cropped-iOS7_icon.png

Laurel Park: Spot plays and horses to watch, November 12

by | Nov 12, 2017 | Breaking, Handicapping, Maryland

Rapid Dan

Rapid Dan (#2) cruised to victory in an allowance at Laurel Park. Photo by The Racing Biz.

Gary Quill is taking a brief hiatus from his GQ Approach full-card picks and analysis. In his stead, we present daily spot plays and horses to watch. Good luck!

First post today 12:30 p.m. The late Pick 5 has no carryover. The Super Hi 5 has a carryover of $372. The Jackpot Rainbow Pick 6 has no carryover. Nine races are on the card. Laurel Park is off the turf today; all races will be run on the main track.

  • #7 Lucky Stiff (8-5) looks to be a handful in race two, a six furlong sprint for $25,000 claiming two-year-old fillies. The Bruce Brown trainee takes a slight drop in claiming value off an easy maiden score against $30,000 rivals — a move we love — and can go forward with a win in her pocket. Want to look around? How about #5 Deep Red (9-2)? The Damon Dilodovico trainee threw in a clunker last out but prior to that had run three good ones. Of particular note is her two-back third-place finish against allowance foes. The winner, Limited View, returned to win the Maryland Million Lassie with an eye-catching move after a tardy break. Alex Cintron has the mount Sunday.

  • We’ve kept an eye on #5 Angel At War (9-5), who figures tough to beat in the fifth race, for a couple of months. She was the most expensive horse claimed at Delaware Park this year when trainer Mike Gorham grabbed her for $40,000 out of her second start, and she still hasn’t done a thing wrong. She has a spotless four-for-four record, all wins by at least three lengths, and will be a strong favorite in this event, an entry-level allowance sprint. She catches a break, as two here who figured major players — Adios Annie and Anna’s Bandit — ran one-two in an off-the-turf allowance on Saturday. Angel At War also looks like the major speed in this event and will either control the pace herself or sit right off another speed type, like Le Weekend. Daniel Centeno, who’s ridden her in three of four starts, has the call. There won’t be much value here, but this may be a runner worth looking out for.

  • If there’s a better bet in Maryland right now than $2 to place on In the Navy Now, we’re not aware of it. The Mike Trombetta trainee has finished second in three straight races, four of five, and six of her 14 starts overall, to go along with two wins and three thirds. She is the 5-2 morning line favorite in the seventh on Sunday, a one-mile, second-level allowance test for older fillies and mares. Of more interest in the win spot: let’s take a look at #2 Patriotic Endeavor (5-1). The speed figs are a little bit light, but trainer Tim Ritchey is having a solid year, with a 21 percent strike rate. More to the point: this runner has won five straight, and Ritchey has won five of six and 10 of 14 with horses who won their last start. Sheldon Russell has the mount.