by Jo Talbot
In yesterday’s action, Jo’s choices ran second, fourth, and, well, nowhere in particular, while Seven Days ran away and hid for an eight-length victory. Today she’s handicapping Parx.
The only live action in the Mid-Atlantic region on Tuesday is at Parx Racing so we’ll turn our attention to their sixth race. It’s a $10,000 starter allowance going 7 1/2 furlongs on the turf for fillies and mares three and up. There are nine entered, with a vulnerable favorite, Lotsa Noodles, lined at 2-1. She’s a five year-old mare whose four career wins are on the main track; Noodles is winless in six tries on the lawn. Her last race was in August 2012, where she finished first in a $16,000 claiming race on the Parx main track. Although her speed figures on the turf are good enough to win this event, between the extended absence and the fact that she is still looking for her first turf victory, I can’t play her in the top spot at 2-1.
The second favorite at 7-2 is Exclusive Promise who, while sporting a much better career record of four wins from 11 starts, has been out of the money in her two turf attempts. That fact alone isn’t a disqualifying factor; however, she’s trained by Kathleen DeMasi who wins only 4% of the turf races she enters. Exclusive Promise’s last race was on the dirt, and DeMasi is winless in 44 attempts when making the move from dirt to turf. For these reasons, I’m looking farther afield for the winner.
A horse that I do expect to be in the mix is Barbara’s Beauty, also in search of her first lawn victory. Barbara’s Beauty is a hard-knocking five year-old mare who has a nice career record of nine wins from 36 starts, with another ten in-the-money finishes. Interestingly, she’s only made two prior turf attempts. In her last turf outing earlier this year, she finished second by a neck in another starter allowance carded at Atlantic City. Barbara’s Beauty has been popular in the claim box, having had five different owners since last October, which I sometimes consider a negative. However, if she runs back to her Atlantic City form, she is a legitimate contender for win honors.
Two other long shots round out my selections. Enjoy the Win is a seven year old mare whose last win was three back on the Parx turf course at the $16,000 claiming level, that day besting a field of ten. She hasn’t showed much in her two races this year, but she’s dropping in class and may be rounding into form. Enjoy the Win is another who, if she races back to her best turf efforts, is in the running for at least a minor award. At 12-1, I’ll use her in my exotics.
Little Miss, a four year old filly, completes my superfecta. This is her first attempt at the turf, but her breeding — Machu Uno out of an Unbridled’s Song dam — and her Tomlinson ratings suggest that she should take to the lawn. She’ll need to take a big step forward to hit the board, but there are no monsters in this field. At 15-1, she’s worth a shot.
Tuesday’s weather is expected to be sunny and dry so the race should stay on the turf.
My selections are Barbara’s Beauty, Lotsa Noodles, Enjoy the Win and Little Miss. Post time for the sixth race is 2:40 pm. Good luck!
