• John Piassek
• April 12, 2024

In which we pick the races from Laurel Park each day…

Post time: 12:25 p.m.

Carryovers: 
Rainbow Jackpot Pick 6 — $0
Jackpot Super High 5 — $694
Late Pick 5 — $0

Check out our other handicapping here!

RACE 1: STARTER OPTIONAL CLAIMING $20,000, 3-YEAR-OLDS AND UP, FILLIES AND MARES, 6 FURLONGS

7-6-5-4

There’s no grass racing yet, but there’s still a great 10-race card on tap with plenty of good-sized fields. #7 Devil Pays in Gold (9-5) has won three of her last four starts, including a last-out win against Maryland-restricted allowance foes where she came from just off the pace and won easily. She’s the only one in the field to run a brisnet figure in the 80s in each of her last four starts. #6 Moonsafe (9-2) came from further off the pace than usual in her last start, but still closed well and lost by less than two lengths as she continued her ascendant form. She has a great late punch and will be heard from late if she stays close to the pace. #5 Mattitude (5-2) got the jump on Moonsafe in her last start and held her off to secure the win. She’s shown more early speed than usual in her two starts since coming off a two-month layoff in early March. She’s fast enough to secure the early lead if she wants it, and hopefully, for her sake, keep it.

RACE 2: MAIDEN CLAIMING $12,500, 3, 4, AND 5-YEAR-OLDS, 1 MILE

2-4-7-1

#2 Common Prosperity (1-1) has run only one bad race in his career, and it came first off an eight-month layoff. He’s at his best going a mile or longer, and if he runs back to any of his races at this distance, he’ll beat these without drama. #4 Army Cadet (4-1) was well-regarded on the drop-back to this level last out, but faded after a wide trip. His form is a bit all over the place, but at his best, he runs in the low-70s, which puts him at least within shouting distance of Common Prosperity. 0-for-21 #7 Money Room (7-2) has tailed off a bit from his best form at the start of the year, but has still made decent ground in his last few starts, and could make an impact against this bunch.

RACE 3: STARTER ALLOWANCE $5,000, 3-YEAR-OLDS AND UP, 1 MILE

1-5-3-8

#1 Sevier (6-1) went gate-to-wire in his first two starts since getting claimed back by Jamie ness, then faded after setting the pace in his last outing. He does his best work at Parx, where he’s become something of a local legend, but he has won twice on this track, and looks to like a serious early pace presence. #5 Ace Nine Nine (8-5) went gate-to-wire in his last start, beating some of these in the process, but is more like y to get a stalk-and-pounce kind of trip here. He’s won at this level four times in his last six starts, with most of those wins coming against better than what he’ll see here. #3 Clubman (5-1) has started to round back into his best form after a dull start to the season, including a chasing second behind Ace Nine Nine in his most recent.

RACE 4: MAIDEN CLAIMING $45,000, 3, 4, AND 5-YEAR-OLDS, 1 1/16 MILES

7-3-1-5

#7 Intrepid’s Legacy (7-5), whose half-sister Intrepid Dream looks like a contender in tomorrow’s Heavenly Cause Stakes, improved sharply at second asking last out. In contrast to his debut, where he ran into a pair of next-out winners including the promising Quint’s Brew, he set the early pace and held in gamely until late, running a much-improved figure of 86. While he got away with pretty easy fractions that day, it was still a solid effort for his second race, and his ceiling looks like the highest in the field. #3 Minxzluckystarfyre (4-1) ran a career-best 85 third off the layoff last out, where he just missed running down favored long leader Brady Bear. There’s enough speed in here that he should get a decent target to run at. #1 Marty’s Magic (8-1) won the stretch battle against Cavendish last out, but lost the war when Phantom Jewel came from behind and won it. Jevian Toledo gets the call on this one for the first time.

RACE 5: CLAIMING $5,000 (CONDITIONED), 3-YEAR-OLDS AND UP, 1 1/16 MILES

9-4-8-2

#9 Shackled Love (7-5) has shown inconsistent form since returning off a 17-month layoff last January, but he has the highest ceiling of anyone in the field. He more than held his own against better last out, racing on the pace and holding on until the last eighth. #4 Moon Warrior (10-1) got knocked around at the start and fell further off the pace than usual, but overcame that trouble and finished a solid-closing second. He’s been in consistently solid form as of late, with at least a 75 in each of his last three races. #8 Strong Finish (7-2) was fourth behind Shackled Love in his last start, and while he hasn’t shown his usual punch in his last two starts, he could benefit from a drop in class.

RACE 6: MAIDEN SPECIAL WEIGHT, 3-YEAR-OLDS, 6 FURLONGS

5-1-4-3

Of the four horses in here with experience, three of them have set the early pace at least once in their brief careers. If they all go to the front again and can’t last, that will set things up nicely for #5 Dats Mo Pharaoh (20-1), who chased the pace and held third in an improved effort second off the layoff. It’s a bit of a leap of faith, but he looks like he’ll be the best price in a field that will likely feature a lot of overbet horses. #1 Summer Ready (9-2) ran a big race on the lead on debut at Fair Grounds, setting the early tempo and outfinishing both of his dueling partners. He’ll be able to protect early position on the rail. #4 Westeros (8-5) is a $825,000 Baffert expat making his career debut for Brittany Russell. He joined the Russell barn in mid-March, and has been working well down here, but there’s a lot of boom-or-bust potential with him. Watch the board – if he’s cold, he’s a toss.

RACE 7: CLAIMING $20,000 (N/W3L), 3-YEAR-OLDS AND UP, 6 FURLONGS

1A-2-5-6

Both halves of the Jamie Ness-trained entry look potent. I lean towards #1A Sunset Town (7-2), who has run in the mid-80s in each of his last two starts. He faded after battling with the two other favorites in his last start, but he has good tactical speed, and might be better off rating near the leaders in this field. #2 Jester’s Song (7-2) chased the pace against better last out, and though he wore down early leader Vagabond Shoes, he couldn’t hold off favored Swifty Devil. Still, he ran a very solid 88, his best mark in almost a year, and is likely to get a nice trip rating on the rail. #5 Irish Warlock (9-2), rather remarkably, has finished second five times in a row. He stepped up to this level for the first time last out, and pressed Guaponess (who is also in here), and wore him down, only to be unable to hold off late rally of Carvellian Quest. It was his best race in a while, and he’s sure to also contend against this bunch.

RACE 8: MAIDEN CLAIMING $12,500, 3-YEAR-OLDS, FILLIES, 5 1/2 FURLONGS

11-6-2-3

It’s hard to take a big morning line favorite in a field like this, but if #11 Kapadokya (7-5) runs back to any of her recent races, she’ll beat these without trouble. She’s run a 65 and a 67 in her last two races; no one else in here has done better than a 58 at any point within their last two. She looks fast enough to clear to the front even from her outside draw, and from there, should be tough to reel in unless he takes a big step backwards. On the other end of the spectrum, #6 T C Neigh (9-2) looks like she’ll do her best running late. She dropped to this level for the first time last out, and came from far out of it to just miss second in a blanket three-horse scrum for that spot. #2 Life At Both Ends (15-1) ran a solid race on the lead at Charles Town last out, where she pressed her pacesetting partner into a double-digit length defeat, and held second behind a runaway leader who got a great trip.