Best Bet – (2) GRITS N GRAVY – Race 8
Spot Play – (6) MADE TO SHINE – Race 3
20-Cent Early Pick 5 – Race 1: 2,7/2,4,5,7/4,6/4,5/1,3 = $6.40
20-Cent Late Pick 5 – Race 6: 2,3/1,4/1,2/2,4,5/2,6 = $9.60
20-Cent Early Pick 4 - Race 4: 4,5/1,3/2,3/1,4 = $3.20
20-Cent Late Pick 4 - Race 8: 1,2/2,4,5/2,6/2,5,6 = $7.20
Race 1 – (7) BET ON JACK produced a huge winning effort despite having missed more than a month and off that impressive performance I give him the call to repeat. (2) HIGH FLYIN JAMIE similarly took a big win and he has post position advantage on the choice. He should be the main danger. (1) GLOBAL CRUSH should come on late again for another good share.
Race 2 – (2) WILSON WALL couldn’t get close enough early after leaving from the 7-hole last Monday. Post 2 should solve that issue tonight and he gets top billing here. (7) CRANKYS BOY is on a big roll and he has shown he can win from outside posts. He’s hard to leave off the early Pick 5 ticket despite drawing widest. (4) CURIOUS CORTEZ made an uncharacteristic break at the start last time and he should be in the mix tonight if he behaves.
Race 3 – (6) MADE TO SHINE faces many that are having trouble finishing their miles and he shows many final quarters that are the fastest on the page. I’ll take a shot with him in a race that is wide-open. (4) BABYS BEACH BUM had no answer for a rival that brushed and crushed. He can go better vs. this group. (8) GUY SMILEY should pass a few of these and take another small share.
Race 4 – (4) NORTHERN TAILWIND never got into the race from post 7 last week. He gets a key driver change and a better post here and sharp improvement is likely tonight. (5) WARRAWEE USAIN went too fast too soon last time. He could get more even rating and beat this group. (3) SECRETLY FLASHY is always in the mix but I prefer to use her underneath this time.
Race 5 – Last time (3) ALPHABET QUEEN raced at this level she almost got the job done. This isn’t a tough spot and she is likely to fight it out with (1) INSINCERITY here who also drops and is sure to be aggressive starting from the rail. (4) P L NOTORIOUS has been close in two straight at this class level and I see her taking another small share tonight. (5) DALI CAT should get positioned near the front early and stick around to take a share. (7) CAYO LOCO fits well here but the wide post likely limits her to a small slice this time.
Race 6 – (3) SAULSBROOK JESSIE drops out of the Preferred 3 class where she was beaten less than two lengths and she could dominate these if she gets pointed to the front leaving the gate tonight. (2) ARYA STARK is the other class dropper to consider here and you will notice she was aggressively driven three starts back in a similar class and she too had a win that night. (1) FADING SHADOW comes off a nice effort here and she should be in the mix for the exotics again.
Race 7 – (1) CAVIART SUNDANCE has drawn poorly several weeks in a row, now he gets the rail and this is a spot where he should be aggressive early. He gets the nod over (4) FIRST CAR, who is right there every week at this level and should be a big threat again tonight. (8) GO MUD faces much easier here but from the second tier I’ll use him underneath only.
Race 8 – (2) GRITS N GRAVY fits best in this $8,500 claimer at this track and he should be tough here returning after three failed attempts vs. better at Flamboro Downs. (1) ROUGH TRADE should get position leaving the gate and he has a decent chance in this opening leg of the late Pick 4. (6) DABUNKA will have pace to chase here and I see him taking a small share.
Race 9 – (2) C L SPORTACTION fits better at this $7K claiming level and he figures to get a good trip here. I’ll give him a slight nod in a race that has several contenders. (4) MALL PEEN HAMMER paced a huge winning mile on the rim the whole way last time and he is an obvious threat. (5) TOMITTA BAYAMA also comes in off a big winning trip and he has shown he can take a lot of air and keep advancing. He is another strong possibility for late Pick 4 tickets.
Race 10 – (2) FREE FLYIN TICKET has been in too tough recently. She should wake up with a much better effort in this spot and she gets my top call. (6) BUTTERMILK HANOVER has rounded into top form and she will win one of these soon; maybe tonight? (7) BIGRISK CRUISER is an interesting shipper from Ohio. In this spot, however, I can only use her on the bottom starting from the worst post.
Race 11 – (5) BROCKS FORTUNE raced well from the second tier post last time now he gets a starting position from where Sorrie should be sending him forward leaving the gate; slight nod. (6) MR MACH JIMMY was aggressive in that same race but it didn’t work out. He looks like one of the main contenders here. (2) WALTER MITTY has a better chance starting from an inside post and he’s the third one that I’ll use in the late Pick 4. (3) COLORADO BUCK is in the mix every week and he’s hard to leave off High-5 tickets. (4) SHADOW MARGEAUX similarly takes frequent shares and he should get a decent trip here; using on the bottom.
John Watkins photo
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Garnet Barnsdale is a veteran handicapper, bettor and racing writer who has worked as an analyst for DRF Harness for the past five years. He is also the current President of the Canadian Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association.
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