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Golden Gate for Sunday 17 March 2019

I am holding back my opinion of the upcoming changes at SA & GG until some of the dust settles except to say I have been an advocate of what the Stronach Group intends to do to clean up the sport for the last four decades but I hope they aren't implementing all the changes too quickly instead of in stages.

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Not too crazy about the card but I did put in more hours of handicapping than usual as I so often do when a given card is tough to decipher. Hope it pays off some. 

Best of luck as always!

 

race 1    average clarity

2  Cosa Nostra   takes an alarming drop especially since he was a vet scratch on 23 Feb but he has put in two somewhat reassuring 5F drills since......he has been a hanger that is for sure but might not hang at today's significant;ly lower MC level

5  Dare to Believe   seemingly does best when he can sit close up and he has a decent chance to do just that in this spot lacking no clear leader........trainer is often at her most dangerous 3rd out after a break which is the case here

3  When Jesus Walked   like the change in trainers and jockeys.....and talk about a four-year old in need of a significant drop......would have rated higher if there was more speed in the race as she comes from the clouds

 

race 2    below average clarity

1  Go Ghetto   toss out last two races as he hates the slop (5 0 0 0)..........race lacks speed and this six-year-old has some and he doesn't necessarily need the lead to win........as in his race 4 back where he stalked the lead and won at Dmr in a two turn race vs. better

5  Proper Crown   likes the racing surface at GG and seems at his best at today's 1 1/16 distance.......also fits jock Alejandro Gomez quite well

3  Close to Midnight   gelding has shown improvement in his last two efforts......and now he goes from a low percentage trainer to a high percentage trainer........and the only time this 5-year-old run further than one mile he won

 

race 3    average clarity

1  Fly First Class   even though this gelding is cutting back route to sprint he still looks loose on the lead and with a 7 lbs bug boy up who sure appears as if he is going to be a good rider.......if of course he puts in the work and stays on the straight and narrow

2  Badger Boy   SCRATCHED OUT OF THE RACE  trainer Miyadi is capable of winning with a 1st time starter without showing much at all in the morning.......the pedigree is there as mom has tossed 3 winners from 3 starters and one of the 3 was a Stakes winner

3  Planet Nine   plenty of furlongs put into this Jamey Thomas 1st time starter and at the MC8K level sometimes that is all it takes........dangerous potential

 

race 4    average clarity

2  Punaluu   SCRATCHED OUT OF THE RACE   handicapping 101 here.........seems like a very good spot for a late runner like this gelding as there is an abundance of speed in this race.......good trainer........good rider

5  Gray Donovan   another off pace runner in a field with plenty of speed......and with the meets leading trainer and rider at the helm.........although the rider Cedilla had a bad day yesterday

3  No New Friends   trainer is a stellar 38% 1st out following a claim and he and the jock up today have won 3 of their last 8 as a combo.....rated 3rd mostly because he is one of four speed horses signed-up

 

race 5    below average clarity

6  Council Miss   low % trainer but not 3rd out following a layoff which includes a win for this mare the last time she ran 3rd out following a break which was on 9 Dec.......that and I like the sprint-route-sprint scenario for today which should aid her endurance when push comes to shove in late stretch

4  No More Twinkies   trainer has been on fire of late and he indices leading jock Abel Cedillo to stick around on a an eight year old mare making only her 23rd career start and only her 3rd start since Sept. of 2017......so my guess is she has remained healthy enough

1  Passion for Papa   seems sharp right now but she has faded racing past 5F in her last 4 attempts at the distance.......might not today if she gets loose on the lead like she managed to do in her last

 

race 6    below average clarity

5  Bold Roman   won his latest his 2nd lifetime start following a 3rd in his debut........and the rest of this field of 6,250 nw2 races averages 1 for 14.....I'll take the runner who is not the proven loser

6  Zucchini   1st out after the Tamayo claim and the trainer's best stat by far is "1st out following a claim".......and he lures the meets top jock to ride

3  Stormin G A   decent better than appears in print layoff race in last.......and now for his 2nd out after the break he has his claiming price cut in half.......likely pointed to this race/level all along

 

race 7    average clarity

2  Maxinamillion   appears to be a good claim by Bellasis of a gelding who loves the one mile distance at GG on the AW.........as in 4 wins and a two 2nd's in 7 starts at the distance.......and it seems significant that leading rider Cedillo rides thru the claim

5  Prince Cheval   night and day better on synthetic surfaces and he is one for one at GG winning his last start back on 25 Jan.......definitely appears loose and he will have to be wheeled in

6  My Friend George   very consistent since August of 2018 as in (7 4 1 1 1).......don't see any reason that he won't be highly competitive once again today

 

race 8    average clarity

5  Faithful One   trained well prior to her MSW debut back on 2 September but tossed a clunker........but........she likely got hurt in the race as she didn't work since the disappointing debut again until January of 2019.......a.m. preparation is good once again........good trainer with 2nd time starters.......danger city

2  Sure Magic    SCRATCHED OUT OF THE RACE    filly showed plenty of life in her MSW debut at GG but was compromised by a bad trip......and now she takes a significant drop from MSW to MC.........trainer Delia is solid with the move

4  Fabled   so so a.m. work but she sure is well-bred.......and......her trainer Rene Amescua is very dangerous with MC 1st time starters and maiden claiming races in general

7  My Three Kids   SCRATCHED OUT OF THE RACE 

3  Fine Gael

 

race 9    below average clarity

2  Malibu Alex   talk about a rider that fits a horse.......Alejandro Gomez is (6 2 2 2) on this gelding the last six times he rode him and all were at 6F which is today's distance........and all six were at today's racing level or higher......that'l do

5  Spokane Eagle   4 of the last 6 races for this gelding fit very well in this spot.....but......those races were on conventional dirt........so it likely comes down to his ability to handle his 1st ever on a synthetic surface

1  Mal Verde   by far at his best at GG and not too shabby at today's distance as in 6 for 16........and the jock knows this gelding well having been up for at least his last 10 starts.......not out of the win picture by any means.......pun intended

7  Don't Stalk Me

 

race 10    below average clarity

5  Come On Kat   38% win over his last 163 1st out following a claim for John Martin.......filly is (4 2 1 0) at today's distance and retains Gryder thru the claim who won for fun on this gal in her latest.......1st on the AW but owns a decent pedigree for it

9  Katya Antipova   talk about stepping up the class ladder and succeeding........steps up once again......jock knows this filly extremely well having been up for all 9 of her lifetime starts........hard not to like

3  Arwan  has her physically problems so she likely will be ready off of the 2 1/2 month break as it might be quite some time until she races again........both lifetime races at 6F at AW for OK here......should be a handsome price

1  Namorita

8  Raiderette

 

race 11    average clarity

4  Diamondsnchampagne   both wins for this filly came when the barn dropped her in claiming price.........12,5002x in last.........50002x today.........filly has won on and off of the lead which might come in handy here in this race loaded with speed

6  Stratus Bird   not a very good speed spot but she might be the speed of the speed......that and she has the potential to improve 1st out following the Morey claim

1  She's an Eagle   race seemingly plays into the hands of the late running filly......dangerous late running sort

2  Panshir

 

race 12    average clarity

7  Purdue   last two races for this four-year old filly were run at higher levels and fit fine at today's MC8000 level......that and Eddie Truman is solid 3rd out after layoffs and dropping multiple levels both of which are the case today

1  Miss Bravo   SCRATCHED OUT OF THE RACE   trainer is 22% win with the MSW to MC move........with that in mind and the fact this filly went off at 41 to 1 in her debut hint that the race might just have been a spin around the track to drop.......and.......go go go go today

8  All Star Allie   might be a good claim by Rosales and company of a filly who ran well but failed to win in her two lifetime starts both of which were at 5F......and her pedigree suggests 6F is a better fit

5  Somara

6  Prorika

Posted on March 17, 2019 at 9:54 am by richs · Permalink
In: Free Information, Selections