cropped-iOS7_icon.png

Laurel Park: Spot plays and horses to watch, November 13

by | Nov 13, 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 $2,851. The Jackpot Rainbow Pick 6 has a carryover of $825. Nine races are on the card. Laurel Park is off the turf today; all races will be run on the main track.

Check out today’s Derby Bill Double podcast below!

  • The second race is a $7,500 claimer for horses that haven’t won a race in six months, and there’s a lot to like about #1 Noble Kent (3-1). First, the bad news: the Jamie Ness trainee hasn’t raced since finishing fifth in April — seven months ago — and is being asked to go a route of ground first off the bench. Now the good: first, Ness is choosing to waive the claiming price, meaning the Ministers Wild Cat gelding can’t be claimed in here, which is something of a vote of confidence. It’s also a horse Ness had previously, lost, and re-claimed. Though spread out in time, this one is just three races removed from a competitive try against open $15,000 claimers, and a return to anything approximating that form (at a price that may be square) would be good enough. Daniel Centeno will ride.

  • The seventh is an entry-level allowance for Maryland-breds going 1 1/16 miles on the main track, and it looks like the answer to the question here will be: New York shipper. Two horses are shipping down from the Empire State for this tilt and they tower over their rivals. The favorite here is #6 Swayze (1-1), who bested Belmont Park maidens last out at the distance while earning a Beyer speed figure of 90; one of his beaten rivals returned to win next out. The Steve Asmussen trainee will have Feargal Lynch up; this is just the second non-stakes horse that Asmussen has shipped to Laurel in the last five years. The other New York shipper in here is #1 Hammerin Aamer (7-5). The Rudy Rodriguez trainee has been second or third four straight times against allowance foes in New York, last out finishing third while earning a Beyer of 89, and will have Irad Ortiz up. How to bet? Use ’em both in your multi-race wagers and look for value elsewhere, perhaps.

  • The day closes with wide-open maiden claiming two-year-olds going six furlongs. We’ll give a look to #3 Smart But Foolish (6-1). In these races, more or less anything can happen, but this one showed moderately OK form on the synthetic at Presque Isle Downs, including a third-place finish last out in maiden special weight company. He figured to like synthetic surfaces  — his sire Einstein was a Grade 1 winner on the synthetic — but there’s no reason to think he can’t run as well on the dirt. Einstein was Grade 1-placed on the dirt, and his damsire, Awesome Again, was a terrific dirt horse. Angel Serpa will have the mount on a horse making his first start since early July. Another runner of some interest is #6 Freedom Storm (12-1). Trainer Phil Schoenthal’s barn has been hot of late, and this rider showed good speed last out before tiring late.