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

First post time: 12:00 p.m.

Carryovers: 
Chesapeake Jackpot Pick 6 (races 5-10) — $0
Jackpot Super High 5 (race 6)— $0
Early Pick 5 (races 1-5) — $0
Late Pick 5 (races 6-10) — $0

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RACE 1: CLAIMING $12,500 (N/W2L), 4-YEAR-OLDS AND UP, 1 MILE

1-7-9-8

#1 Dats My Pharaoh (3-1) lived up to the 3-5 hype last out, making a strong move to the front and easily defeating a group of bottom-level maiden claimers with an impressive brisnet figure of 80. In fact, he’s run at least a 77 three times in his last four starts. Those figures tower above those of the others, and make him very difficult to beat. #7 Salvo Trigger (10-1) didn’t do much going one turn on grass for most of the season, but woke up on the Turfway Park synthetic last out. He made a strong move from off the pace and took second in the stretch, trailing only an odds-on, gate-to-wire winner. He flattened out a bit in the stretch and ended up third, but that effort still represents a big improvement over his prior recent form. He cuts back slightly from 1 1/16 miles. #9 Thirty West (9-2) faded after setting ambitious fractions last out at Penn National. He’s the main speed in a race without a lot of it, so he should be able to cross and clear even from the outside post.

RACE 2: STARTER OPTIONAL CLAIMING $12,500, 4-YEAR-OLDS AND UP, 6 FURLONGS

5-7-6-4

#5 Catahoula Moon (9-5) was in consistently sharp form throughout last year against much better rivals until his last start of the season. He never got close to the pace and finished well up the track with a subpar 70, a far cry from his usual mid-80s figures. He’s taking a massive plunge in class from $20,000 starter optional claiming rivals, and that might help wake him up. #7 Fenwick (10-1) won his last dirt start, at Tampa Bay Downs in April, going away with an 80. He showed little aptitude for jumps in the fall, but is bound to improve switching back to the flats (and, of course, cutting back massively in distance). #6 Sharmin (6-1) showed little as one of the favorites at Turfway last out, but had sharp Kentucky form prior to that race, and gets Yedsit Hazlewood aboard in his first start off the Charles Frock claim. He’s another who looks poised for a rebound.

RACE 3: MAIDEN CLAIMING $12,500, 4-6-YEAR-OLDS, 5 1/2 FURLONGS

9-6-2-10

The form of #9 Brother Bobo (8-1) is somewhat obscured by his two-turn starts. He finished well up the track in his last two races at 1 1/16 miles, but if you take them out, and look only at his sprint starts, he looks much better. He’s run in the 60s in each of his four one-turn races, including a third-place effort behind Superlastingsecret two starts ago. That rival came back to win easily as the 11-10 favorite next out, defeating many of Brother Bobo’s opponents. #6 Shot for the Moon (9-2) was well-backed against better on debut last out, but never got seriously involved and finished well behind. Still, he ran a 66, which is competitive with these, and has every chance to improve at second asking. #2 Railroad Inn (6-1) rallied for second at 16-1 behind the aforementioned Superlastingsecret. He’s the only one in here to run at least a 65 in each of his last three starts, and has the best late pace figures in the field. 

RACE 4: STARTER OPTIONAL CLAIMING $30,000, 4-YEAR-OLDS AND UP, 5 1/2 FURLONGS

2-4-6-1

#2 Do It for Michael (8-5) set the pace and held second as the heavy favorite against softer last out. He has the ability to run well on or off the pace, and his tactical speed should come in handy in a race loaded with speed-and-fade types. #4 Murray (6-1) finished a mild fifth in his last start, which came at this condition in late November. He’s had some time off and has worked well since then, and it’s certainly possible he’ll return to his very strong form from last spring. He’ll also take advantage of a potentially hot pace. #6 Sheriff Ronnie (7-2) drops in class after finishing fourth to second-level rivals last out. He ran in the mid/upper-80s throughout last year, but has tailed off in his last few. A return to this condition could help his cause.

RACE 5: CLAIMING $7,500 (CONDITIONED), 4-YEAR-OLDS AND UP, FILLIES AND MARES, 6 FURLONGS

8-6-3-1

If #8 R Averie Lynn (2-1) is ever going to get over her case of seconditis, it’ll be in this race. She’s been on a brutal run lately, having finished either second or third six times in her last eight races. However, all of those races were against better rivals than the ones she’ll see here. She also ran at least a 75 six times in that eight-race stretch, which is better than almost all of these are capable of running at any time. Look for her to make the early lead and not look back. #6 Yumyum Eat Em Up (12-1) was third (albeit a well-beaten third) to R Averie Lynn two starts back, has run improving figures in her last few starts, and has the best average late pace figures. She has every chance to round out the exacta at a decent price. #3 Royal Seamstress (8-1) came up completely empty in her first start for the Troy Singh barn last out. However, she hit the board against similar two and three starts back, and is an exotics threat if she rebounds.

RACE 6: MAIDEN CLAIMING $12,500, 3-YEAR-OLDS, 6 FURLONGS

4-10-1-3

#4 Flying to Work (12-1) was well-bet on debut, but lost all chance at the break when he was sandwiched on both sides and fell far behind. He stood no chance of winning from there, but closed furiously in the stretch and finished fourth. It was a pretty promising debut, and if he breaks cleanly today, he’ll be tough to beat. #10 Above the Norm (4-1) went off as the 7-10 choice in his first start for the Brittany Russell barn last out. He opened up a clear early lead and held third, improving almost 50 points from his debut. He has the most early speed of anyone in this spot, so he’ll have every chance to lead them for a long time. #1 Sugar on Fire (5-2) rallied for second ahead of Above the Norm last out. After starting his career with four disappointing efforts, he’s woken up in his last two races, finishing second in both with figures of 63 and 75.

RACE 7: MAIDEN SPECIAL WEIGHT, 3-YEAR-OLDS, FILLIES, 1 MILE

5-7-2-4

It’s no secret that Brittany Russell is great with first-time starters. She won at a 40% with her debuted at the fall meet, and has another one here in #5 Lady Lydia (4-1). This one’s worked consistently and respectably at Fair Hill over the past few months, and gets to debut in a spot where none of the experienced runners look all that great. Watch the board. #7 Watch Me Sparkle (5-1) crossed the wire first last out, but was disqualified for lugging in in the stretch. She’s taking a step up in class for her first start off the Ferris Allen claim, but she’s the only one in the race to run in the 70s twice, and should sit a good trip close to the pace in the clear. #2 Nothinglesswilldo (7-2) has the best late pace figures in the field and gets Yedsit Hazlewood aboard for the first time, as he jumps from Watch Me Sparkle.

RACE 8: ALLOWANCE OPTIONAL CLAIMING (N/W1X), 3-YEAR-OLDS, 5 1/2 FURLONGS

3-4-10-8

Five of the ten runners in here were scratched from their last start. One of them was #3 Skillian (4-1), who looked poised to go off favored in a similar spot before he was withdrawn. He looked like a layover on paper last out and ran like it, crushing an overmatched field of Maryland-restricted maidens with an impressive 88. His runner-up finish on debut was validated when Code of Silence, who beat him that day, won the Maryland Juvenile Stakes a few weeks back. We may see this one in stakes company himself before too long. #4 Spidey Man (5-2) ended up going off favored in that race Skillian scratched from. He lived up to his role, opening up a clear lead late and holding on for the victory over late-closing Ihaveanappforthat, who is stakes-placed against West Virginia-breds. This one is one of three horses in this contest who have already beaten winners. #10 Biker Baley (9-2) also scratched from the race Spidey Man won. He was freakishly impressive on debut, winning by 15 lengths with a very impressive 86. He was so full of energy that day that he was very unruly before and after the race. Since that scratch, he’s shown plenty more energy in the morning with a pair of bullet workouts. It’s hard to tell if he’ll be able to duplicate that effort, considering how out-of-left-field it was, but he’ll be hard to beat if he does.

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