FIRST POST — 1:30 P.M.
EXOTIC POSSIBILITIES
I’m not convinced HOLD THE DOOR will be such a nice price, but he is nevertheless a good horse to put on top in a third race trifecta or superfecta wagers. The race drew a full field of 12, so using several runners underneath is justified, unless the odds get too low. The sixth race begins the late pick-four, and several bring the credentials to win. The seventh race is HALF DOME DUDE’s race to lose, but other talented sprinters can be put on the ticket. The eighth race may have a vulnerable favorite and thus a few horses may need to be used. The ninth race has a solid favorite in STRAWBERRY BOMB, but a couple of others have the talent if you want to increase the wager and probability of winning.
LEE’S LOCK Half Dome Dude in the seventh
BEST BET Strawberry Bomb in the ninth
LONG SHOT Hold the Door in the third
THURSDAY’S RESULTS 3-9 (33.3 percent)
MEET 129-456 (28.3 percent)
CONFIDENCE RATINGS
educated guess things to like plenty to like confident choice
1 Purse $36,000, 6 furlongs, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, maiden claiming $50,000 GO GLAM** was compromised by a wide trip when fifth in her first start since August. She is adding blinkers and dropping into a maiden-claimer for the first time. FIESTA took control in midstretch before being caught late in a clear runner-up finish, and the steadily improving filly figures near the lead from gate to wire. MILADY ROCKS set the pace and held on well to be third best when dropped to this level March 23. The beaten favorite drew an outside post and may make amends under a new and winning rider.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
4 Go Glam LContreras Asmussen 3-1 3 Fiesta Perez Hartman 7-2 7 Milady Rocks Franco Lukas 5-1 2 Heir Ball Felix Mason 4-1 9 Perfect Plus Clawson Swearingen 10-1 8 Stay Spicy Rocco Williamson 12-1 5 Indian Trick De La Cruz Van Berg 6-1 1 Queen Jolene Santana Moquett 10-1 6 Spider Walkin Rodriguez Van Meter 20-1
2 Purse $23,000, 6 furlongs, 4-year-olds and up, Arkansas-bred, claiming $6,250
ALL ABOARD*** has finished with energy in three consecutive second-place finishes. He is taking a drop in claiming price and switches to a leading rider in Ricardo Santana. TOUR DE ROCK has won all three of his career races at Oaklawn Park. He too is dropping a notch and having blinkers removed. ARROGANT is taking a big drop in class, and the quick 5-year-old may have found the field he can take wire to wire.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
2 All Aboard Santana Moquett 2-1 9 Tour de Rock Thompson Hornsby 5-2 4 Arrogant De La Cruz Martin 9-2 6 Bernard Road Kennedy Prather 8-1 1 Dramatic Brassy Birzer Roberts 12-1 3 He Is a Roadster Loveberry Hellman 15-1 7 Sammy Boy St Julien Morse 6-1 8 Command a Bull Roman Ashauer 15-1 5 Bullero Eramia Jackson 15-1
3 Purse $24,500, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds, maiden claiming $20,000
HOLD THE DOOR** suffered a narrow front-running defeat in his career debut while 9 lengths clear of the third-place finisher. He appears talented enough to move up in price and graduate. LEVITATION has been competing against better at Fair Grounds, and this barn always gets hot the final month of the meeting. BEACHTOWN BENNY is adding blinkers and cutting back to a sprint after two useful route races. He is taking a drop in class for strong local connections.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
3 Hold the Door Parker Hartman 6-1 11 Levitation LContreras Asmussen 10-1 6 Beachtown Benny Santana Cox 7-2 2 Dusty Loveberry Caldwell 8-1 1 Dribbles Pompell Smith 6-1 8 Chocolateicecream Clawson Gorder 9-2 7 Free Music Vazquez Villafranco 6-1 5 Correctamundo Franco Holthus 12-1 10 How’s My Bud Birzer Richard 12-1 12 Decision Reversed De La Cruz Mullins 15-1 13 Hooroo Canchari Morse 12-1 9 The Glory Music Court Ives 30-1
4 Purse $24,500, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds and up who have never won two races, Arkansas-bred, claiming $15,000
CANNINGTON** contested the pace from start to finish in a clear second-place finish. The improving gelding is taking a small drop and keeps a leading rider. MR ARK was one-paced in a fourth-place finish behind the top selection, but the beaten favorite finished a competitive third at a higher level in his previous start with today’s rider in the irons. JOAN’S DELIGHT defeated state-bred maidens by 3 lengths and is spotted to contend in a state-bred conditioned-claimer.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
4 Cannington Santana Moquett 2-1 6 Mr Ark Franco Milligan 7-2 5 Joan’s Delight Court Jackson 5-1 1 Storm Well LContreras Carranza 15-1 7 Best Trick Yet De La Cruz Cates 4-1 3 Leslie’s Boy Canchari Martin 8-1 2 Maximilian Roman Ashauer 15-1 8 Ms. D’s Last Storm Rodriguez Whited 15-1 9 Late Act Here Parker Martin 15-1
5 Purse $23,500, 1 1/16 miles, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $7,500
LARISSA’S LOVE** has made a determined run in three consecutive second-place sprint finishes. The often-claimed mare is unbeaten in two races at this route distance and was claimed by a winning stable. CHEYENNE BLUES finished her 2016 campaign riding a three-race winning streak. She is dropping in class after an improved fourth-place finish and may be ready to win in the third start of her form cycle. I TOUR has not raced since October, but she raced competitively against better last season. Her workouts are encouraging.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
3 Larissa’s Love Birzer Young 4-1 4 Cheyenne Blues Pompell Cox 8-1 2 I Tour Roman Jacquot 10-1 8 I Am Miss Brown Santana Caldwell 3-1 5 Dynamite Jill Corbett McBride 10-1 7 Cherishabull De La Cruz Carranza 12-1 11 Myrna Anne Franco Diodoro 5-1 10 Fancy Ticket Vazquez Villafranco 8-1 1 Will Gracie Shine LContreras Vance 8-1 9 Zan Creek Clawson Hale 20-1 6 She’s a Corker Canchari Litfin 20-1
6 Purse $32,000, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds, maiden claiming $40,000
SPUR** showed terrific early speed and gave way grudgingly when beaten less than 1 length in his first start for current connections. Since he was a bit erratic down the stretch, blinkers come on and a new rider takes the call. THE GIPPER earned the field’s fastest Beyer figure in an improved second-place finish. He has early speed and may appreciate an outside post. PROUD TO LIVE FREE ran past the top selection inside the final strides. He was claimed by a sharp stable and should work out a great trip behind an expected fast pace.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
6 Spur Vazquez Diodoro 5-1 9 The Gipper Santana Cox 3-1 5 Proud to Live Free Rocco Cox 9-2 4 Private Party Contreras Asmussen 4-1 8 Perplexed Birzer Lukas 10-1 3 Stormy Forecast Quinonez Von Hemel 8-1 11 Awesome Fu Clawson Fires 15-1 2 Uno Mas Brandy Parker Hartman 15-1 10 Hickory Island Eramia McPeek 12-1 1 Red Flash Canchari Asmussen 15-1 7 Threescore Franco Stuart 20-1
7 Purse $25,000, 5½ furlongs, 4-year-olds and up, starter allowance
HALF DOME DUDE*** has been a clear stalk-andpounce winner of three consecutive races, and he is taking a slight class drop for winning connections. COMO SE LLAMA has twice finished second behind the top selection at the meeting, and he possesses good early speed. He excels at abbreviated sprint distances. CITY SAGE won a $10,000 claiming race by 3-widening lengths, and he has the class to move up and repeat.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
6 Half Dome Dude Franco Diodoro 6-5 3 Como Se Llama Canchari Broberg 7-2 5 City Sage Vazquez Arnett 4-1 4 Wildcat Friendship Eramia Broberg 10-1 9 Nobadeer Birzer Chleborad 12-1 7 Tiree Contreras Asmussen 10-1 2 Chocolate Wildcat Felix Jansen 15-1 1 Jifquick De La Cruz Vance 20-1 8 Hotbutteredsoul Quinonez Hiles 20-1
8 Purse $83,000, 6 furlongs, 4-year-olds and up, allowance
RECOUNT** won two sprint stakes in 2016. He finished second in the King Cotton two races back and is dropping into an allowance race after a disappointing fifth in the Hot Springs. GRAND CANDY competed well in a pair of turf-sprint stake races at Fair Grounds, and a case can be made that he is more effective on dirt than turf. RIVERS RUN DEEP has not raced since November, but he was a winner at Oaklawn after a similar layoff last spring. The 16-race winner is nearing the $1 million mark in earnings.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
8 Recount Canchari DiVito 5-2 5 Grand Candy Contreras Asmussen 4-1 4 Rivers Run Deep Parker Hartman 3-1 2 Chief of Staff Birzer Van Berg 9-2 7 Wilbo Eramia Hartman 9-2 3 W.B. Smudge Santana Kordenbrock 12-1 6 Pulling G’s Franco Diodoro 15-1 1 Helooksthepart Vazquez Diodoro 20-1
9 Purse $32,000, 6 furlongs, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, starter optional claiming STRAWBERRY BOMB*** has made every pole a winning one in consecutive sprint victories and was flattered when the runner-up in her last race came back to win impressively. A GALA DAY has an optional-claiming victory and stake-placed finish at the meeting. She is a logical late threat if she draws into the race. BIG RED SEVEN finished third behind the top selection in her return from a freshening. She won 3 of 8 races last season and keeps regular rider Jon Court.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
11 Strawberry Bomb De La Cruz Martin 3-1 1a A Gala Day Vazquez Villafranco 15-1 5 Big Red Seven Court Fires 5-1 2 Mango’s Muse Felix Mason 6-1 4 Bling It On Baby Eramia Broberg 5-1 8 Afoolsbrokenheart Franco Kardoush 6-1 7 Exquisite Lady Birzer Cristel 10-1 12 Ribbon of Darkness Thompson Vance 10-1 1 Dreamin Vazquez Villafranco 15-1 6 Dustem Carolina Contreras Vance 15-1 3 Sioux Appeal Canchari Robertson 15-1 10 Too Much Prada Corbett Durham 30-1 9 Cherokee Salute Quinonez Irwin 20-1g victory and stake-placed finish at the meeting. She is a logical late threat if she draws into the race. BIG RED SEVEN finished third behind the top selection in her return from a freshening. She won 3 of 8 races last season and keeps regular rider Jon Court.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
11 Strawberry Bomb De La Cruz Martin 3-1 1a A Gala Day Vazquez Villafranco 15-1 5 Big Red Seven Court Fires 5-1 2 Mango’s Muse Felix Mason 6-1 4 Bling It On Baby Eramia Broberg 5-1 8 Afoolsbrokenheart Franco Kardoush 6-1 7 Exquisite Lady Birzer Cristel 10-1 12 Ribbon of Darkness Thompson Vance 10-1 1 Dreamin Vazquez Villafranco 15-1 6 Dustem Carolina Contreras Vance 15-1 3 Sioux Appeal Canchari Robertson 15-1 10 Too Much Prada Corbett Durham 30-1 9 Cherokee Salute Quinonez Irwin 20-1
Sports on 04/07/2017