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 Take Charge Brandi in the eighth. BEST BET Leitrim in the seventh. LONG SHOT Dr Anderson in the fourth. FRIDAY’S RESULTS 4-9 (44.4 percent). MEET 31-99 (31.3 percent). * Educated guess * * Things to like * * * Plenty to like ****Confident choice
Exotic wager possibilities
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette handicapper Rick Lee seeks out horses who make good “key” horses in multi-horse and/or multi-race wagers, commonly called exotic wagers.
The second race appears to be a good trifecta or superfecta race since it brings a large field to the post. Lacey the Partner looks like a solid choice, and there appears to be a few throw-outs to lower the amount needed to play. The 50-cent Pick 4 that begins in the sixth race is a good play because of a probable “single” in the eighth (Take Charge Brandi), and races six, seven and nine offer several contenders to make the wager worth cashing.
1 Purse $20,000, 6 furlongs, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $10,000. **DIAMOND OF BLUE won back-to-back races last summer at Del Mar, and he is dropping to the lowest claiming price of his career and drew a perfect post for a sprinter with early speed. WINGATE HALL won two allowance sprints at Mountaineer, and he has earned competitive Beyer figures and figures to be contesting the pace. BIG LUCKY was narrowly defeated two races back at Churchill, and he is back on dirt after a good effort at Turfway and the pace may flatter his ability to finish.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
1a Diamond of Blue Rocco Autrey 9-2 6 Wingate Hall Esquivel Garcia 5-1 4 Big Lucky Mojica Foster 5-1 7 At Bat Vazquez Broberg 7-2 1 Insideondoutside Rocco Autrey 9-2 3 Arborville Borel Whiting 5-2 5 Steel Guitar Court Holthus 6-1 2 Muazzaz Felix Mason 6-1
2 Purse $18,500, 6 furlongs, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up who have never won three races, claiming $10,000. ***LACEY THE SPARTAN defeated entry-level allowance rivals by nearly 10 lengths at Mountaineer, and she figures to repeat if she can hold form in this conditioned claiming sprint. VELVET ZIP is moving up a condition following a clear sprint victory at Churchill, and she benefits from a powerful trainer-rider team. MS. ZENERGY is taking a significant drop in claiming price for high-percentage trainer Joe Sharp, and the Fair Grounds shipper has early speed and a good record at the distance.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
2 Lacey the Spartan Esquivel Garcia 3-1 3 Velvet Zip Santana Asmussen 5-2 8 Ms. Zenergy Rocco Sharp 7-2 11 Holy Habit De La Cruz Puhl 9-2 6 Denali Inspired Mello Martin 20-1 5 Batiana Mojica Foster 20-1 7 Littlebitcranky Court Medrano 15-1 9 Emily’s Sugar LQuinonez Whited 20-1 10 Miss Nightlinger Laviolette 20-1 4 Deferred Birzer Creighton 20-1 1 Bella Gedes Roman Corderman 20-1
3 Purse $19,000, 6 furlongs, 4-year-olds and up who have never won two races, claiming $15,000. ***TERRIFIC TRIO has not raced in 14 months, but she raced well against much better on the East Coast and the Chris Richard trainee finished preparations with a bullet gate work. MYSTERIOUS PROMISE was likely best when narrowly defeated at this condition in his 2015 debut, and he excels over this track and is capable from on or off of the early pace. ANMAAT is unraced since June, but the lightly raced 5-year-old ran well in his only previous dirt race at Gulfstream and connections have brought contenders from Turfway today.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
8 Terrific Trio Mello Richard 3-1 3 Mysterious Promise Rocco Autrey 5-1 6 Anmaat Esquivel Garcia 12-1 9 Gun Roar Santana Asmussen 5-2 7 Cross Hammers Hamilton Hartman 7-2 2 Trawee Court Holthus 10-1 4 Try Arguing Harder De La Cruz Brueggemann 8-1 1 Retro Ridge Felix Smith 15-1 5 King of Sharks Roman Litfin 30-1
4 Purse $60,000, 1 1/16 miles, 3-year-olds, maiden special weight.
**DR ANDERSON broke poorly in his sprint debut but finished with energy, and he is bred to improve a route distances. Trainer Donnie Von Hemel rarely has his first-timers sitting on a peak performance. CONQUEST COBRA weakened after dueling for the lead into the stretch in a route debut at Woodbine, and this barn boasts a high winning percentage with second-time starters and first-time Lasix. SHARM has finished third in route races at Oaklawn and Keeneland, and his experience may be the difference.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
7 Dr Anderson LQuinonez Von Hemel 8-1 2 Conquest Cobra Vazquez Casse 4-1 8 Sharm Ocampo Lukas 3-1 3 All About Ashley Thompson Hiles 4-1 6 Magic of Believing Laviolette McPeek 7-2 4 Tarasenko Bridgmohan Becker 6-1 1 Crafty Navigator Santana Williamson 8-1 5 Dave Got Even Rocco Sims 20-1
5 Purse $18,000, 1 mile, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $5,000.
**TIZ READY raced wide in an even and disappointing try here last Saturday, but he is dropping to the claiming price of his most recent victory and moving to an improved post position. DENHAM ships from Turfway on the heels of consecutive front-running second-place finishes, and his record is noticeably better on dirt than synthetic surfaces. MOJO WORKIN has the benefit of a race over the track, and he is dropping from $10,000 to $5,000 for a trainer-rider team due a little better racing luck.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
5 Tiz Ready Hamilton Hartman 4-1 2 Denham Mojica Foster 6-1 12 Mojo Workin Loveberry Caldwell 12-1 9 Blue Canoe Vazquez Cox 9-2 1 Slick Pardoned Me Thompson Glyshaw 5-1 6 J. Burle Hill Caldwell 8-1 4 Flyin Trey Laviolette Holthus 10-1 10 Sommer’s Choice BQuinonez Gustofson 15-1 3 Fela Kuti Borel Johnson 10-1 7 Joint Tenant Franklin Lauer 12-1 11 Whiskeyontherocks De La Cruz Puhl 15-1 8 Warren’s Big Cat Wethey Van Berg 15-1
6 Purse $26,000, 6 furlongs, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $25,000. **CAPTAIN GENIUS scored victories at Churchill and Oaklawn in a limited campaign last season, and the stakes-winning sprinter holds a slight talent edge and deserves the nod despite returning from a layoff. BROWNEYED BACHELOR has won three of his past five races while earning competitive Beyer figures. SPECIAL JO finished a close third in a very fast allowance race last April at Oaklawn, and a similar effort is likely to defeat a field of $25,000 claimers.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
5 Captain Genius Ocampo Cox 5-2 1a Browneyed Bachelor Mello Richard 3-1 3 Special Jo Santana Asmussen 9-2 4 Radiant Day Bridgmohan Swearingen 8-1 9 Money Cannon Hill Diodoro 9-2 1 Wild Target Mello Richard 3-1 7 Almost English Castanon Rouck 10-1 6 E.M. Maximus De La Cruz Puhl 15-1 8 Bank Account Franklin Brueggemann 12-1 2 Drama Coach Felix Mason 15-1
7 Purse $60,000, 1 1/16 miles, 3-year-olds, maiden special weight. ***LEITRIM was compromised by a wide trip when beaten only two lengths in a two turn debut at Fair Grounds, and he has recorded three subsequent breezes and switches to talented young rider Ricardo Santana. CONQUEST CURLINATE had a useful career debut sprinting at Woodbine, and the gray son of Curlin is certainly bred for two turns and has worked well since arriving here in early December. PERFECTLY raced close to the leaders from start to finish in a solid seasonal debut, and the beaten post-time favorite needed the route experience and may make amends.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
9 Leitrim Santana Asmussen 5-2 3 Conquest Curlinate Bridgmohan Casse 4-1 5 Perfectly LQuinonez Von Hemel 9-2 6 Royal Marine Rocco Ritchey 3-1 7 Fracula Landeros McPeek 10-1 1 Dynamacho Franklin Hall 10-1 4 Whiskey Biz Birzer 20-1 2 Vogner Ocampo Lukas 15-1 8 Gasupthejet Berry Morse 12-1
9 Purse $24,500, 6 furlongs, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $30,000. ***MISSJEANLOUISE was no worse than second in five races last season, including a stakes-placed finish at Hawthorne, and she returns fresh for a stable that brings runners back fit and ready to contend. TOUGH BUSINESS showed early speed in an entry-level allowance victory just two races back at Fair Grounds, and she worked a brisk 4 furlongs over this track Jan. 16. SHE’SABREES had a three-race winning streak snapped when third best in her local debut, but she prefers running outside of rivals so the draw is perfect for her.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
2 Missjeanlouise Franklin Brueggemann 5-2 7 Tough Business Bridgmohan Stidham 7-2 9 She’sabrees Berry Broberg 4-1 1 Smarty Party Vazquez Villafranco 9-2 6 Distinctly Mine Hill Shorter 8-1 5 Silver Valley Santana Moquett 12-1 4 Franks Officer Gal Court Holthus 8-1 3 Twitterverse Castanon Rouck 15-1 8 Wedding Lass Borel Howard 20-1