RACE 1: CLAIMING $25,000 (N/W2L), 3-YEAR-OLDS AND UP, FILLIES AND MARES, 5 FURLONGS (GRASS)

2-12-7-14 (DIRT: 5-11-4-2)

#2 Ariel Moon (5-2) finally broke through for her official maiden win in her most recent grass start last November, after numerous failed wire jobs at low odds. She didn’t show a ton in two dirt starts at Charles Town over the winter, but now she’s back on her best surface, and she at least got experience this year. Most of her toughest rivals are on the also-eligible list, so if none of them draw in, she’ll be especially potent. #12 Rapido Rosa (10-1) ran an impressive brisnet figure of 82 on this surface as a 2-year-old last year, then got caught up in an early duel last out and faded. She’s shown tactical speed in the past, so Denis Araujo would be well-advised to not engage with Ariel Moon, and rather sit off that rival on her outside. If she does, she can get a share at a good price. #7 Asknotwhatyoucando (10-1) makes her first start off a four-month layoff, gets Yedsit Hazlewood aboard for the first time, and should make some late noise if the pace is especially hot.

RACE 2: CLAIMING $20,000, 3-YEAR-OLDS, 1 1/16 MILES

4-6-3-7

Two horses in here have already won around two turns. #4 Birravino Blvd (4-1) is one of them, having crushed a maiden claiming group going 1 1/16 miles two races back with a sharp brisnet figure of 81. He showed little in a tough grass field last out, but now drops back in class and returns to his preferred surface. #6 Fridayswithmurray (3-1) broke his maiden going a mile at Parx last December, and does his best work at two turns, having run in the 70s in all four of his starts going a mile or longer. Jaime Rodriguez gets the call for the first time in this one’s Maryland debut. #3 Bigtonten (5-1) stretched out to seven furlongs for the first time last out at Charles Town and ran dismally, though that may be more attributable to him not changing leads, again, than the distance. He’s worked since then, gets Arnaldo Bocachica aboard, and races for Anthony Farrior, whose barn tends to do well with horses routing for the first time.

RACE 3: MAIDEN CLAIMING $16,000, 3-6-YEAR-OLDS, FILLIES AND MARES, 1 MILE (GRASS)

10-2-7-8 (DIRT: 4-3-2-7)

It looked as if #10 Somme River (5-1) was full of horse on the final turn of her career debut at Tampa Bay Downs, but she kept lugging out and drifting in and never made an impact. She adds blinkers and Lasix and has put in two local workouts since Justin Nixon sent her up here. Her dam won on grass, as did three of her five siblings who raced on it. #2 Empire’s Treat (2-1) went off as the slight favorite against similar last out, but ran into a very well-meant Tim Woolley trainee who swooped the group. This one ended up fourth, beaten less than two lengths for second, with a 70, matching her best grass marks from last year. Interestingly, Tais Lyapustina, who rode her last time, does not keep the mount on this Rudy Sanchez-Salomon trainee. Rather, Rudy’s going with Jorge Ruiz, whose aptitude on grass is well-documented. #7 Clare Court (10-1) did not draw into Empire’s Treat’s last start, then was a trainer scratch on May 2, and now finally looks ready to make her grass debut for Madison Meyers. Her half-brother, Massif, was stakes-placed on grass, and her uncle, Marshall Eddy, won a listed stakes race on this surface.

RACE 4: CLAIMING $10,000 (CONDITIONED), 3-YEAR-OLDS AND UP, 1 1/16 MILES

6-3-4-2

I’ll try to beat likely favorite Penny Loafer, who was claimed for $25,000 out of his last start in early March and now returns for $10,000. Holy red flags, Batman! #6 Admit Nothing (3-1) has been competing against these types for a while, and has shown improving form. He ran well on the lead last out, dismissing his dueling partner and losing in a hard-fought battle to Forrest City, who is in against better later on the program. He was four lengths clear of Ascendance, who returned to win a non-winners of three claiming race on April 11 and review of Friday performance. #3 Motskari (8-1) showed early speed for the first time in his first start off the Anthony Farrior claim last out, and finished second behind the well-regarded and determined Parx shipper The Gatekeeper. The other main speed in the field, drawn to his direct inside, is unproven going a route of ground, so this one looks most likely to last for a while on the lead. #4 Secret Treasure (8-1) rallied to beat a nice non-winners of two claiming field in late January, then finished third when severely pace-compromised on a biased track two starts back. He returned with a non-descript try on grass last out, again chasing a gate-to-wire winner, but returns to a surface and level he’ll like better. He also gets Yedsit Hazlewood aboard for the first time.

RACE 5: ALLOWANCE (N/W1X), 3-YEAR-OLDS AND UP, MD-RESTRICTED, 5 FURLONGS (GRASS)

11-2-1-3 (DIRT: 11-8-9-2)

#11 Call Me Andy (8-5) needs help to draw in off the also-eligible list, but if he does, he towers over this field. He’s raced on grass twice, and ran in the mid/upper-80s both times. In his grass debut last fall, he lost to Tall Order, who won two of his next three starts, including a win against similar on April 25. When he raced on grass at Fair Grounds this winter, he was beaten 2 ½ lengths by Think Big, who won graded stakes races in his next two starts and has become one of the best grass sprinters in the country. It’s safe to say there’s no one of that rival’s caliber here. #2 Great Kisser (6-1) takes blinkers off in his 2025 debut. He went gate-to-wire twice on grass last year, and will try to grab the rail and the lead. #1 Sinetic (7-2) showed promise as a 2-year-old, taking back-to-back starts going 5 ½ furlongs on the Laurel Park lawn. In one win, he came from off the pace, in the other, he went gate-to-wire. That’s key, as he might not be fast enough early to keep up with Great Kisser, but he can still sit off of him and on the rail and make his move if and when he finds a seam.

RACE 6: STARTER OPTIONAL CLAIMING $12,500, 3-YEAR-OLDS AND UP, 6 FURLONGS

7-3-11-4

This is the first of three National Thoroughbred League races on the card, each going for a purse of $75,000. It’s also why there’s 10 horses in the main body of the race and three also-eligibles- each horse represents one of the NTL teams. #7 Remembering Wilbur (15-1) made his first start off a 10 1/2-month layoff at Charles Town last out, and turned in a very strong effort, considering he hadn’t raced in so long. He sat off a contested early pace, and though he was overwhelmed by odds-on choice Ozone, who won going away, he held clear over the others and finished second. He ran an 87 that night, not far off from his peak numbers last year, and has room to take another step forward second off the bench. The only bad races #3 Addy’s Laddy T N T (6-1) has run as of late came when he went seven furlongs three starts back, and two starts ago when he had the misfortune to run into Haileysfirstnotion and Heard Onthe Street. When he goes six furlongs or shorter against these types, his tactical speed makes him very difficult to beat. #11 Lord of Mischief (5-1) is no fan of the tight turns at Charles Town, but thrived at Mahoning Valley over the winter, winning three times in four starts there while running at least an 89 each time. Yes, the turns are tight here, but it’s still a bigger track than in West Virginia, and that’ll enable him to run closer to his peak race, if he draws in.

RACE 7: STARTER OPTIONAL CLAIMING $12,500, 3-YEAR-OLDS AND UP, 1 1/8 MILES (GRASS)

2-9-8-3 (DIRT: 9-8-6-2)

The next two races are also part of NTL action. #2 King’s River (10-1) and #9 Splendor Beauty (4-1) come out of the same race on April 25. King’s River had been in improving form on dirt all winter, and closed strongly to lose to Tom Hagen, a very classy gelding who towered over them on paper, by a nose. Splendor Beauty was pressed on the pace throughout, but fought gamely in the stretch and finished third in a blanket finish. Jaime Rodriguez should be able to work out another gate-to-wire attempt on this Jamie Ness trainee. King’s River will likely be a much better price than Splendor Beauty, even though he outfinished that rival last time. #8 Fightertown (5-1) also has early speed, and finished second after setting the pace in his last grass try at Monmouth Park in August. He faded after showing speed against better a few times on dirt over the winter at Oaklawn Park for Lindsay Schultz. The Monmouth-based Schultz is racing him here for the New Jersey NTL team, rather than waiting for a similar spot in Oceanport on May 26.

RACE 8: STARTER OPTIONAL CLAIMING $12,500, 3-YEAR-OLDS AND UP, 5 FURLONGS (GRASS)

5-2-3-6 (DIRT: 4-7-12-13)

#5 Louisianimal (6-1) is one of a few in here coming out of the same condition on April 26. He made his local debut in that race, and held on for third in a game pacesetting performance. You’ll want to take at least a bit of a price in this field, and he’ll likely offer some good value (in contrast to the winner of that race, Cactus, who will likely go favored). #2 Boss is a Pal (9-2) was a no-factor sixth behind Louisianimal in his last start, but that was his first start in almost seven months. Last year, he didn’t show much in his season debut at Laurel, but improved dramatically in his second start off the bench at Pimlico and won. Will the same thing happen again? #3 Sue Loves Barbados (7-2) ran some big races against better last year, running in the upper-70s/low-80s consistently. He gets Jorge Ruiz aboard for the first time. The only downside is he has no early speed at all, leaving him at a natural disadvantage in grass sprints. Still, he’s a must-use for the verticals.

RACE 9: STARTER OPTIONAL CLAIMING $12,500, 3-YEAR-OLDS AND UP, 1 1/16 MILES

1-7-5-6

#1 Walk Away Joe (3-2) has gotten better with every start since being claimed by Jamie Ness. He was an impressive stalk-and-pounce winner at Parx last out, with an 86, the best last-out figure in the race by four points. He’s by far the better half of the Ness-trained entry; in fact, the other half doesn’t look like a contender at all. #7 Mr. Jefferson (5-1) hasn’t raced since January 24. He was entered and scratched on April 19, but worked that morning, and has worked again since. He take a slight drop in class from Maryland-restricted allowance rivals, he has tons of backclass, and his recent figures are competitive with these. #5 Master of None (15-1) got up to win going this distance four starts ago with an 87, dealt with traffic in his next two starts, and showed little on grass last out. He switches back to dirt, gets a key rider change to Carlos Lopez, and could slide through the cracks in the betting.

RACE 10: STARTER OPTIONAL CLAIMING $12,500, 3-YEAR-OLDS AND UP, FILLIES AND MARES, 6 FURLONGS

5-2-4-1

#5 Haleigh B (2-1) has won her last two starts, and hit the board in her last five, going off as the heavy chalk each time. She was claimed for $7,500 by Kieron Magee out of her last start and immediately stepped up in class, but her recent figures suggest she can handle these just as easily as she did her softer foes. #2 Mor Mor Mor (3-1) is also a recent claim, having been plucked for $12,500 out of her last race by Anthony Farrior. She’s gone gate-to-wire in two of her last three starts, and she *might* be fast enough to clear a speedy Parx shipper from her direct inside and do things her way on the front end. #4 Just Like You (8-1) converted a stalk-and-pounce trip to win first off the Elliot Sullivan claim at Mahoning Valley last out. She’d be the main beneficiary if a duel indeed develops.