little Unique Bridgmohan Swearingen 10-1 8 Seattle Summer De La Cruz Martin 12-1 1 Batten Down Belle Castanon Compton 12-1
4 Purse $23,500, 1 1/16 miles, 3-year-olds and up which have never won two races, claiming $30,000.
**HAWAAKOM finished second behind a lone speed winner who was able to back up the pace, and he has been good in three consecutive races and gets a slight advantage from his rail post. FIGHT THE POWER was a fast-closing second behind a wire-to-wire winner in a useful sprint tune-up, and he raced well around two turns last season at Oaklawn. MAJESTIC SUNSET is multiple stakes-placed on synthetic, and he is an experienced two-turn runner with a strong trainer-rider team.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
1 Hawaakom Berry Hawley 5-2 6 Fight the Power Loveberry Caldwell 5-1 7 Majestic Sunset Bridgmohan Casse 7-2 5 Ostentatious Me Santana Asmussen 7-2 3 Sheikinator Landeros McPeek 5-1 4 Even Echo Wethey Van Berg 12-1 8 Belvin Hamilton Hartman 10-1 2 W W Orient Esquivel Becker 20-1
5 Purse $20,000, 1 mile, fillies and mares, 4-yearolds and up, claiming $10,000.
***WITH EXCELLENCE raced wide in a competitive 7 furlong sprint at Churchill, and she is taking a significant drop in class for a high-percentage stable that will catch fire soon. MY SILVER LULLABY finished 2014 with a strong photo finish loss against better on turf at Retama, and she is equally good on the main track and may have some value. FAST BOBBI J has finished in-the-money in five of six races at Oaklawn. She has competitive Beyer figures and is dangerous if fit for new trainer Tammy Hornsby.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
8 With Excellence Mello Richard 5-2 5 My Silver Lullaby McNeil Milligan 8-1 10 Fast Bobbi J Johnson Hornsby 6-1 6 Box Office Appeal Vazquez Villafranco 8-1 1 Flattering Touch Franklin Brueggemann 4-1 2 Fourteengunsalute LQuinonez Irwin 12-1 9 Marlene’s Love Santana Asmussen 5-1 3 Here Comes Polly Loveberry Caldwell 15-1 4 Stephensclassygal Roman Mullins 10-1 7 Imma Bee Sexy BQuinonez Petalino 12-1
6 Purse $23,000, 6 furlongs, 4-year-olds and up which have never won two races, claiming $25,000.
**BATOUTOFCAROLINA followed a clear debut victory with a second-place allowance finish last May at Prairie Meadows, and he seems to be working sharply for his return and is spotted well in a conditioned claiming race. BOURBON SENSE faltered after racing close to the pace when over matched in his 2015 debut, but he is dropping in class and is game when running against rivals he can beat to the front. IDEBEASUPERSTAR is the speed draw on the rail, and he too was overmatched on opening day, but figures to be competitive at this level.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
5 Batoutofcarolina Loveberry Caldwell 7-2 10 Bourbon Sense Vazquez Gorder 3-1 1 Idebeasuperstar Birzer Creighton 6-1 8 Shady Creek Borel Howard 6-1 2 Conquestor Thompson Glyshaw 8-1 6 All Call Mello Richard 8-1 3 Gun Roar Santana Asmussen 6-1 4 Yankee Dime Laviolette Smith 10-1 9 Shere Khan Johnson Lukas 20-1 7 Sir Smart Alex Court Jackson 20-1
7 Purse $60,000, 6 furlongs, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, maiden special weight. **T.R. INDY has been on the sidelines since last February, but finished third behind eventual multiple stakes winner Sugar Shock in her 2014 debut. She has moved to the barn of trainer Steve Asmussen who has her on Lasix for the first time. CAPE SONG shows a series of swift workouts for her return from vacation time, and she showed promise in a second-place debut at Aqueduct Racetrack in New York, and may be stronger and faster as an older mare. STAR SIGHTING finished fourth as a posttime favorite in her career debut at Churchill, and “typical” second-out improvement could put her close at the wire.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
6 T.R. Indy Santana Asmussen 5-1 8 Cape Song Vazquez Gorder 9-2 9 Star Sighting Bridgmohan Catalano 7-2 4 Red Miracle Landeros Sims 5-1 5 Big Island Blonde Bell Robertson 12-1 7 Radiant Ruby Court Van Meter 8-1 2 Flash Sonday’s Berry Gowan 20-1 1 Score More Keith Biehler 12-1 11 Heavenly Princess LQuinonez Von Hemel 10-1 10 My Bria Mello Chleborad 12-1 12 Bristol’s Tale Loveberry Milligan 15-1 3 Kelly Belly Kid Thompson Vance 30-1
8 Purse $60,500, 1 mile, 4-year-olds and up, allowance. **PROSECUTION was wiped out at the start as an even-money favorite at Churchill, but he is back at a preferred two turn distance and the Brad Cox trainee knows how to win races. STARTER had to rally behind a moderate pace in a sharp three-length sprint victory, and he does have proven route ability. STREET STRATEGY was an impressive maiden route winner here last winter, and has been on the bench since an even effort in the Grade 2 Rebel. The talent is there but the question of fitness must be answered.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
8 Prosecution Bridgmohan Cox 5-2 7 Starter Santana Stall 2-1 6 Street Strategy Borel Morse 5-2 3 Lasting Impact Rocco Holthus 6-1 5 Big Money Speaks Mello Chleborad 12-1 1 Wildwoodsgreatest Esquivel Becker 15-1 2 Bitters ‘n Bourbon Vazquez Moquett 15-1 4 Substitute Berry Loetscher 20-1
9 Purse $60,000, 6 furlongs, fillies, 3-year-olds, maiden special weight. ****SUPER SAKS set a rapid pace before tiring inside the final furlong when third in the Dixie Belle, and she had a sharp subsequent breeze and is strictly the one to catch and beat with a drop into the maiden ranks. GHOSTRUNNER is bred to be a very fast filly, and she sports a series of good works and picks up a winning veteran rider. TOUGH N TRASHY was forwardly placed in a third-place debut at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del. She worked six furlongs from the gate Jan. 21 and figures to show improvement for a stable that will heat up soon.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
3 Super Saks Thomspon Lukas 2-1 2 Ghostrunner Birzer Sims 5-1 6 Tough N Trashy Bell Robertson 9-2 5 Basboosa Hamilton Peitz 6-1 8 Zealous Madame Rocco Pitts 10-1 7 Athena Borel Pitts 10-1 9 Tizsational Santana Moquett 12-1 1 Appachee Squall De La Cruz Martin 10-1 4 Union Beauty Loveberry Milligan 8-1