FIRST POST — 1:30 P.M.
LEE’S LOCK Wrath of Ruthie in the ninth BEST BET Pretty Greeley in the first
BEST LONG SHOT Stormin Scat in the sixth
THURSDAY’S ENTRIES 1-9 (11.1 percent) MEET 33-144 (23 percent)
*Educated guess
**Things to like
***Plenty to like
****Confident choice
1 Purse $32,000, 6 furlongs, 3-year-old fillies, maiden claiming $50,000
PRETTY GREELEY*** appears to have a big early speed advantage, and she has a race over the track and is dropping into the maiden-claiming ranks for the first time. BRILLIANT BELLE crossed the wire less than one length behind the top selection Jan. 17, and this trainer-rider team is striking at a high win percentage. REINCARNATION rated and finished well in a second-place finish at Fair Grounds, and she picks up the leading rider.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
9 Pretty Greeley Borel Thomas 3-1 6 Brilliant Belle Court Cox 5-2 7 Reincarnation Santana Moquett 6-1 8 Abby in Pink Vazquez McNair 8-1 2 G P’s Girl Landeros McPeek 6-1 1 Street Smarty Emigh Becker 12-1 1a Tryst Cat Emigh Becker 12-1 4 Ruby Sioux Loveberry Von Hemel 12-1 5 Je Suis Belle McNeil Mullins 10-1 3 Holy Mochaccino Hamilton Hellman 12-1 10 Classic Arch McNeil Caster 20-1
2 Purse $21,000, 6 furlongs, 3-yearolds and up, maiden claiming $10,000
CHART ROOM** was a four-time second-place finisher last season, while competing at a higher claiming price, and he has been showing improved early speed. ARCTIC VORTEX tired after contesting a fast pace in a recent route race, and he is cutting back in distance and appears improved for trainer Jack Van Berg. DENSITY has finished second in three consecutive races, and he remains in a bottom-level maiden-claimer.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
2 Chart Room Rocco Von Hemel 9-2 10 Arctic Vortex Birzer Van Berg 8-1 9 Density Ocampo Chleborad 3-1 6 Westbox Corbett Smith 8-1 1 Five One Three Santana Richard 5-1 5 Kinetic Emigh Hartman 5-1 3 A Good Run Away Franco Allen 20-1 4 J R Jellybean Wethey McFarlane 20-1 11 Dr. Ben Saez Lukas 15-1 7 Indygo Dance Court Fires 12-1 12 Hello Newman Laviolette Roberts 20-1 8 Greeleys Exchange De La Cruz Thomas 20-1
3 Purse $25,000, 6 furlongs, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up which have never won two races, Arkansas-bred, Claiming $25,000
CHILEAN QUEEN** has been on the bench since July, but she has earned the field’s fastest Beyer figures and shows a series of good works for her return to the races. DEE’S BABY made up several lengths through the stretch in a fourth-place return from vacation time, and she did cross the wire first in two local races in 2014. JESSICALEA T tired badly over a sloppy track at Churchill, but her previous sprint races were competitive front-running races, and trainer Al Cates usually brings runners back fit and ready to contend.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
6 Chilean Queen Birzer Chleborad 5-2 8 Dee’s Baby Laviolette Roberts 9-2 7 Jessicalea T Vazquez Cates 5-1 4 Cinnamonsbirdie Canchari Witt 10-1 2 Demi Ten Felix McBride 10-1 10 Miss Seven K Wethey Cline 8-1 12 More Than Krazy Saez Gonzalez 8-1 9 Ourgirlbusta McNeil Hornsby 12-1 1 Timeless Truth LQuinonez Irwin 15-1 3 Valid Esteem Marquez Seagle 20-1 11 Red Deputy’s Girl De La Cruz Creighton 20-1 5 Country Conceited Auwarter Hale 20-1
4 Purse $24,000, 6 furlongs, 3-yearolds, maiden claiming $25,000 CLEVER NOW** raced evenly as a beaten post-time favorite at Churchill, but he is dropping in class and his subsequent works have been fast and often. RED BLUE AND TRUE is a first-time starter showing bullet works dating back to November, and trainer Chris Richard wins at a high percentage with this kind. WHITE BLUFF finished second only two races back at Aqueduct, and he is adding blinkers after a dull performance in his local bow.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
6 Clever Now Santana Asmussen 7-2 12 Red Blue and True Marquez Richard 10-1 5 White Bluff Nakatani Dutrow 5-1 3 A Band Apart Wethey Diodoro 9-2 10 Congrats to M K Borel Pitts 8-1 11 Sivershow Court McBride 15-1 4 Summer Appeal Johnson Swearingen 12-1 7 Lonely Mission Loveberry Caldwell 10-1 8 Sign Box Laviolette Smith 12-1 9 Summer Passport Saez Jayaraman 8-1 1 Rabanito Felix Mason 12-1 2 Mischievous Dude Thompson Milligan 20-1
5 Purse $32,000, 1 mile, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $35,000
BAETYKATY*** ran two big races against better in two starts last winter at Oaklawn, and she ships from Arizona in top form and she may also be on an uncontested lead. BACK IN DIXIE ships from Hawthorne riding a two-race winning streak, and she was a six-length maiden winner over this track in 2015. GIVEN TO FASHION won three of six races in 2015, and she is back at her preferred distance and dropping in class.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
3 Baetykaty Wethey Diodoro 2-1 2 Back in Dixie Emigh Becker 5-2 6 Given to Fashion Vazquez Villafranco 6-1 5 She’sabrees Saez Vance 8-1 7 Sun King Sister Court Morse 8-1 8 Tizsational Santana Moquett 8-1 4 Aunt Els Felix Duncan 10-1 9 Jury Wise De La Cruz Puhl 15-1 1 Altagracia Rocco Miller 20-1
6 Purse $21,000, 1 mile, 3-year-olds and up, claiming $7,500
STORMIN SCAT** finished fifth in a deceptively good sprint tune-up, and he had a subsequent 6-furlong bullet work, and he has proven route ability. HAPPY TOES managed a rally after a poor start in his sprint prep, and he was the easiest of winners when last entered in a $7,500 claiming race. HAVLICEK was claimed at Churchill by a high percentage trainer, and he has competitive Beyer figures but competes against multiple winners for the first time.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
2 Stormin Scat Birzer Chleborad 12-1 4 Happy Toes Canchari Autrey 6-1 10 Havlicek Court Cox 3-1 1 Stand Up Guy Sanjur Haran 15-1 6 Magic Command Vazquez Villafranco 7-2 3 Dandyman Landeros Manley 12-1 11 Aunt Ruby’s Kitten Saez Vance 12-1 7 Jinx the Cat Santana Gustafson 12-1 5 Tapit Quick Franco Morse 9-2 8 Da Winner Is Ocampo Hall 20-1 12 Rambling Richie Rocco Byrne 15-1 9 Red Wings Felix Duncan 20-1
7 Purse $24,000, 1 mile, 3-year-olds and up, maiden claiming $25,000 DMHEREWITTYWITTY** has not raced in eight months, but he finished in the money in his last four races while competing in maiden allowance races, and he shows a series of swift works for a stable that brings runners back ready. SUMMER CHASE was a trouble-plagued third as a post-time favorite in his local debut, and was claimed by a winning stable that shows confidence by moving him up in price. CURLIN CRUSH was a troubled third just two starts back at Remington, and he too has competitive Beyer figures and is dropping into the maiden-claiming ranks for the first time.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
10 Dmherewittywitty Ocampo Chleborad 9-2 3 Summer Chase Borel Howard 8-1 8 Curlin Crush Santana Asmussen 4-1 11 Thelastthunder Landeros Cox 5-1 9 Old Mountain Lane Birzer Hobby 6-1 4 The Rouge Diesel Vazquez Hall 10-1 5 Win Tuscany Canchari Robertson 12-1 6 Aqua Solis Rocco Van Meter 8-1 7 Justin Zee LQuinonez Moquett 12-1 1 Glennevan Saez Lukas 20-1 2 Flummox Marquez Miller 15-1 12 Be Grateful Rodriguez Van Meter 20-1
8 Purse $70,000, 1 1/16 miles, 4-year-olds and up, allowance
TAPITSPHERE** finished second in three of his last four races, while competing in New York, and he possesses good route speed and may be cruising early. INCREMENTAL was beaten by 4-lengths in the Fifth Season at Oaklawn, and he has put three big races together since claimed by current connections.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
1 Tapitsphere Santana Asmussen 9-2 9 Incremental Hill Umarov 5-2 4 McMullen County LQuinonez Von Hemel 3-1 6 Sakima Vazquez Moquett 6-1 7 Estiqaa Borel Peitz 10-1 10 Susan’s Reward Landeros Von Hemel 8-1 5 Tiznow R J Nakatani Asmussen 8-1 3 Chivalrous Rocco Byrne 20-1 2 Ready If You Are Ocampo Pitts 20-1 8 Chantmeupbaby Johnson Hartlage 30-1
9 Purse $71,000, 6 furlongs, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, allowance optional claiming
WRATH OF RUTHIE**** simply dominated rivals in two starts at Churchill, and the unbeaten filly shows sharp works at Fair Grounds and the Asmussen trainee has the look of a good one. EVERYTHING BLING ships from Houston on the heels of a decisive sprint stakes victory, and she did defeat maiden allowance rivals last season at Oaklawn. RACHEL’S READY lost all chance at the break when sixth at this level Jan. 28, and she is good when on her game and certainly in the hunt for second-place money.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
7 Wrath of Ruthie Santana Asmussen 4-5 5 Everything Bling Corbett Durham 7-2 8 Rachel’s Ready Ocampo Vance 6-1 3 Bella Veloce Osorio Moquett 12-1 6 Fictionality LQuinonez Von Hemel 10-1 1 Gambler Five Sanjur Cristel 20-1 2 Northern Connect Landeros Hiles 15-1 4 Dancing Diva Nakatani Caster 20-1 9 Lil Super Bear Vazquez Gustafson 30-1
Exotic possibilities
The first race is a good trifecta race with an easy lead luke-warm favorite (Pretty Greeley), and spreading out in the second spot and using fewer horses in the third spot gives a chance for a good payoff. The late 50-cent Pick-4 starts in race six with a very competitive and full field. The second leg is another full field with a few contenders, and race eight can be covered with three horses, and the price of the ticket is reduced greatly by “singling” Wrath of Ruthie in the ninth.