THURSDAY'S RESULTS 1-9 (11.1 percent)
MEET 144-437 (33.0 percent)
LEE'S LOCK Smellin Candy in the ninth
BEST BET Flashy Indian in the fifth
LONG SHOT Midnight Shine in the third
*educated guess
**things to like
***plenty to like
****confident choice
1 Purse $22,000, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds and up, maiden claiming $12,500
**DRAMA STAR has contested the pace in three consecutive third-place finishes, and he may be able to shake loose early and lead this field past every pole. LASCIVIOUS is a first-time starter with winning connections. He sports encouraging works in southern Louisiana, and he did draw into a soft maiden-claiming field. SPEEDY DANSMERE has been close to the early lead in a pair of distant second-place finishes, and his Beyer figures have been on the rise.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
5 Drama Star;Morales;DiVito;3-1
1 Lascivious;Santana;Moquett;7-2
11 Speedy Dansmere;Pompell;Smith;6-1
4 Shocking Blue;Vazquez;Garcia;6-1
7 Farmer Phil;Court;Ortiz;5-1
8 Shanks;Eramia;Broberg;12-1
10 Samurai Mike;McMahon;Litfin;12-1
3 Classic Pursuit;Canchari;Chleborad;10-1
6 Too Tall Arkansas;Quinonez;Cates;15-1
2 Red Dirt Road;Birzer;Roberts;20-1
9 Jersey Red;St Julien;Smith;30-1
2 Purse $23,000, 6 furlongs, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, Arkansas-bred, maiden claiming $16,000
**DIRTY DIXIE ROAD set a fast early pace before tiring in the stretch in a useful two-turn effort, and she is back sprinting and dropping into a maiden-claiming race for the first time. CLARISTA has finished in-the-money in four of five races, and she does have sprinter's speed. The beaten post-time favorite may make amends. LUNA MAGIC finished second at big odds in a vastly improved performance, and the lightly raced filly may be figuring it all out.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
9 Dirty Dixie Road;Santana;Stall;5-2
13 Clarista;Vazquez;Van Meter;7-2
14 Luna Magic;St Julien;Hall;5-1
2 She's too Cool;Quinonez;McKellar;4-1
4 Sophie's Pocket;Morales;Loy;15-1
1 Button Mushroom;Sanjur;Mason;5-1
5 Miss D Irish;Cabrera;Hartman;9-2
11 Angebellanico;Court;Jackson;8-1
10 Timely Miss;De La Cruz;Martin;12-1
3 Shes Got Me Going;Felix;Jansen;15-1
8 Suspicious Lady;Birzer;Martin;15-1
6 U R My Sunshine;Contreras;Howard;20-1
12 Satin Suprise;McMahon;Nicks;30-1
7 Ourjonesgirl;Rodriguez;Cannon;30-1
3 Purse $20,000, 6 furlongs, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $6,250
*MIDNIGHT SHINE had blinkers removed and responded with a deceptive seventh-place front-running route effort. He is back sprinting, and the class dropper is a four-time winner on a wet track. MODERN MEDICINE has the fastest recent Beyer figures, and he is taking a double-class drop for winning trainer Karl Broberg. ROCK STAR STATUS raced close to the pace in a solid fourth-place finish just six days ago, and he did win five races in 2017.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
1 Midnight Shine;Morales;Vance;20-1
2 Modern Medicine;Cohen;Broberg;5-2
11 Rock Star Status;Eramia;Broberg;7-2
6 My Samurai Warrior;St Julien;Diodoro;9-2
8 Circle Unbroken;Vazquez;Garcia;6-1
4 Senor Grits;Thompson;Dixon;12-1
1a Bud Ro;McMahon;Holthus;20-1
10 Stay Home;De La Cruz;Kordenbrock;10-1
3 Private Time;Canchari;Shorter;15-1
9 Bootleggin;Sanjur;Williamson;8-1
7 Oliver G;Manrrique;Gustafson;20-1
5 Mysterious Storm;Gazader;Vance;20-1
4 Purse $32,000, 1 1/16 miles, 3-year-olds and up, maiden claiming $30,000
***CAUSE TO ACTION has finished second in four consecutive races for powerful connections. He has earned the field's fastest Beyer figures and should break his maiden soon. KING'S RECKONING has rallied to second in both of his two-turn races at the meeting. He has wet-track ability and drew a favorable route post. NATIONAL PRIDE flashed speed before retreating in a sprint debut at Fair Grounds. He is dropping in class and is bred to carry his speed this far.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
9 Cause to Action;Santana;Asmussen;2-1
1 King's Reckoning;Prescott;Puhl;7-2
7 National Pride;Contreras;Asmussen;6-1
8 Coconut Ice;Cabrera;Hartman;9-2
4 Moneymeister;Gazader;Peitz;8-1
3 Drastic;Eramia;Moquett;10-1
5 Lielielie;Court;Fires;12-1
2 Sharp Money;Felix;Mason;10-1
6 Thunder and Rain;Morales;Hall;20-1
5 Purse $28,000, 6 furlongs, 4-year-olds and up, starter allowance
***FLASHY INDIAN has been vastly improved since the addition of blinkers Feb. 19. He is taking a slight drop in class and is unbeaten in two races on a wet track. ACADEMY BAY was beaten a head in an unusually fast starter allowance race March 24, and the 6-year-old knows how to win races. COUGAR COUNTRY has lost late leads in consecutive tough-luck defeats. He is very quick and a threat to steal the race.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
5 Flashy Indian;Court;Frazee;5-1
7 Academy Bay;Eramia;Broberg;7-2
8 Cougar Country;Cabrera;Villafranco;5-2
2 Preacher Time;Prescott;Puhl;5-1
4 Roberto Gato;Birzer;Anderson;6-1
6 Dingdingdingding;Cohen;Lauer;8-1
3 Hey Bro;Thompson;Duncan;15-1
9 Internet Success;Pompell;Cox;15-1
1 Handful of Stripes;Vazquez;Garcia;10-1
1a Warcraft;Vazquez;Garcia;10-1
6 Purse $81,000, 6 furlongs, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, maiden special weight
**HEIDI'S WISH finished second behind a very talented filly (Good Move) in her career debut, and the speedy filly is adding blinkers, which is a high-percentage change for this stable. PLENTY QUICK finished second in her career debut sprinting, and she is back at her best distance after fading in her two-turn debut. ETTALUSIVE has finished second in all three of her races at 6 furlongs, and a poor record on turf clouds her consistent good form.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
8 Heidi's Wish;Canchari;Robertson;9-2
5 Plenty Quick;Cabrera;Von Hemel;7-2
1 Ettalusive;Stevens;Matthews;2-1
6 Rockets Phenom;Birzer;Chleborad;10-1
7 Graybrooke;Santana;Moquett;6-1
2 Mo Mo;Cohen;Moquett;4-1
4 Shimmering Dream;St Julien;Von Hemel;15-1
3 Temples Mon Cheri;Bedford;Riecken;20-1
7 Purse $26,000, 6 furlongs, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up who have never won two races, claiming $20,000
**SWEET TATUM broke her maiden by 9-widening lengths. The rapidly improving filly is in good hands and is spotted to repeat in a conditioned-claimer. MORE MONIQUE set a rapid early pace in a tough-luck second-place finish, and the Arkansas-bred filly drew a good post for a sprinter with speed. PRETTY GREELEY has finished in-the-money in three of her last four races at this condition, and she gets in light with a winning apprentice rider aboard.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
3 Sweet Tatum;Santana;Asmussen;3-1
11 More Monique;Felix;Mason;4-1
1 Pretty Greeley;Morales;Ortiz;5-1
4 Frigidish;Vazquez;Broberg;8-1
5 Eye On Harper;Eramia;Morse;10-1
6 Dixie Flyer;Birzer;Chleborad;15-1
7 I Be Jeannie B;McMahon;Broberg;10-1
2 Eidolon;Cabrera;Villafranco;10-1
10 And She Scores;Quinonez;Pish;15-1
9 White Gold;Gazader;Vance;12-1
8 Her Kitty;De La Cruz;Thomas;15-1
12 My Four Funs;St Julien;Cates;20-1
8 Purse $83,000, 6 furlongs, 4-year-olds and up, allowance optional claiming
**EL CHARRO has put six good races in succession, and he represents the strong barn of trainer Brad Cox. He figures closer to the pace in today's field. GUNS LOADED crossed the wire only one position behind the top selection March 25, and in a field with little opposing speed he may be able to reverse the finish. LONG STATION has been a fast-closing second in three consecutive races, while earning Beyer figures that put him close at the wire.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
1 El Charro;De La Cruz;Cox;2-1
9 Guns Loaded;Santana;Moquett;3-1
2 Long Station;McMahon;Holthus;9-2
5 Matrooh;Sanjur;Contreras;6-1
7 Cake Pop;Vazquez;Lauer;12-1
8 One Fine Dream;St Julien;Von Hemel;10-1
6 Indexical;Cabrera;Villafranco;8-1
3 Singandcryindubai;Cohen;McKnight;15-1
4 Conquest Wildcat;Eramia;Morse;20-1
9 Purse $32,000, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds and up, Arkansas-bred, maiden claiming $30,000
***SMELLIN CANDY was beaten only a head while crossing the finish line 8 lengths clear of the third-place finisher, and he received a confidence boost when the winner came back to finish second in the Rainbow. MUNYAK is dropping into the maiden-claiming ranks after consecutive fourth-place finishes. He has tactical speed and keeps winning rider Ramon Vazquez. CLUTCH TIME flashed early speed before retreating in his career debut, but he too is dropping in class. He is wearing blinkers for the first time.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
11 Smellin Candy;Loveberry;Hornsby;6-1
7 Munyak;Vazquez;Smith;4-1
8 Clutch Time;De La Cruz;9-2
12 Pop Life;Cohen;Moquett;7-2
2 Oh So Tall;Felix;Mason;8-1
6 Me N Logan Ray;Court;Jackson;5-1
9 Bandit Point;Thompson;Cline;10-1
4 Cowboy Cactus Jack;Eramia;Loy;12-1
3 Iza Innocent;McMahon;Nicks;20-1
10 Bigshotofwhiskey;Quinonez;Cline;30-1
1 Hackashaq;Rodriguez;Dimmett;30-1
5 Laid Back John;Bedford;Jackson;50-1
EXOTIC POSSIBILITIES
• The third race starts a Pick-3, and I'm hopeful long-shot Midnight Shine runs a big race, but Modern Medicine and Rock Star Status are two that must be on the ticket. The fourth race appears to have four possible winners, and the fifth race is another that can be narrowed down to three. Smellin Candy is a good horse to key on top of a ninth race trifecta. I'll use six horses in the place slot and four in the show.
Sports on 04/06/2018