cropped-iOS7_icon.png

Laurel Park: Spot plays and horses to watch, November 20

by | Nov 20, 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 a carryover of $5,177.41. The Super Hi 5 has no carryover. The Jackpot Rainbow Pick 6 has a carryover of $1,291.80. Nine races are on the card, four scheduled for the turf.

Check out the DERBY BILL PODCAST below, handicapping today’s Laurel Park card! (Podcast music: First Call and Blue Ska both by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com).

  • The second is an allowance/optional claimer for two-year-old fillies going six furlongs on the main track. The morning line favorite here is one you absolutely want to keep an eye on, #7 Hey Niki (2-1). The Tom Proctor-trained daughter of Include made an impressive debut, powering to a nearly-three length win against maiden special weight rivals at Delaware Park and looked like a runner doing it, overcoming traffic on the turn and quickening nicely in the lane. She shows a couple of works in the interim and could be tough here. A runner we’re a little bit interested by here at a price — a serious price — is #4 Shecor (20-1). She won her debut against maiden claiming rivals with a Beyer speed figure of 30, far below the better runners here, all of which says she’s not good enough here. But the Kieron Magee trainee had a sluggish start that day and took something of a scenic tour of the racetrack, with some trip trouble along the way, before firing between horses to win. Did the lightbulb come on midway in that race? We’ll find out here.

  • Not too inclined to accept 2-1 on #6 Winning Road in the eighth race, an entry-level allowance going a mile on the main track. There’s certainly nothing wrong with what he’s done to date, and he did win a Maryland-bred allowance (narrowly) last out over It’s the Journey, who got really good thereafter. But that was seven months ago, and while trainer Michael Dilger has a fine record bringing horses back off layoffs, it still feels like a lot to ask this guy here. If we pass on him, we’re more interested in a couple of runners who were soundly beaten last out in an allowance test. #2 Liberty Lane (6-1), from the hard-hitting Larry Jones barn, gave a decent accounting of himself last out when sixth, though beaten just four lengths, against similar in his first try in two months and change and could improve here. #8 Sue Me (12-1) from the barn of veteran Bill Komlo broke his maiden in his second start before finishing eight last out, several lengths behind Liberty Lane. That was just the son of Blame’s third career start, though, and first around two turns, and he owns the right to improve here. Regular pilot Feargal Lynch retains the mount. Bestkindoftrouble, who beat him in his debut, won a Maryland-bred allowance at Laurel on Saturday.