LEE’S LOCK Jazzy Times in the sixth
BEST BET Her Love for Pappy in the ninth
LONG SHOT Go Gold in the fifth
FRIDAY’S RESULTS 1-9 (11.1 percent)
MEET 31-90 (34.5 percent)
*educated guess
**things to like
***plenty to like
****confident choice
1 Purse $23,000, 6 furlongs, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $7,500
BUCK MAGIC*** is back at the claiming price of his most recent win, and he was caught late while 3 lengths clear of third in a starter allowance race at Churchill. Recent workouts have been strong. STURDY ALLAN faltered in his return to the races after contesting the pace, but he is dropping in class and had four consecutive in-the-money finishes against better in his previous races. SMILING CHARLIE won two of his past four sprint races in 2016, and he is a good finisher in a field with plenty of early speed.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
6 Buck Magic;Birzer;Van Berg;5-2
7 Sturdy Allan;St Julien;Caldwell;3-1
3 Smiling Charlie;Canchari;Lynn;6-1
2 Night Patrol;Franco;Compton;4-1
1 Wildcat Friendship;Perez;Puhl;12-1
5 Moon Song;Lantz;Campbell;6-1
4 Kody With a K;Corbett;Shorter;12-1
8 Oliver’s Bull;Osorio;Ashauer;12-1
2 Purse $23,000, 1 mile, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $7,500
MIDAS DANCER** finished 2016 with a pair of front-running route victories at Indiana, and he is back at his preferred distance after a useful and needed sprint tune-up. BOB’S GONE WILD was a dominating winner at this claiming price last season at Oaklawn, and he continued to race competitively against slightly better throughout his 2016 campaign. GASUPTHEJET won four of eight races in 2016 while running at a higher price, and he is a logical threat if able to hold form for new connections.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
3 Midas Dancer;Pompell;Holthus;6-1
1 Bob’s Gone Wild;St Julien;Caldwell;4-1
2 Gasupthejet;Vazquez;Smith;3-1
12 Lotto Cat;Perez;Puhl;8-1
4 Sky Alert;Santana;Asmussen;6-1
11 Naughty Moon;Eramia;Nelson;8-1
10 Indy Awesome;Lantz;Lynn;20-1
8 Cat’s Destiny;Johnson;Vance;20-1
5 Old Fashioned King;Franco;Jayaraman;12-1
9 Hemminger;Corbett;Matthews;12-1
6 Sivershow;Hill;McBride;20-1
7 Hypothetical;Clawson;Ward;20-1
3 Purse $25,000, 1 1/16 miles, 4-year-olds and up, starter allowance
UNION BOWMAN** easily defeated claiming rivals in his past two races at Churchill, and his Beyer figures are fast enough to win a starter allowance. The 10-year-old simply loves to win races. SNICKERBOXER has won two consecutive races for red-hot connections, and he is dropping in class but is no sure thing with a lack of pace in this field. WILD ABOUT YOU is a strong finisher who won 5 of 11 races in 2016. He has more than enough talent but may be compromised by pace.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
4 Union Bowman;Hill;Ortiz;3-1
6 Snickerboxer;Vazquez;Villafranco;9-5
3 Wild About You;Perez;Mullins;7-2
5 Keepinyourchinup;Kennedy;Rouck;5-1
7 Strut N Swagger;Loveberry;Swearingen;8-1
2 Aroney;Birzer;Vance;12-1
1 Kerugma;Corbett;Martin;12-1
4 Purse $27,000, 6 furlongs, 4-year-olds and up, starter allowance
JET OVER** crushed $7,500 rivals in his first start at Oaklawn. A winner of two consecutive races, he was claimed by a sharp claiming stable and drew a good post for a sprinter with speed. DYNAMIC IMPACT has finished no worse than second in three local races, including an opening day victory. He owns competitive Beyer figures and the back class to move up and repeat. ROJAC was beaten a nose in a field of $12,500 claimers when making his local debut. He has strong connections and has his consistent dirt form clouded by a dull record on synthetic surfaces.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
9 Jet Over;Eramia;Broberg;4-1
4 Dynamic Impact;St Julien;Moquett;5-1
1 Rojac;Santana;Diodoro;5-1
5 Manhattan Mischief;De La Cruz;Van Berg;3-1
6 Wildcat Shoals;Birzer;Chleborad;8-1
2 Herriot;Hill;Stuart;12-1
3 The Lone Roo;Perez;Puhl;10-1
8 Greeleys Charm;Borel;Thomas;15-1
7 He’saruler;Sanjur;Contreras;8-1
10 No Supervision;Canchari;Martin;15-1
5 Purse $25,000, 1 1/16 miles, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $15,000
GO GOLD* was winless in 14 races last season but was consistently competitive while running at a higher level. He drew a favorable two-turn post and is running for high percentage trainer Karl Broberg for the first time. SWARM has not raced in 15 months, but he appears to hold a talent advantage and picks up a winning rider. PRIVATE PROSPECT showed plenty of talent and promise as a young horse, and the 5-year-old is dropping to the lowest level of his career. He is good value at morning-line odds.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
1 Go Gold;Canchari;Broberg;12-1
6 Swarm;Landeros;Williamson;5-1
10 Private Prospect;Lantz;Campbell;15-1
2 Spirit Grabber;Felix;DiVito;9-2
8 Cash King;BQuinonez;Young;10-1
4 Copper Hill;Court;Kardoush;6-1
9 California Coast;Santana;Van Berg;3-1
3 Divine Storm;Johnson;Hartlage;10-1
7 So Kitten;Perez;Puhl;15-1
11 Rage Riot;Roman;Garcia;15-1
5 Rich E Z;Marquez;Lynn;20-1
12 Eddington’s Star;Sanjur;Cristel;15-1
6 Purse $75,000, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds and up who have never won three races, allowance
JAZZY TIMES**** is a Grade I placed sprinter who is taking a huge class drop after setting the pace and fading in the Grade I Malibu at Santa Anita. Subsequent works have been rapid. BOALT HALL easily defeated entry-level allowance rivals in his first race for current connections, and the lightly raced 4-year-old is improving and may be this good. BIG SQUEEZE is back at his best distance after a solid one-turn mile effort at Churchill. The expected strong pace may work in his favor.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
3 Jazzy Times;Santana;Cox;3-2
4 Boalt Hall;Vazquez;Villafranco;3-1
5 Big Squeeze;Franco;Simms;3-1
1 Gordy Florida;Corbett;Smith;6-1
7 Force It;Hill;Winebaugh;12-1
2 Briar’s Gold;Marquez;Haran;20-1
8 Heat Road;Birzer;Vance;20-1
6 Golden York;Roman;Chleborad;20-1
7 Purse $72,000, 5½ furlongs, 3-year-olds, maiden special weight
THE GIPPER*** lost late leads in consecutive in-the-money finishes at Churchill, and the winner of his last race came back to win a stake at Fair Grounds. SEVEN FORTY SEVEN showed good speed in a second-place return to the races while crossing the wire 5 lengths clear of the third-place finisher. STRONG YEN battled for 6 furlongs before tiring in a 1-mile race at Churchill, and he is cutting back in distance and adding blinkers for hot trainer Ron Moquett.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
13 The Gipper;Court;Cox;2-1
9 Seven Forty Seven;Felix;Mason;9-2
8 Strong Yen;Eramia;Moquett;5-1
3 Lawton;Borel;Morse;7-2
7 Crawford;Santana;Asmussen;6-1
6 Tsunami Cat;Vazquez;Van Berg;8-1
1 My Apparition;De La Cruz;Rengstorf;10-1
4 Sophisticatedbling;Corbett;Durham;8-1
5 Decision Reversed;Pompell;Mullins;12-1
10 Perplexed;St Julien;Lukas;15-1
11 Flyin’ Orphan;Birzer;Creighton;15-1
2 President Elect;Canchari;Haran;20-1
12 Devil Hunt;Lantz;Winebaugh;20-1
8 The American Beauty. Purse $125,000, 6 furlongs, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up
WHEATFIELD** convincingly defeated state-bred stakes rivals at Fair Grounds, and the rapidly improving mare is the one to fear inside the final furlong. MARQUEE MISS won the Martha Washington and Dixie Belle last winter, and the horse-for-course just missed in her return on opening day and is likely sitting on a peak performance. ATHENA is a multiple-stakes winning sprinter who defeated the second selection in determined style Jan. 13. She is another with a consistent late run.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
5 Wheatfield;Borel;Pish;4-1
6 Marquee Miss;Osorio;Mason;3-1
7 Athena;Rocco;Pitts;5-2
2 D R C’s Pretty Sky;Franco;Diodoro;9-2
1 Super Saks;Vazquez;Lukas;3-1
4 Eurodevilwoman;Cannon;Van Berg;20-1
3 A Gala Day;Roman;Villafranco;20-1
9 Purse $72,000, 6 furlongs, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, maiden special weight
HER LOVE FOR PAPPY*** was beaten a neck after setting a suicidal pace in her 2017 unveiling. She benefits from a positive rider change and goes the distance with kinder rating. ITHAPPENEDINVEGAS suffered a narrow defeat in her career debut at Remington, and she is back sprinting after tiring in a pair of front-running races. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY was beaten only 3 lengths in a career debut at Churchill Downs. Trainer Randy Morse has a very high win percentage with second-time starters, and the filly gets in light with an apprentice rider aboard.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
1 Her Love for Pappy;Hill;Ortiz;5-2
6 Ithappenedinvegas;LQuinonez;Von Hemel;6-1
7 Happy Anniversary;Clawson;Morse;5-1
8 Sweet Invention;Santana;Moquett;4-1
5 Jungle Lane;De La Cruz;Van Meter;6-1
3 Tour On;Franco;Jacquot;12-1
9 Milady Rocks;St Julien;Lukas;8-1
10 Our Lady of Knock;Pompell;Loy;15-1
2 Miss Everdeen;Loveberry;Milligan;15-1
4 Tiz Little Bull;Felix;Rengstorf;20-1
EXOTIC POSSIBILITIES
The second race offers a good chance to collect on a big trifecta, assuming Midas Dancer can lead all the way. Since it is such a contentious race, I’ll spread out aggressively in the two hole and if Midas is a good price, I’ll do the same in the third spot. The 50-cent Pick-4 starting in race six may have a single in Jazzy Times, which helps the bankroll since race seven is competitive, and we’ll need a few to be confident. The eighth race is only a seven-horse field but highly competitive. The ninth race is a single for me since I really like Her Love for Pappy, while others may want to spread out a tad.