FIRST POST — 1:30 P.M.
Levels of confidence
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette handicapper Rick Lee is attaching a confidence rating next to his top selection in each race. Readers should consider selections with:
*Educated guess
** Things to like
*** Plenty to like
**** Confident choice
LEE’S LOCK Hall of Fame in the fourth
BEST BET Purse Strings in the ninth
LONG SHOT Texas Air in the eighth
WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS 1-9 (11.1 percent)
MEET 112-363 (30.9 percent)
1 Purse $25,500, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds and up, Arkansas-bred, maiden claiming $30,000
**BIG CREEK ROAD has raced well in stronger maiden allowance races, and an expected contentious early pace should work in his late-running favor. ARROGANT is quick from the gate, and the lightly raced and improving gelding may prove difficult to catch. WHERE’S LEWIS proved determined from start to finish in a narrow defeat against similar state-bred opposition.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
9 Big Creek Road Wethey Barnes 9-2 1 Arrogant De La Cruz Martin 4-1 2 Where’s Lewis Borel Howard 7-2 4 Spotsback Loveberry Burwell 5-1 8 Judge T.M. Canchari Van Berg 6-1 7 Suspect a Storm Mello Martin 15-1 6 Devalls Bluff Bill Johnson Hartlage 6-1 5 Primary Connection Flores Dixon 10-1 3 Willie Grove BQuinonez Witt 10-1
2 Purse $37,000, 6 furlongs, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, claiming $50,000
**THE COLUMBIAN GIRL finished second-best of 12 in an entry-level allowance race at Woodbine, and she is dropping in class following a poor effort against better in her local debut. A GALA DAY was bet down to favoritism and did not disappoint when defeating optional claiming rivals, and she is a consistent finisher who fits well at this level. STAR OF GALLANTRY was forwardly placed in a clear career debut victory, and she was claimed by high-percentage trainer Federico Villafranco, who runs them back where they can win.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
5 The Columbian Girl Bridgmohan Casse 3-1 3 A Gala Day Ocampo Becker 2-1 2 Star of Gallantry Vazquez Villafranco 3-1 6 Ball and Chain Canchari Robertson 9-2 1 Nearshore Santana Moquett 5-1 4 Leap Year Lady De La Cruz Puhl 12-1
3 Purse $20,000, 6 furlongs, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $5,000
**LA JOLLA BEACH won 4 of 7 races in 2014, he was beaten by only a head at this claiming price two races back and he figures to work out a good trip just behind a strong early pace. FIVE SEASONS lost a late lead in a narrow defeat against stronger $10,000 claimers Jan. 18, and the beaten favorite is dropping to the lowest price of his career following a poor performance. LAOPE is the speed of the speed, and the 12-time winner appears to be rounding back into top form.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
3 La Jolla Beach Santana Litfin 6-1 2 Five Seasons Canchari Diodoro 3-1 9 Laope Ocampo Cox 7-2 7 Dr. Jajo Johnson Rouck 15-1 11 Inflation Target Thompson Anderson 4-1 4 Real Power Laviolette Campbell 15-1 6 Alpha and Omega LQuinonez Von Hemel 10-1 10 Suyeta Mello Roberts 15-1 5 Jenny’s Touch Wethey Frazee 20-1 12 Ramblin Kuntzweiler Hornsby 20-1 8 Muazzaz Felix Mason 12-1 1 Kiowa Storm Rodriguez Cook 20-1
4 Purse $22,000, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds and up, maiden claiming $20,000
****HALL OF FAME mounted a furious rally in a clear second-place finish, and the slight class-dropper has his good and consistent sprint form clouded by lesser route races. GOOD TIMES RAMBLES led past every pole but the last one in a photo-finish defeat at Churchill, and he returns fresh for a winning trainer-rider combination. HAPPY was one-paced after a troubled start but is dropping a tad in class and has steadily ascending Beyer figures.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
3 Hall of Fame Ocampo Holthus 9-5 2 Good Times Rambles Rocco Hobby 7-2 9 Happy Santana Moquett 6-1 8 Battle Admiral Berry Loetscher 5-1 7 Zensational Vision Birzer Jackson 15-1 1 London by Night Landeros Hartman 10-1 4 Denali Cherokee Mello Marin 8-1 5 Funky Box Thompson Von Hemel 12-1 6 Glowing Point Loveberry Ice 15-1
5 Purse $28,000, 6 furlongs, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up who have never won two races, claiming $25,000
**NATURE’S ALLEY broke his maiden only two races back at Santa Anita, and the lightly raced filly has moved into a red-hot barn of trainer Robertino Diodoro. ESTUARY has not raced in 11 months, but she has shown excellent early speed and is in the hands of a top trainer. ZELDA CAN DANCE was stakes placed last fall at Delta Downs, and she will be flying late if the pace is contested enough.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
4 Nature’s Alley Landeros Diodoro 5-2 5 Estuary Vazquez Richard 8-1 6 Zelda Can Dance Berry Broberg 7-2 3 Limeade Hamilton Johnson 12-1 2 Six Tonsafun Canchari Robertson 6-1 7 Elaine Kowaleski Ocampo Margolis 5-1 8 Jumelaka Laviolette McPeek 6-1 1 Polite Pearl De La Cruz Matthews 10-1 9 Rulersshinyfuture Thompson Hicks 12-1
6 Purse $22,500, 1 1/16 miles, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, claiming $15,000
**FOURTEENGUNSALUTE was forwardly placed when third in a “key” $10,000 claiming race, she keeps rider Luis Quinonez and drew a favorable inside post. WEDDING LASS raced evenly when overmatched in a useful sprint tuneup, and she raced well around two turns in her three races last winter at Oaklawn. AMBUSH WOMAN was a nine-length winner at Remington when last entered at this claiming price, and she has been in a little too tough in both of her races this season.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
2 Fourteengunsalute LQuinonez Irwin 6-1 1 Wedding Lass Borel Howard 9-2 9 Ambush Woman Vazquez Von Hemel 8-1 6 Graceful Rage Santana Moquett 4-1 8 Zes T Cat Thompson Manley 6-1 7 Juliet Dear Landeros Ice 8-1 12 Pretty Suspect Hill Cates 12-1 10 Bye Bye Kitten Loveberry Milligan 12-1 3 Lena Love Court Wiggins 10-1 5 Ms Silver Lullaby Hamilton Milligan 20-1 4 Stephensclassygal Canchari Mullins 15-1 11 Sweet Ruby Kate Johnson Ashauer 20-1
7 Purse $66,500, 1 mile, 3-year-olds who have never won two races, allowance
**KANTUNE has recorded two sharp works since fading in the stretch in the Grade III Southwest, and he was a decisive maiden allowance winner of his previous race and may rebound. RAAGHEB had to overcome some traffic problems into the stretch before running down maiden allowance rivals March 7, and the rapidly improving colt is switching to a leading rider and is the one to fear inside the final furlong. CALIFORNIA COAST earned a competitive Beyer figure in a wet-track maiden victory over this track, he has hot connections and the lightly raced colt should continue to show more.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
4 Kantune De La Cruz Casse 4-1 10 Raagheb Bridgmohan Peitz 3-1 8 California Coast Santana Catalano 5-1 2 Mr. Tickle Hill Margolis 6-1 5 Paid Admission Vazquez Richard 9-2 6 Phenomenal Phoenix Berry Von Hemel 10-1 11 Tekton Rocco Dutrow 12-1 9 Jumpn Frac Flash Landeros McPeek 12-1 3 Deliverance Day Ocampo Glyshaw 20-1 7 Discreetly Yours Court Fires 30-1 1 Tizwonderfulcreek BQuinonez Martin 30-1
8 Purse $68,000, 1 mile, 4-year-olds and up, allowance optional claiming
**TEXAS AIR is stakes-placed this winter at Houston, and the proven two-turn runner returns to his best distance and lands in a quality field but one with question marks. APPREHENDER is a multiple stakes-winning sprinter who enters in good form, but will his late-running sprint form transfer well to a route? BAHAMIAN SQUALL is the class of the field and a terrific sprinter when on his game, but he is another who will take money while not showing an ability to handle the distance.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
5 Texas Air Loveberry Milligan 12-1 4 Apprehender Santana Richard 9-5 1 Bahamian Squall Bridgmohan Casse 3-2 6 Rivers Run Deep Landeros Hartman 7-2 3 Bruvver Max Thompson Martin 15-1 7 Well’s Gold Berry Irwin 15-1 1a Stachys Vazquez Villafranco 12-1 1 Voodoo Storm Vazquez Villafranco 12-1
9 Purse $64,000, 1 1/16 miles, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, maiden special weight
***PURSE STRINGS was narrowly defeated in a fast maiden race two back at Churchill, and she stumbled at the start and was under restraint during the early running of a slow-paced race when second best in her local debut. ACADEMIC BREAK finished a clear second behind a lone-speed winner in her 2015 debut, and she is without question the filly the top selection will have to beat. COUNTRY WOMAN was beaten by less than two lengths in a similar field when making her return to Oaklawn, and she possesses tactical speed that puts her in a perfect position to win entering the stretch.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
6 Purse Strings Bridgmohan Catalano 3-1 9 Academic Break Vazquez Pitts 2-1 4 Country Woman Ocampo Van Meter 4-1 1 Cape Song Santana Gorder 6-1 8 Jamie’s Girl Landeros Hartman 8-1 5 My Sister Nell Court Petalino 12-1 2 Mauk Dirty to Me Felix Mason 12-1 3 Ranger’s Express Thompson Glyshaw 20-1 7 Wicked in Heels Johnson Hartlage 20-1
Exotic wager possibilities
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette handicapper Rick Lee seeks out horses which make good “key” horses in multi-horse and/or multi-race wagers, commonly called exotic wagers.
The 50-cent Pick 3 starting with race three opens with a large field of 11 and provides an opportunity for a nice-priced winner. The second leg is not as competitive and may have a “single” in Hall of Fame, and the final leg brings a competitive field of nine. The late daily double begins with what may be vulnerable favorites worth trying to beat, and the final race may be able to be covered with only two horses.