LEE'S LOCK Stellar Wind in the ninth
BEST BET Five Star Nap in the third
LONG SHOT Fire Blaster in the seventh
THURSDAY'S RESULTS 4-10 (40 percent)
MEET 146-503 (29 percent)
*educated guess
**things to like
***plenty to like
****confident choice
1 Purse $24,000, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds and up, maiden claiming $15,000
WATCH OUT** flashed speed before retreating in his career debut, but he is taking a big drop in class and may lead this field past every pole. REVEREND SAM has been earning the fastest Beyer figures in this field. He is taking a slight class drop and may be finishing best inside the final furlong. PRIMAL may be tailing off, but the front-runner is dropping to the lowest level of his career. His connections are having a terrific meeting.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
1 Watch Out;Contreras;Asmussen;9-2
6 Reverend Sam;Roman;Chleborad;4-1
7 Primal;Santana;Moquett;4-1
3 Dreammeister;De La Cruz;Martin;7-2
13 Betweensatinsheets;Vazquez;Brennan;5-1
14 Bay's Commander;Court;Cline;4-1
5 Delta Chance;Rocco;Puhl;10-1
10 Dareandaprayer;Canchari;Martin;8-1
12 He Gotta Go;Eramia;Myers;10-1
4 Britt's Vow;PCanchari;Duncan;15-1
9 Summersweet Road;Laviolette;Ruiz;15-1
2 Wolf Ticket;Pompell;Smith;20-1
8 Bad Boy Johnny;Rodriguez;Hornsby;30-1
11 Portobello Sunset;Cruz;Carranza;30-1
2 Purse $23,000, 1 1/16 miles, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $7,500
LUV BANDIT** is an 11-race winner who has disappointed in his past two races, but he is taking a significant drop in class and wearing blinkers for the first time. ANMAAT has been racing well in two-turn races at the meeting, and he is back at a route distance after a sprint tune-up. BIG BEN rallied from far back in an improved fourth-place finish, and the pace figures more contentious.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
12 Luv Bandit;Contreras;Asmussen;8-1
9 Anmaat;Rodriguez;Garcia;20-1
4 Big Ben;Johnson;Hartman;5-1
11 Bob's Gone Wild;Loveberry;Caldwell;10-1
3 Quiet Ry;Rocco;Puhl;9-2
1 I Am Another;Laviolette;Smith;6-1
6 Flummox;Canchari;Morse;5-2
10 Alshujaa;Roman;Chleborad;20-1
14 Knight of Dreams;Pompell;Holthus;10-1
7 Eddington's Star;De La Cruz;Van Berg;15-1
13 Repent With Me;Court;Shorter;15-1
2 Canofspots;Birzer;Turner;20-1
5 Oliver's Bull;St Julien;Ashauer;20-1
8 It'sgoodtobelucky;Court;Frazee;20-1
3 Purse $24,500, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up who have never won two races, claiming $15,000
FIVE STAR NAP*** has been consistently competitive this season in allowance races, and she is dropping into a conditioned-claimer for the first time. She was scratched Thursday in favor of this spot. SANILAC tracked the leader before going by in upper-stretch in a clear maiden victory. Leading trainer Steve Asmussen is spotting horses where they can win. OH DEAR LORD has not raced since July, but she has enough talent to win if brought back fit and ready.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
3 Five Star Nap;Canchari;Robertson;7-2
9 Sanilac;Contreras;Asmussen;5-2
8 Oh Dear Lord;Eramia;McNair;10-1
1 Miss Barham;Franco;Witt;8-1
6 Precisely Ponti;Kennedy;Hobby;9-2
10 New Lucky Penny;Santana;Caldwell;12-1
5 Vickies Drama;Court;Shorter;10-1
4 Grantastica;Birzer;Van Berg;8-1
2 Our Addi Belle;Vazquez;Martin;10-1
7 Comic Summer;De La Cruz;Jayaraman;20-1
1a Stellastellastella;Franco;Witt;8-1
4 Purse $24,000, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds and up, maiden claiming $15,000
DUSTY** encountered traffic trouble into the turn in a clear second-place finish, and he must have come out of the race in good order running back in seven days. AWESOM CHAMP is back sprinting after two competitive front-running route races, and he switches to a winning veteran rider. REGAL REIGN finished second only two races back, and the beaten even-money favorite picks up the leading rider.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
13 Dusty;Loveberry;Caldwell;5-2
10 Awesom Champ;Court;Compton;5-1
2 Regal Reign;Santana;Diodoro;3-1
3 First Response;Contreras;Asmussen;4-1
5 Quietly Cuba;De La Cruz;Martin;6-1
6 Langdom;Laviolette;Shorter;5-1
9 Trojan Jeff;Canchari;Hartman;8-1
14 Exhume;Canchari;Moquett;15-1
7 Wilburn's Angel;Corbett;Cline;20-1
1 Red Wolf;Eramia;Broberg;12-1
12 Steelman Go;Pompell;Smith;15-1
11 Glorious Summer;PCanchari;Carranza;30-1
8 Bucksabigboy;Bedford;Black;30-1
4 Brother J.R.;Loveberry;Rengstorf;30-1
5 Purse $24,500, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds and up who have never won two races, claiming $15,000
LIPAN** weakened inside the final furlong in his first race against winners. The front-running colt is adding blinkers and dropping in price for winning connections. CONQUEST HIOSILVER battled for 6 furlongs before tiring in a useful route race. He is dropping in class, and Beyer figures give him a slight edge. BIG COMMISSION finished third in his return from a 10-month vacation, and the early pace figures fast enough to set up his late charge.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
8 Lipan;Santana;Cox;3-1
9 Conquest Hiosilver;Desormeaux;Hartman;5-1
10 Big Commission;Contreras;Asmussen;9-2
12 Recapitulation;Eramia;Stuart;8-1
14 Wild Man;Ortiz;Asmussen;6-1
11 Giant Secret;Vazquez;Diodoro;5-1
5 Summer Tiger;Loveberry;Robertson;12-1
2 Riqqa;Hill;Von Hemel;15-1
6 American Roma;Canchari;Matthews;20-1
7 Condominium;Franco;Lukas;20-1
13 Boston Marathoner;Birzer;Creighton;8-1
4 Shoe Money;Court;Fires;12-1
3 No Mo Jo;Roman;Villafranco;15-1
1 Outrun the Posse;De La Cruz;Martin;20-1
6 Purse $82,000, 1 1/16 miles, 3-year-olds and up, allowance optional claiming
KING PTOLEMY** was forwardly placed in a narrow defeat at Fair Grounds. He is taking a slight class drop and has raced well previously at Oaklawn. MALIBU MAX was compromised by trouble on the turn in a third-place sprint tune-up. He may have needed the race after an 11-month break, and he drew a favorable two-turn post. SOLVE earned a strong Beyer figure, defeating conditioned claiming rivals only two back. He is taking a huge drop in class after being distanced in his last start.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
3 King Ptolemy;Contreras;Asmussen;4-1
1 Malibu Max;Canchari;Robertson;5-1
12 Solve;Ortiz;Diododo;4-1
9 Sabrena's Bling;Borel;Jackson;15-1
6 Hot Item;Santana;Caldwell;12-1
2 Abraham;Vazquez;Richard;7-2
4 Rank;De La Cruz;Lukas;10-1
8 Battle Tap;Franco;Holthus;6-1
11 Flowers for Lisa;Eramia;Stuart;30-1
5 Blue Azul;Desormeaux;Hartman;15-1
7 Mr. Ticker Talker;Corbett;Jacquot;30-1
10 Admiralty;Felix;Moquett;30-1
7 Purse $80,000, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds and up, maiden special weight
FIRE BLASTER** is a first-time starter who has good works dating back to last summer at Louisiana Downs, and he may have tipped his hand in a rapid 5-furlong gate drill April 1 at Fair Grounds. MAIN ROAD has shown good early speed in a pair of second-place finishes at the meeting, and he has too much ability to be a maiden for much longer. DIVINE SHIFT showed early speed and held on well in a fourth-place return from a long break. He has the best of connections and is likely to improve.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
11 Fire Blaster;Eramia;Ramirez;8-1
4 Main Road;Vazquez;Hobby;9-2
8 Divine Shift;Santana;Cox;7-2
9 Providence;Contreras;Asmussen;5-1
1 Lawton;Ortiz;Morse;9-2
5 Mono;Desormeaux;Moquett;6-1
10 Ekati's Gem;Franco;Asmussen;12-1
2 Stout'cannon;Prat;Flint;15-1
1a Hooroo;Ortiz;Morse;9-2
3 Copper Munn;Canchari;Robertson;15-1
6 Husker Red;Birzer;Von Hemel;12-1
7 Mr Black Gold;De La Cruz;Van Berg;30-1
8 The Fantasy. Grade III. Purse $400,000, 1 1/16 miles, fillies, 3-year-olds
BENNER ISLAND** lost a late lead when a clear second in the Honeybee. She appears improved in blinkers and is switching to leading rider Ricardo Santana Jr. VEXATIOUS raced wide throughout when third in the Fair Grounds Oaks. She drops 5 pounds and keeps her regular rider. SPOOKY WOODS raced close to the pace in a graded stake-placed finish at Santa Anita, and California shippers are always difficult to beat in local stakes.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
3 Benner Island;Santana;Cox;5-2
5 Vexatious;Desormeaux;Drysdale;7-2
10 Spooky Woods;Prat;Hollendorfer;4-1
1 Chanel's Legacy;Birzer;Chleborad;8-1
6 Kell Paso;Rocco;Green;6-1
12 Ever So Clever;Contreras;Asmussen;20-1
8 Conquest Bandido;Hill;Catalano;15-1
9 Torrent;Ortiz;Moquett;10-1
7 Dutch Parrot;Borel;Van Meter;15-1
2 My Sweet Stella;Vazquez;Lukas;20-1
4 Drinks On Broadway;Johnson;Hartlage;30-1
11 Conquest Slayer;Carreno;Hernandez;50-1
9 The Apple Blossom. Grade I. Purse $600,000, 1 1/16 miles, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up
STELLAR WIND**** is a three-time Grade I winner who fires big when fresh. Her tactical speed always has her in a perfect attacking position turning into the stretch. TERRA PROMESSA is a four-time stake winner at Oaklawn Park who possesses good early speed and seems the only contender to the top mare. STREAMLINE was an upset front-running winner of the Grade II Azeri, but will need to run much faster to repeat.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
3 Stellar Wind;Espinoza;Sadler;3-5
1 Terra Promessa;Ortiz;Asmussen;8-5
6 Streamline;Landeros;Williamson;8-1
5 Tiger Moth;Santana;Cox;15-1
4 Divine Elegance;Corbett;Matthews;30-1
2 Durango;Vazquez;Morse;30-1
10 Purse $82,000, 1 1/16 miles, 3-year-olds and up, allowance optional claiming
DOCTOR PETER*** easily handled $25,000 claimers in his first race for leading trainer Steve Asmussen, and he has the class to wheel back and repeat in this optional claimer. DAN THE GO TO MAN has suffered narrow defeats in his past two races against similar opposition. He keeps the leading rider, but winning at two turns is difficult from his extreme outside post. LANGDARMA has rallied in consecutive third-place finishes at this condition. The pace has a chance to heat up and flatter his late run.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
7 Doctor Peter;Contreras;Asmussen;7-2
12 Dan the Go to Man;Santana;Caldwell;5-2
6 Langdarma;Court;Compton;10-1
1 Philoctetes;Ortiz;Forster;5-1
5 Long Station;Franco;Holthus;9-2
3 Nelson's El Camino;Vazquez;Diodoro;10-1
4 Marine Pilot;Hill;Ortiz;15-1
2 California Coast;De La Cruz;Van Berg;15-1
10 Sword of David;Canchari;Robertson;15-1
11 Tap the Admiral;Birzer;Arnett;20-1
8 Susan's Reward;Roman;Villafranco;30-1
9 King Maynard;Loveberry;Wiggins;50-1
EXOTIC POSSIBILITIES
• Five Star Nap in a good trifecta key horse in the third race, and I'll use five horses in the place spot and three in the show. The seventh race begins the last 50-cent Pick-4, and a few horses bring the credentials to win. The eighth race will take three of four to cover the race, and the presence of Stellar Wind in the ninth makes it a single in my mind. The 10th brings a full field of 12, and several are good enough with their best.
Sports on 04/14/2017