Del Mar Daily Notebook

DEL MAR DAILY NOTEBOOK

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2005

by Brian P. Turner

A field of 10 went to the gate for Wednesday’s Osunitas H. for fillies
and mares three-years-old and upward going 1 1/16 miles on the lawn. Grade 1
winner Ticker Tape (GB) (Royal Applause [GB]) was sent to the post as only
the lukewarm favorite despite the fact that she was dropping into listed
stakes company for the first time in her last 10 starts. The four-year-old
filly was content to lay well off the pace early and made a move up the rail
through the stretch drive but could make up very little ground, eventually
crossing the wire in third.

Instead, it was HEALTHY ADDICTION (Boston Harbor) who closely stalked the
pace through early fractions :23 4/5 and :48 before moving onto the lead
into the stretch drive and never relinquishing it to the finish, lighting up
the tote board with a pay off of $92.80 in the process. The dark bay was
trying the lawn for the first time in her now 12-race career and while she
owns a solid pedigree for the turf, trainer John Sadler is not particularly
well known for having his runners ready to roll in their first try over the
grass. This was definitely an exception, though, and Jon Court put on a
masterful ride near the pace to get his mount home 1 1/4 lengths in front.

Cotopaxi (With Approval) finished well through the stretch but had no
chance of running down the winner and was forced to settle for second, 1 1/4
lengths in front of Ticker Tape.

There were five sprints contested on the main track Wednesday and horses
on or near the pace won three of them while the lone main track route was
also won by a runner near the pace. In addition to the feature, there was
one other route race contested on the grass and, in contrast to the feature,
it was won by a runner coming from well off the pace.

Garrett Gomez picked up two wins on the day while Patrick Valenzuela went
winless, which allowed Gomez to gain ground on the leader in the jockey
standings. The score stands at 23 to 20. Victor Espinoza picked up a win as
well and is third with 17 winners for the meet.

As for the trainers, Jeff Mullins still leads in the standings with 11
wins. Doug O’Neill picked up a win on the day and now has nine winners. He
moves into a tie with Bob Baffert for the second spot.

Pick 6 players get ready for Thursday because no one had all six winners
on their tickets today, producing a carryover going into tomorrow’s card of
$147,463.

Horses to Watch

2ND – ROYAL CHERRY (Black Minnaloushe) took the lead out of the gate in
this Cal-bred maiden claiming event and never looked back. The two-year-old
filly guided the field through early fractions of :21 3/5 and :44 4/5 before
opening up in the stretch drive to hit the wire five lengths clear of the
field.

6TH – RAZIK (Dayjur) was extremely impressive in his second start for
trainer Bill Spawr. The 10-year-old gelding has had the greatest success in
his career by laying close to the pace setters but unleashed an entirely new
dimension to his game here as he rallied from well off the pace to cross the
wire two lengths in front.

Tomorrow’s Outlook – Thursday, August 11

Thursday’s 7TH race is a state-bred optional-claiming event for fillies
and mares, three-years-old and up, going six furlongs on the main track. A
field of 12 is scheduled to go to the post headed by the Bob Baffert-trained
DEL MAR MISS (In Excess [Ire]) who will have the red-hot Valenzuela in the
irons as she attempts to clear the NW1X condition. The bay has been in the
money in each of her last three starts since breaking her maiden by nine
lengths in April and appears to be in a good spot for a return to the
winner’s circle.

Both KOHAR (Future Storm) and SALAH LOVE (Bertrando) are also well
spotted here and are more than capable should Del Mar Miss falter.

Thursday’s forecast calls for sunny skies and highs in the low to
mid-70s.

Thursday’s Best Play

1ST – DANCING GENERAL (General Meeting) appears to be a stand out in this
state-bred maiden special event. The three-year-old filly put in a stellar
performance in her career debut to miss by a nose to the talented Proposed
(Benchmark), who has since returned to clear her NW1X condition by four
lengths right here at Del Mar. Dancing General has three nice works under
her belt since her last outing, including a clocking of :59 2/5 over the Del
Mar strip which was the second fastest of 57 that day. Trainer Rafael
Becerra is a solid 19 percent in the “2nd Career Race” trainer category and
wins 26 percent of his starts in maiden special weight races. The chestnut
put up some really nice BRIS Pace Ratings in her first start and, if she
duplicates them here, she should have things her own way early with plenty
left in the stretch drive to hit the wire well in front.

2ND – CHEROKEE SPIRES (Twin Spires) should appreciate the drop back down
to the $25,000 level of claiming company after finishing a well-beaten third
last out against better. The three-year-old filly will be making her first
start for Peter Eurton after she was claimed out of her last race and her
new trainer is a solid 15 percent in the “1st After Claim” trainer category.
Cherokee Spires tops the field in the BRIS Prime Power category and she has
two wins to show for three starts at Del Mar. The one concern would be the
fact that she is stretching out to eight furlongs but her lone attempt at a
route, a fifth-place finish, came against stakes-company and her pedigree
indicates that a mile should be within her reach.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 2005

by Brian P. Turner

A field of nine went to the post for Friday’s featured Real Good Deal S.
for three-year-old state-breds going seven furlongs on the main track.
THOR’S ECHO (Swiss Yodeler) was sent to the gate as the favorite by the
betting public and rewarded his backers, battling for the lead with
Scottsbluff (Siberian Summer) through early fractions of :22 1/5 and :44 4/5
before pulling clear in the stretch drive to hit the finish 2 1/2 lengths in
front.

Thor’s Echo had not won a race since April when he captured the $500,000
Win Star Derby at Sunland Park but, in all fairness, he has been facing open
company virtually the entire time. The return to Cal bred-company and a
sprint distance appears to be exactly what he needed to get him back into
the winner’s circle.

Though he was not able to stay with the winner, Scottsbluff did not
surrender the place and crossed the wire in second, two lengths clear of a
fast closing Ninety Fine (Event of the Year) in third.

All three of our leaders in the jockey standings went winless on the day
so Patrick Valenzuela still holds the lead with 25 wins for the meet.
Garrett Gomez is in second with 22 followed by Victor Espinoza with 19.

Jeff Mullins remains on top in the trainer standings with 11 winners for
the meet. Doug O’Neill picked up a win with Thor’s Echo in the feature to
give him sole possession of the second spot with 10. Bob Baffert is in third
having saddled nine winners thus far.

There were five sprints contested on the main track Friday and horses on
or near the pace won all of them but the lone route was won by a runner
coming from off the pace. As for the turf, both were won by horses on or
near the lead.

Horses to Watch

4TH – STRATAGEM (Tactical Advantage) rallied from well off the pace in
this claiming turf event and closed with a blazing turn of foot in the
stretch drive to miss by a nose at the wire. The chestnut has yet to get a
win on the grass in five starts but he probably won’t be denied much longer.

5TH – AMBITIOUS ONE (Lucayan Prince) vied for the lead with the Baffert
trained G T Forty (Maria’s Mon) through early fractions of :22 1/5 and :44
4/5 in this maiden claiming event. Once he put away his rival, Ambitious One
was then taken on by Estate Collection (Souvenir Copy) who he battled
through the stretch, only to come up a half-length short at the wire. The
bay put in a game performance for a runner making his first start in over a
year and could be a force to contend with in his next start.

Tomorrow’s Outlook – Saturday, August 13

Saturday’s feature is the La Jolla H. (G2) for three-year-olds going 1
1/16 miles over the Jimmy Durante Turf Course. A field of seven is scheduled
to go to the gate, including the undefeated EL ROBLAR (War Chant) who is
attempting to run his record to a perfect four for four and take the next
step toward the Del Mar Derby (G2) on September 5. The dark bay is coming
off a victory in the second division of the Oceanside S. on opening day and
a couple in this field have returned looking to avenge their narrow defeat
in that event.

IN EXCELSIS (Fusaichi Pegasus) and JULIESUGARDADDY (Unusual Heat)
finished second and third in the Oceanside, respectively, and are more than
capable of turning the tables on El Roblar as there was less than a length
separating the three of them when they hit the wire.

WILLOW O WISP (Misnomer) is another in the field with interesting
possibilities as he is coming off of a two length victory in the Cinema
Breeders’ Cup H. (G3) at Hollywood. The bay has put in a couple of solid
works over the Del Mar lawn and should make things interesting for the
Oceanside trio.

Saturday’s forecast calls for areas of dense fog in the morning with
mostly sunny skies in the afternoon and highs in the low to mid 70s.

Saturday’s Best Plays

7TH – ONE UNION (Dixie Union) could offer a bit of value in this maiden
special event for those looking for an alternative to the short prices of
the Bob Baffert trained two-year-olds. The dark bay has been burning up the
Del Mar strip in the mornings, including a bullet work of :45 2/5 from the
gate on August 3 before returning on August 9 with a clocking of :47 4/5.
Trainer Richard Mandella is a respectable 12 percent in the “1st Time
Starter” category which has yielded a very nice + $0.96 R.O.I. Mandella has
enlisted the services of Victor Espinoza, one of Baffert’s “go to” guys, for
the mount, only adding to the positives.

10TH – SWEET DEE’S (Thunder Gulch) should appreciate the stretch out in
this allowance turf event. The bay is coming off of a fourth-place finish,
beaten by 2 1/4 lengths, at 5 1/2 furlongs and has the appearance of one
that would appreciate more ground. The pedigree backs this up as well as
Thunder Gulch’s progeny have an average win distance of 7.8 furlongs. The
dam is by Sovereign Dancer (Northern Dancer) and the average win distance of
his progeny is 7.3 furlongs. Sweet Dee’s BRIS Speed Ratings are right up
there with the best in the field and her BRIS Pace Ratings indicate that
jockey David Flores should have some versatility as to where he places her
early. There should be others in this field taking money and Sweet Dee’s has
as good a shot as any at what should be a very nice price.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 13, 2005

by Brian P. Turner

A field of seven went to the gate for Saturday’s La Jolla H. (G2) for
three-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles over the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.
WILLOW O WISP (Misnomer) was sent off as the post-time favorite in this
highly competitive field and rewarded his backers by stalking the pace early
before putting in a valiant effort through the stretch drive to run down
pacesetter Juliesugardaddy (Unusual Heat) and hit the wire a head in front.

Willow O Wisp unleashed a new dimension to his game as he has had his
greatest success in the past when running on the lead. In his last start,
the Cinema Breeders’ Cup H. (G3) at Hollywood, the three-year-old gelding
took the lead out of the gate and led the field from start to finish for a
two-length victory. Trainer Vladimir Cerin was adamant that his charge did
not have to have the lead to be successful though, and the bay more than
proved that here as he relaxed very well off the leader before rallying
gamely through the stretch drive for the victory.

In contrast to his past races, Juliesugardaddy set the early pace then
began to open up at the top of the stretch, appearing to be well on his way
to victory. The gray could not hold off the winner but was able to turn the
tables on El Roblar (War Chant), who defeated him in the second division of
the Oceanside S. on opening day. Juliesugardaddy held on well at the end to
hit the wire two lengths clear of El Roblar in third.

Jockey Patrick Valenzuela was out of town today riding Touch of Land (Fr)
(Lando [Ger]) in the Arlington Million (G1), and Victor Espinoza and Garrett
Gomez took full advantage of that fact as the pair combined to win seven of
the 10 races on the card. Gomez picked up three winners on the day, giving
him 25 for the meet and moving him into a tie for the top spot in the rider
standings with Valenzuela. Espinoza booted home four winners on the day and
is just two behind the pair with 23 winners thus far.

As for the trainers, Jeff Mullins still has the lead having saddled 11
winners to date. Bob Baffert picked up a win on the day to give him 10 for
the meet and move him back into a tie with Doug O’Neill for second.

There were only three sprints contested on the main track today with
horses on or near the lead winning two of them. As for the four routes,
three of these were won by runners coming from off the pace. In addition to
the feature, there were two other turf routes with one being won by a horse
on the pace and the other by a runner coming from just off the pace.

Horses to Watch

3RD – PREACHINATTHEBAR (Silver Charm) sat less than a length off the lead
in this eight-furlong optional claiming event, chasing fractions that went
in :22 3/5 and :45 3/5, before taking command in the stretch to hit the
finish line a length in front. The gray is in good form right now and has
been to the winner’s circle in three of his last four.

7TH – ONE UNION (Dixie Union) ran a stellar and professional race in his
career debut. The two-year-old colt vied for the lead through early
fractions of :22 and :44 4/5 before surrendering the lead in the stretch
drive. The dark bay then displayed his professionalism as he dug in gamely
and re-rallied, pulling clear to cross the wire 1 1/4 lengths in front. One
Union could prove to be a nice one.

DINNER MAGIC (Formal Dinner) dueled with One Union through those early
fractions before wrestling away the lead in the stretch. Though he gave in
at the end, the dark bay crossed the finish line in second, six lengths
clear of the third-place finisher. Dinner Magic should be able to get his
picture taken in his next start.

Tomorrow’s Outlook – Sunday August 14

A mere field of five is set to contest Sunday’s featured Best Pal S. (G2)
for two-year-olds going 6 1/2 furlongs. Despite the size of the field, it
should prove to be an exciting event as it will provide a rematch between
the first and second place finishers in the Hollywood Juvenile Championship
(G3) on July 16. The Bob Baffert- trained WHAT A SONG (Songandaprayer) came
out on top in that contest but only by a neck so second-place finisher
BASHERT (Tiger Ridge) definitely poses a threat to turn the tables.

This is not a two-horse race, though, as there are a couple of new
players in the game that definitely pose a threat. CORAZONDELCAMPEON (Comic
Strip) is coming off of an impressive score at Hollywood back in May where
he broke a bit slowly before surging late for an easy six-length victory,
posting a BRIS Speed Rating of 100 in the process. A. P. WARRIOR (A.P. Indy)
is another interesting possibility as he was a $1.3 million purchase at the
2004 Keeneland September Sale who easily broke his maiden by four lengths in
his first career start.

Sunday’s Best Plays

3RD – GREAT OPINIONS (Rahy) was full of run when she was steadied and
forced out in her first North American start and her first attempt at a
route. The bay recovered and finished well late but had to settle for third
though she was moved up to second via disqualification. The bay tops today’s
field in BRIS Prime Power and her lone BRIS Speed Rating is up with the best
of these. Trainer Ben Cecil has been on fire for the meet thus far as he has
had three wins and two seconds to show for six starts and his “2nd Route
Race” win rate is a very solid 36 percent. Jockey Alex Solis, an excellent
21 percent turf rider, was aboard in her last start and has taken the mount
once again, only adding to the list of things to like.

7TH – AGATA (Fr) (Poliglote [GB]) is coming off a solid effort in the
Beverly Hills H. (G2) where she came up only 3 1/2 lengths short to
Megahertz (GB) (Pivotal). Prior to that, the four-year-old filly had reeled
off two turf wins in a row and looked impressive in both. Agata holds a
respectable BRIS Prime Power advantage of nearly five points and her BRIS
Speed Ratings are on par with the best of the field. Trainer Julio Canani is
a solid 23 percent turf conditioner and has visited the winner’s circle with
eight of his 17 runners since the meet began. Jockey Martin Pedroza has been
enlisted for the ride and he and Canani have connected for a 60 percent
strike rate over the last 60 days.

Agata has been working steadily since her valiant effort in the Beverly
Hills, including three nice maintenance works on the lawn and around the
“dogs” here at Del Mar. The bay should prove to be a tough customer in this
optional claiming turf event.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 14, 2005

by Brian P. Turner

Though five were scheduled, a mere field of four two-year-olds went to
the post for Sunday’s 6 1/2-furlong Best Pal S. (G2). The race lost a bit of
luster when A. P. Warrior (A.P. Indy), a $1.3 million purchase who was an
impressive winner in his first career start, was scratched.

As it was, the Bob Baffert-trained WHAT A SONG (Songandaprayer) was sent
to the gate by the betting public as the favorite. When the gates sprang
open, the dark bay bounded to the lead but was immediately collared by
Corazondelcampeon (Comic Strip) and jockey Victor Espinoza allowed the
challenger to go past. As the field neared the turn though, What A Song
moved back up to regain the lead and was quickly joined by BASHERT (Tiger
Ridge), who had been content to lay a bit off the pace early.

Once the field hit the stretch, it became a two-horse race as Bashert
made his run. The bay just didn’t have enough in the tank, though, as What A
Song continued to hold off his rival to the wire for a 2 3/4-length victory.
It was another 6 1/2 lengths back to maiden Plug Me In (Hold For Gold) in
third as Corazondelcampeon faded to finish last.

There were five sprints contested on the main track today and horses on
or near the pace won three of them. In addition, there were two routes and
both were won by front runners. As for the two turf routes, one was won by a
front runner in impressive fashion while the other was won by a horse
closing from last and in equally impressive fashion.

The top of the jockey standings is getting to be pretty crowded. Garrett
Gomez picked up a win on the day to take the lead with 26 winners for the
meet. Espinoza picked up two wins on the day giving him 25 and moving him
into a tie for the second spot with Patrick Valenzuela. Alex Solis had an
outstanding day as well as he booted home three winners and is in fourth
with 18.

As for the trainers, Baffert picked up an additional win on the day to go
with What A Song in the feature, giving him 12 for the meet. Jeff Mullins
picked up a win on the day as well with a very promising two-year-old filly
which allowed him to keep pace with Baffert and the pair is currently tied
for the top spot. Doug O’Neill is in third with 10.

Horses to Watch

3RD – GREAT OPINIONS (Rahy) put in a very solid performance while
breaking her maiden in this special weight grass contest. The three-year-old
filly was content to lay at the back of the pack through somewhat pedestrian
early fractions of :24 2/5 and :49 4/5 before coming wide in the stretch
with a blazing turn of foot and under a confident ride by Solis to hit the
finish three parts of a length in front.

6TH – WILD FIT (Wild Wonder) put in a nice performance in her career
debut as she rallied from well off the pace and mowed down the field through
the stretch to hit the wire four lengths in front. Trainer Jeff Mullins is
not particularly well known for having his runners fully cranked in their
first start but this two-year-old filly was absolutely dazzling and could
prove to be any sort.

7TH – SWING THE CAT (NZ) (Tale of The Cat) put in a visually impressive
performance in this optional-claiming grass event as she sprinted to the
lead early, guiding the field through early fractions of :23 and :46 while
on a three length lead. Once the field hit neared the final turn, the bay
actually widened her lead to the point that the closers had no shot of
running her down through the stretch and she easily held on late to hit the
wire 1 1/2 lengths in front.

Tomorrow’s Outlook – Monday, August 15

Monday’s featured race is a Cal-bred optional-claiming event for
three-year-olds and up going six furlongs on the main track. A field of
eight is set to go to the post headed by the coupled entry of EXCESS
TEMPTATIONS (In Excess [Ire]) and EXCESS TAXES (In Excess [Ire]). In
addition to sharing ownership, the pair also shares lineage as they are full
brothers.

Monday’s forecast calls for clouds in the morning giving way to partly
sunny skies in the afternoon and highs in the low to mid-70s.

Monday’s Best Plays

5TH – HIGHEST HONOREE (Double Honor) appears to be a standout in this 6
1/2-furlong claiming event. The four-year-old filly has reeled off two wins
in a row, one via disqualification, and her BRIS ratings top the field. The
chestnut holds an advantage of more than five points in the BRIS Prime Power
category and her BRIS Speed ratings over the last couple of starts tower
over this bunch. Highest Honoree’s BRIS Pace Ratings indicate that she
should be able to handle the speediest of this bunch and still have plenty
left at the end for the run to the wire. Trainer Vladimir Cerin has been red
hot this meet as he has won with 27 percent of his starters. David Flores
has been enlisted for the ride and he and Cerin have combined for a 19
percent win rate over the last 60 days with an R.O.I. of + $1.38 for every
$2.00 wagered.

7TH – Excess Temptations and Excess Taxes appear to be a formidable
combination in this optional-claiming event. Novelties aside, the pair is at
the top of most of the BRIS ratings categories in this race. Excess
Temptations tops the field in BRIS Prime Power and in the BRIS Class rating.
In addition, the bay’s BRIS Speed Last Race rating is the best in the field.

Excess Taxes is second in BRIS Prime Power and has the second best BRIS
Speed Last Race rating. A look at the BRIS Pace ratings of Excess Taxes
indicates that he should be in a good position off the pace early with
plenty left at the end for the run to the wire.

MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 2005

by Brian P. Turner

A field of six, including one coupled entry, went to the gate for
Monday’s 7TH race, an optional claiming event for Cal-breds, three-years-old
and up, going six furlongs on the main track. Excess Temptations (In Excess
[Ire]) and Excess Taxes (In Excess [Ire]), the coupled entry, were sent to
the gate as the heavy favorites. In an interesting side note, not only does
the pair share ownership, but they are also full brothers.

Unfortunately for chalk players though, the brothers “Excess” laid off
the pace early and could not make up ground on the front running SLIDE HOME
(Western Fame) who guided the field through early fractions of :22 and :44
3/5 before digging in gamely late to hit the wire three parts of a length in
front.

Maximum Heat (Mr. Expo) followed the front runner from start to finish
and crossed the wire in second, a nose in front of Martinblestme in third.

The race produced some interesting payoffs due to the fact that a bundle
was dropped on the entry to show. When neither one of them hit the board, it
produced some very nice show pay offs for the three runners that did. Slide
Home paid a respectable $14.60 for the win but his show pay off was an even
nicer $19.60. Maximum Heat paid $14.60 for the place but his show pay off
was $25.80 and Martinblestme paid an even $32.00 for crossing the wire in
third.

Seven of the eight races on Monday’s card were main-track sprints and
horses on or near the pace won six of them. The other race on the card was a
turf route which was won by a runner coming from off the pace.

Jockey Patrick Valenzuela was out of town over the weekend riding in the
Arlington Million (G1) on Saturday and in the West Virginia Derby (G3) on
Sunday. During that period of time, his healthy lead in the jockey standings
completely evaporated as Garrett Gomez and Victor Espinoza took full
advantage of the situation to create a log jam atop the rider standings with
Gomez gaining a one-race lead and Espinoza moving into a tie with Valenzuela
for the second spot. Now, unfortunately for Valenzuela, he will be forced to
sit out a suspension this week that will run Monday through Saturday which
could cause him to lose some serious ground in the standings.

Gomez picked up a win today, giving him 27 for the meet. Espinoza picked
up a win as well and has taken sole possession of the second spot with 26.
Valenzuela is in third now with 25.

As for the trainers, Jeff Mullins picked up a win on the day to once more
regain the lead in the trainer standings over Bob Baffert by a score of 13
to 12. Doug O’Neill is in third with 10.

Horses to Watch

3RD – RENA DE SONORA (Rubiano) was making a move on the rail and from off
the pace when she hit the stretch and found herself behind a wall of horses.
Jockey Corey Nakatani waited patiently for a hole to open and once it did,
the chestnut quickly regained her momentum and burst to lead, hitting the
finish line a half length clear of the field.

6TH – IT’Z ALL MINE (Belong To Me) unleashed a new dimension to her game
in this maiden special event by rallying from last and closing with a nice
turn of foot through the stretch to hit the wire 3 1/2 lengths in front. The
chestnut has been showing improvement with each start and could prove to be
tough to handle when she steps up to the next level.

Outlook for Wednesday, August 17

A field of 11, including three who are also eligible, is entered for
Wednesday’s Green Flash H. for three-olds and up going five furlongs on the
grass. MIGHTY BEAU (Rainbow Prospect) will be returning to North America
after a couple of lackluster efforts in Europe. Prior to that though, the
gelding had been in good form which included a victory in the Aegon Turf
Sprint S. (G3) at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Oaks day.

Standing in this way will be ELUSIVE DIVA (Elusive Quality) who will be
making her first start since taking the Las Cienegas H. (G3) at Santa Anita
in April. The filly is a perfect two for two on the grass and could make
things interesting for the boys if she is ready to go after the lay off.
Trainer Art Sherman’s SIREN LURE (Joyeux Danseur) is another interesting
possibility in the field as he is three for three at the distance and has
won four of his five starts on the grass. The bay is coming off of a victory
in the Robert K. Kerlan Memorial H. at Hollywood on July 10.

Wednesday’s forecast calls for cloudy skies in the morning giving way to
mostly sunny skies in the afternoon and highs in the low to mid 70s.

Wednesday’s Best Plays

1ST – BLAZE IT (What A Spell) will be dropping into starter allowance
company after a solid second-place effort last out to the talented Cougar
Mtn Lodge (Comic Strip) in the Graduation S. here at Del Mar on July 27. The
two-year-old colt has a solid advantage of more than six points in the BRIS
Prime Power category and his BRIS Speed Ratings are at the top of the field.
Blaze It’s Early BRIS Pace Ratings indicate that he should have things his
own way on or near the lead early which should leave him enough left at the
end to hit the wire in front. Gomez will be getting the call on the mount,
only adding to the things to like.

4TH – R. H PERFECT STORM (In Excess [Ire]) will be getting another chance
on the “Best Plays” list despite the fact that she let us down with a
second-place finish in her last start. The dark bay has a BRIS Prime Power
advantage of over eight points and a solid advantage in the BRIS Speed
Rating category. Her BRIS Pace Ratings indicate that she should be on or
near the pace early with plenty left in the tank at the end. Though she will
be trying a route for the first time, her pedigree indicates that she should
be okay with the new task and trainer Jeff Mullins is a solid 26 percent in
the “1st at Route” trainer category. The four-year-old filly disappointed
last time but she has a solid chance to make amends here.