LEE'S LOCK Improbable in the eighth
BEST BET Game Winner in the 10th
LONG SHOT Ship Stalker in the second
FRIDAY'S RESULTS 5-9 (55.5 percent)
MEET 83-264 (31.5 percent)
****confident choice
***plenty to like
**things to like
*educated guess
1 Purse $100,000, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds, maiden special weight
**BATTLEOFTHEBULGE set a rapid pace around two turns before tiring in his first race after a layoff. He is cutting back to a sprint distance and may be able to control the pace. BREAKING NEWS has had every chance to win in a pair of in-the-money finishes at the meeting, and the beaten post-time favorite may have found a field he can handle. MY LEGACY set the pace in a fourth-place debut at Fair Grounds, and note two of the four horses exiting the race have won.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
7 Battleofthebulge;Borel;Jones;4-1
1 Breaking News;Rosario;Moquett;7-2
2 My Legacy;Santana;Asmussen;9-2
6 All About Will;Ortiz;Asmussen;6-1
4 Ludington;Canchari;Morse;8-1
5 Burn and Turn;Rodriguez;Zito;8-1
8 Alex of Ice;Elliott;Hobby;6-1
9 Tapizars Secret;Vazquez;Richard;8-1
10 V Tach M.D.;Van Dyke;Van Berg;15-1
2 Purse $47,000, 1½ miles, 3-year-olds and up, starter allowance
**SHIP STALKER has shown big improvement since moving to the barn of trainer Gary Hartlage. He owns the field's fastest recent Beyer figures and figures to be the controlling speed. YEOWZER is a proven marathon runner who has finished second in his past two races at a shorter distance. BAIRES BOY was an easy marathon winner in September at Louisiana Downs, and he finished third in a recent marathon race on turf at Fair Grounds.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
8 Ship Stalker;Johnson;Hartlage;12-1
9 Yeowzer;Cohen;Broberg;5-2
1 Baires Boy;Ulloa;Dison;10-1
6 Tales of War;Morales;Lauer;4-1
10 Tonedaddy;Santana;Asmussen;9-2
4 Bigshot Lacewell;Quinonez;Frazee;8-1
3 Kela Brew;Canchari;Robertson;6-1
2 Ucanthankmelater;Lara;Matthews;20-1
7 Dynabeaver;Eramia;Martin;12-1
5 The Rouge Diesel;Vazquez;Cox;20-1
3 Purse $100,000, 1 1/16 miles, 3-year-olds, maiden special weight
**COWBOY DIPLOMACY lost a lead inside the final furlong when second in an encouraging career debut, and the race has produced three next-out winners. He is bred to run this far. ROYAL MESA was beaten less than 1 length in his two-turn return to the races, and he may have needed the race after a break of nearly four months. PROVERB has recorded a bullet workout since rallying to fourth in his 2019 debut, and the lightly raced and improving colt drew inside and picks up a top rider.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
9 Cowboy Diplomacy;Ortiz;Cox;3-1
10 Royal Mesa;Birzer;Sims;7-2
2 Proverb;Rosario;Moquett;6-1
3 Plug and Play;Vazquez;Asmussen;4-1
5 Brush Country;Canchari;Van Meter;8-1
4 Revenio;Rodriguez;Zito;10-1
1 Zoomer;Eramia;Peitz;12-1
8 Shell Fire;Quinonez;Von Hemel;20-1
6 Kinetic Swagger;Sanjur;Robertson;15-1
7 Twobirdsonestone;Prat;Lauer;10-1
4 Purse $101,000, 1 1/16 miles, 3-year-olds, allowance optional claiming
***DESSMAN followed a decisive career debut victory with a photo-finish loss in the Grade II San Vicente at Santa Anita, and blinkers off is a high-percentage move for trainer Bob Baffert. LAST JUDGMENT won a fast maiden sprint race at Gulfstream Park, and trainer Todd Pletcher has a very strong record shipping into Hot Springs. COMEDIAN was a convincing two-turn maiden winner at Oaklawn after a pair of runner-up finishes at Fair Grounds, and his speed should have him in position to win.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
5 Dessman;Rosario;Baffert;8-5
7 Last Judgment;Velazquez;Pletcher;3-1
4 Comedian;Santana;Asmussen;5-2
6 All Bizness;Elliott;Fires;10-1
3 Nacogdoches;Vazquez;Asmussen;8-1
1 Mr Midtown;Eramia;Morse;15-1
2 Dobbins G;WDe La Crz;McBride;20-1
8 Half Ours to Keep;Quinonez;Von Hemel;12-1
5 Purse $100,000, 1 1/16 miles, 3-year-olds, maiden special weight
**ROTATION was narrowly beaten in a clear second-place finish just two back at Fair Grounds, and he is back in a maiden race after a fourth-place stake finish at Sunland. INCORRIGIBLE lost a clear lead inside the final furlong in his first race as a three-year-old, and he had a sharp subsequent work and switches to a top-class rider. WARRIOR'S CHARGE has finished third in all three of his races, and the two-time beaten favorite has talent and top connections.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
4 Rotation;Santana;Asmussen;5-2
6 Incorrigible;Rosario;Moquett;7-2
2 Warrior's Charge;Ortiz;Cox;2-1
7 Honoring Major;Court;Fires;6-1
5 High Sheriff;WDe La Cruz;Lukas;12-1
3 Split the Wickets;Birzer;Van Berg;15-1
8 Sneads;Hill;Zito;12-1
9 Atthepearlygates;McMahon;Van Meter;15-1
1 Tiz a Secret;Vazquez;Wallace;30-1
6 Purse $97,000, 1 mile, 4-year-olds and up, allowance optional claiming
***LIFE'S A PARLAY had a modest two-race winning streak snapped when finishing second in the $130K Gio Ponti at Aqueduct, and the Todd Pletcher trainee is the speed drawn on the rail. IKE has not raced since July, but the Bob Baffert trainee finished second in the 2018 Northern Spur at Oaklawn. He shows an impressive string of workouts. DAZZLING GEM has three of his four career wins at Oaklawn, and he suffered a tough-luck defeat in his first start of the season.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
2 Life's a Parlay;Velazquez;Pletcher;2-1
7 Ike;Van Dyke;Baffert;6-1
5 Dazzling Gem;Ortiz;Cox;4-1
1 Mercer Island;Cohen;Diodoro;8-1
3 Fight On;Santana;O'Neill;8-1
8 Frammento;Hill;Zito;20-1
12 Mo's Mojo;Prat;Morse;12-1
1a Rocky Tough;Cohen;Diodoro;8-1
10 Tapsolute;Loveberry;Robertson;20-1
4 Local Hero;Smith;Fawkes;10-1
11 Altito;Elliott;Vance;20-1
9 Giant Influence;Vazquez;Villafranco;20-1
6 Hold On Angel;FDe La Cruz;Haran;30-1
7 The Azeri. Purse $350,000, 1 1/16 miles, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up
***MIDNIGHT BISOU won five races in 2018, including the Santa Anita Oaks. She won her graded stake tune-up at Houston and keeps Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith. ELATE has been on the sidelines since August, but she fired big when fresh last summer. She is a multiple Grade I winner. SHAMROCK ROSE won the BC Filly and Mare Sprint, and she is a two-turn stake winner with credentials to contend.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
2 Midnight Bisou;Smith;Asmussen;6-5
5 Elate;Mott;Ortiz;8-5
6 Shamrock Rose;Cohen;Casse;6-1
4 Eskimo Kisses;Canchari;McPeek;5-1
1 Tapa Tapa Tapa;Gallardo;Hamm;10-1
3 Summer's Indy;Cabrera;Broberg;30-1
8 The Rebel. Purse $750,000, 1 1/16 miles, 3-year-olds
****IMPROBABLE finished his unbeaten season with a crushing Grade I win at Los Al, and the Bob Baffert trainee seems a standout. GALILEAN is a three-time restricted stake winner in California, and he possesses good early speed and may be this good. EXTRA HOPE finished third behind the top selection in the Los Al Futurity, and he looked good winning an allowance tune-up at Santa Anita.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
9 Improbable;Van Dyke;Baffert;3-5
8 Galilean;Prat;Hollendorfer;3-1
1 Extra Hope;Smith;Mandella;6-1
2 Long Range Toddy;Court;Asmussen;10-1
7 Classy John;Cohen;Stewart;15-1
4 Easy Shot;Eramia;Desormeaux;15-1
3 Corruze;Elliott;Hartman;30-1
6 Ninth Street;Santana;Asmussen;50-1
5 Proud Nation;Cabrera;Sharp;50-1
9 The Essex Handicap. Purse $350,000, 1 1/16 miles, 4-year-olds and up
**GIANT EXPECTATIONS is a multiple grade II winner who ships from Santa Anita after finishing third in a loaded San Pasqual field. HEAVY ROLLER easily defeated a stake-caliber field while winning an allowance race in his Oaklawn debut, and he appears vastly improved for trainer Joe Sharp. SONNETEER won the Fifth Season Stake last winter at Oaklawn. He encountered traffic trouble in mid-stretch when fourth in the Razorback.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
8 Giant Expectations;Rosario;Eurton;5-2
6 Heavy Roller;Cabrera;Sharp;5-1
3 Sonneteer;Eramia;Desormeaux;5-1
7 Snappy Sinclair;Santana;Asmussen;9-2
2 Hence;Smith;Asmussen;9-2
1 Dalmore;Cohen;Quartarolo;8-1
9 Rated R Superstar;Prescott;Contreras;12-1
4 Nanoosh;Mojica;Diodoro;20-1
5 Chris and Dave;Vazquez;Villafranco;15-1
10 The Rebel. Purse $750,000, 1 1/16 miles, 3-year-olds
****GAME WINNER was unbeaten in four races as a 2-year-old, and the BC Juvenile was among his three Grade I victories for high-powered trainer Bob Baffert. OMAHA BEACH recorded a powerful 6-furlong work after a 9-length maiden victory at Santa Anita, and he picks up Hall of Famer Mike Smith. GUNMETAL GRAY finished second behind the top selection in the Grade I American Pharoah, and he will appreciate a fast track after a solid wet-track effort in the RB Lewis.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
5 Game Winner;Rosario;Baffert;4-5
6 Omaha Beach;Smith;Mandella;7-2
8 Gunmetal Gray;Prat;Hollendorfer;10-1
7 Our Braintrust;Cohen;Casse;6-1
2 Laughing Fox;Santana;Asmussen;10-1
10 Captain Von Trapp;Vazquez;Asmussen;15-1
4 Jersey Agenda;Ortiz;Asmussen;15-1
3 Parsimony;Gutierrez;O'Neill;30-1
1 Market King;Velazquez;Lukas;30-1
9 Kaziranga;Eramia;Asmussen;50-1
11 Purse $100,000, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds, maiden special weight
***NIFTY was caught wide in a clear runner-up finish, and the lightly raced and improving colt posted a subsequent bullet work. FIRECROW is bred top and bottom to be a fast sprinter, and he may have tipped his hand in a bullet 5-furlong breeze March 2. GILES is another unraced colt with a win-early pedigree, and he shows a series of promising works for a stable that excels with young horses.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
8 Nifty;Borel;Jones;3-1
10 Firecrow;Rosario;Moquett;4-1
6 Giles;Santana;Asmussen;9-2
1 Majestic Day;Court;Fires;5-1
9 Youvesaiditall;Vazquez;Asmussen;8-1
3 Tut's Revenge;Cabrera;Stuart;15-1
5 Better Charge It;Eramia;Von Hemel;12-1
4 Josie Boy;Canchari;Robertson;8-1
2 Uncle Chad;Birzer;Anderson;12-1
7 Grassetto;Hill;Zito;15-1
EXOTIC POSSIBILITIES
I believe Ship Stalker will set the pace in the second race, and putting him on top in second-race trifectas seems logical. As always, I'll spread out generously in the middle and limit the three-hole to logical contenders. A 50-cent Pick-5 begins in the seventh race, and Midnight Bisou and Elate are the must-haves. The eighth race has a very likely winner in Improbable, but Galilean is a hot horse and one worth throwing in. The ninth race is contentious, and spreading out in hopes of landing a price is suggested. Game Winner is a logical single in the 10th, but up-and-comer Omaha Beach may be worth adding. The 11th race is a sprint with a few contenders and an opportunity to get an upset.
Sports on 03/16/2019