Los Alamitos for Saturday 10 September 2016
Opening day you wanted to be wide. Then seemingly out of nowhere on day 2 you wanted to be in the one or two path and definitely not much wider. So for today which I like quite a bit I figured I better play the track as a "fair/even" surface.
Best of luck as always!
race 1 Â Â average clarity
4 Gianis  very low % trainer to a very high % trainer especially off of a claim......how's 20 wins for his last 50........OK figs at Lrc with old trainer......anticipating a move forward.......fits solidly if she does
2 Princess Val  one for one at Lrc and showed good early speed......race lacks the commodity and with a good start Guce might be able to be in control of things from start to finish
7 Gold Journey    last win at LA fits OK and this filly has a win and a 2nd in two starts on the Lrc dirt.....trainer is 3 for her last 8 with claim repeaters and 3 others were in the money
6Â Bella Angelina
race 2 Â Â above average clarity
2 Rough Passage  solid wake-up in latest in an effort quite a bit better than par for today's level....and he sure looks loose on the front end with a hard nosed speed rider up
1 Wrightwood  another coming off of an effort that is easily better than par....should be a ton late if he doesn't hang as he so often does
3 Winning Causeway  rider has started off the Lrc meeting with a bang.......2 wide stalkers had a field day yesterday and that is where this fellow is likely to sit
race 3 Â Â below average clarity
1 Rockport Kat  why not drop precipitously off of the layoff as this four year old has only managed 7 starts in 3 years of racing.......sharp a.m. work hints Baltas is all business and realizes he might lose the horse........should be in the hunt from the opening bell
2 Big Tire  last wasn't too bad 1st off of the claim considering this gelding isn't too crazy about the turf......back to his preferred surface and back to Gonzo who owns the last two wins on this fellow
6 Out of Patience   dangerous trainer in Miller 1st off of a claim and I like that his new shooter is in for $22.5K to get 2 lbs off and puts up the bug boy to get 7 lbs. more off.....top two are giving up 9 lbs to him......that might really matter if push comes to shove in the late going
race 4Â Â Â above average clarity
2 Gracie Regazza  hard to play against these stats (3 for 4 on the Lrc surface & has only missed the board once in 9 races at the distance offered today)........should sit mid back and be charging down the stretch
5 Miss Star Maker  most impressive speed horse in the race (and the other two speed types in here have blinkers off for today) sure would like yesterday's track where horse's sitting 1st or 2nd had a major advantage......seemed like you needed the one or 2 path......or......forget about it
4 Pageant Material  lone win to date came with an equipment change shake up to blinkers on.......the D'A shakes them up again today with blinkers off and with a sharp drill showing.......hmmm
race 5 Â Â above average clarity
2 Goliath's Girl  both lifetime dirt races with the blinkers on fit solidly at today's lower level claimer......D'Amato says take him away if you want
8 Run Brionie Run  trainer needs to snap out of the doldrums and might here as he sure got his cheap filly to work "big" nine days ago at Dmr.......as in a best of 38 46:4 bullet work.....form reversal seems likely if she handles her 1st at Lrc
7 Sudden Quest  the last two times this mare got to compete at 5 1/2 furlongs (3 back and 7 back) she ran solid efforts and both races are disguised by poor trips.....dangerous if gets a good journey today
3Â Song for Jade
race 6 Â Â average clarity
3 Ideal  most of his career sprinting on the dirt fits well here......smart step up MC to MSW......only mount of the day for M Garcia seems significant
4 Lord Simba  Baffert & Elliot have been one red hot combo and Baffert appears to have this well-bred colt all set for his MSW debut
5 Handful of Stripes  woke up in a big way albeit way back in mid June........nearly won and would have with a better trip.......like the confidence Mulhall shows in her three year old as she puts him back in a MSW race after putting him in a high priced MC in his last
7Â Super Touch
race 7 Â Â average clarity
5 Pray Hard  on a rebound of sorts and his latest improvement is disguised some......handles Lrc just fine as well as 6 1/2 furlongs.......last two races fit and he potentially might be up for more....lone mount of the day for Gutierrez
4 Classico  brutal trip in latest.......did really well to only be beaten by 7l and hold on to 3rd.......1 for 1 at Lrc.....better trip and this O'Neill runner can surprise a few
7 Sleepwalker  6 1/2 furlongs appears to be a plus and might not be for quite a few in this field........away since Feb. but the work regiment that Eurton has put into this gelding has "ready" written all over it
3Â Celebrated Talent
race 8Â Â average clarity
4 Soi Phet  wide throughout and still won by daylight in a small Stakes race like today.....and he likes the Lrc surface with 2 wins and 2 2nd's in 5 starts......should stalk the lead like last time.....not crazy about the rider change as Smith had one bad Dmr meeting but the fact he shows up at the little track for one mount is still significant
2 Magic Mark what a race in his last as he dueled in brutal pace on a slightly dull inside and still won a division of a small Stakes (Soi Phet won the other).....if he runs that race again I should have made him top pick but he did the similar 3 back and failed to repeat....still it was tough to separate the top two
3 El Huerfano  not impossible to be a factor if the top two bang heads badly in the early stages....doubt that happens but you never know
race 9 Â Â above average clarity
4 Woodie B Awesome  very strong wide runs in last couple....way better than par when you adjust for being wide......new jock today....don't see any reason this Sherlock runner can't run another strong route race
6 Coach Q  best ever on the dirt (and that isn't saying much) was at Lrc........sad to see an expensive horse not work out for the owners especially since they named him after my favorite Chi town coach of all time (sorry Phil Jackson) .......doubt it will be that happy of a winners circle as the connections surely hadn't envisioned this fellows graduation day being in a maiden 20K
2 Alston     back to T C Baze who seems to get the most out of this fellow......handles the Lrc surface......likes the one mile distance.......seems like the one most likely to grab the lead......hardly ever a bad thing in these mdn20K races at a route
9Â Gavination
10Â Silver Chrome
3Â Bundesliga