LEE'S LOCK Matapan in the first
BEST BET Smellin Candy in the fourth
LONG SHOT Serengeti in the fifth
SUNDAY'S RESULTS 3-9 (33.3 percent)
MEET 102-321 (31.8 percent)
CONFIDENCE RATINGS
****confident choice
***plenty to like
**things to like
*educated guess
1 Purse $45,000, 5½ furlongs, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, Arkansas-bred, maiden claiming $50,000
****MATAPAN finished second just two races back at Fair Grounds. She was claimed out of her last race by a sharp stable, who immediately spotted her to win in a race restricted to Arkansas-bred fillies. ALL THE THINGS rallied to fourth as a beaten odds-on favorite in her return from a long layoff. She was claimed by a winning trainer and figures to improve. FLORA GROVE is an unraced filly with three months of encouraging workouts for a trainer that wins with this kind.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
9 Matapan Eramia Faucheux 5-2
5 All the Things Elliott Hartman 9-2
2 Flora Grove Loveberry Witt 6-1
3 R Marie Thompson Swearingen 4-1
1 Wild Dez Canchari Martin 5-1
6 Count Ur Bless'n Manrrique LeBlanc 10-1
4 Little Mercy Court Prather 8-1
7 Livertadora Ulloa Bahena 12-1
8 Angebellanico Lara Derryberry 30-1
2 Purse $32,000, 1 1/16 miles, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, starter allowance
***COLOR ME PRETTY has won six of her last 10 races, and she has drawn an inside post and switches to a winning rider. SUGAR CUBE easily defeated $8,000 claimers for her 17th career victory March 8, which earned the field's fastest last-race Beyer figure. CUDDLE KITTEN was overmatched in a recent sixth-place finish, but she won her previous race over this track. She was claimed by a stable having a good meeting.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
2 Color Me Pretty Mojica Leonard 5-2
8 Sugar Cube Bridgmohan Barkley 7-2
7 Cuddle Kitten Elliott Holthus 8-1
3 Babaknowsevrything Cohen Diodoro 6-1
1 Icy Dawn Thompson Chleborad 9-2
6 Racey Reecey Borel Von Hemel 6-1
5 Miss Placed Plan Vazquez Villafranco 8-1
4 Rose to Glory Canchari Cox 12-1
3 Purse $27,000, 6 furlongs, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up who have never won two races, claiming $16,000
**AWESOME DAY was pressured through honest early fractions before giving way to a late-running winner in her 2019 debut. She benefits from a race and a drop in class. PEACHY has finished in-the-money in four consecutive races at this claiming condition. She was claimed by trainer Brad Cox, who gets the services of leading rider Ricardo Santana. ESSIE'S REWARD broke her maiden sprinting, and she is back at her best distance after several route races. Moreover, she was claimed by trainer Karl Broberg, who has been red hot of late.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
3 Awesome Day Court Stall 3-1
8 Peachy Santana Cox 7-2
2 Essie's Reward Cohen Broberg 9-2
6 Summer Lovin Bridgmohan Riecken 6-1
4 Shakin for Love Mojica Diodoro 5-1
1 Unprovoked Canchari Anderson 9-2
7 Calusa Ridge Lara Matthews 10-1
5 Miss Perdido Key Eramia Von Hemel 20-1
4 Purse $24,500, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds and up who have never won two races, Arkansas-bred, claiming $12,500
****SMELLIN CANDY broke his maiden by 7 lengths last spring at Oaklawn, and he is taking a significant drop after contesting a fast pace in two races at the current meeting. REEF'S DESTINY has been overmatched in two races this season, but he owns competitive Beyer figures. He's switching to the leading rider. BURTNJOE raced competitively at a higher condition only two races back, and the front-runner is finally at a proper class level after taking on allowance rivals.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
10 Smellin Candy Loveberry Hornsby 4-1
3 Reef's Destiny Santana Rouck 5-1
1 Burtnjoe Canchari Witt 9-2
9 Expectvalidczech WDe La Cruz McBride 6-1
12 Silverado Road Quinonez Prather 6-1
2 Me N Logan Ray Court Jackson 8-1
8 Japedo McMahon Johnson 10-1
7 Flat Out Mine Lara Cruz 12-1
6 Wasabi Moon Cohen Hornsby 12-1
11 Hamazingly Rich Morales Gonzalez 15-1
5 Shoe Money Ulloa Fires 20-1
4 Qaunico Rodriguez Cannon 30-1
5 Purse $25,000, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds and up who have never won three races, claiming $10,000
**SERENGETI has not raced since December, but he finished second behind a very talented sprinter (Welder) after a similar break last fall at Remington. The exceptionally quick colt is dropping to the lowest price of his career. BECAUSE IT'S TIME has finished second in two of his past three races at this claiming condition, and he is switching to a winning, veteran rider. POWERFUL THIRST is moving up a condition after a determined late-running victory, and the pace figures fast enough to set up another strong, late run.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
12 Serengeti Padron-Barcenas Hartman 6-1
6 Because It's Time Elliott Hartman 5-1
5 Powerful Thirst Cohen Diodoro 3-1
2 Great Sky Santana Asmussen 9-2
3 Divine Desire Vazquez Jones 5-1
7 Blended Lute Canchari Milligan 10-1
9 Gotta Curlin Bridgmohan Duncan 20-1
8 Thermistor FDe La Cruz Garcia 20-1
4 Eternal Force Sanjur Moquett 15-1
1 State of Charm Richard Cannon 20-1
11 Mahalo John Thompson Prather 20-1
10 Fried Baloney Hill Zito 15-1
6 Purse $24,000, 1 1/16 miles, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $6,250
**SPIRIT OF CALEDON lost a late lead in an improved third-place finish, and he is taking a double class drop. Trainer Norman McKnight wins at a high percentage teamed with apprentice riders. CANDY MY BOY finished with energy in a clear second-place finish at Delta, and he owns competitive Beyer figures for top local connections. ONE KIND OF CRAZY broke a tad slow in a second-place finish at Fair Grounds, and he was claimed by leading trainer Steve Asmussen and figures a late threat.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
8 Spirit of Caledon Lara McKnight 3-1
6 Candy My Boy Mojica Diodoro 9-2
12 One Kind of Crazy Santana Asmussen 4-1
11 D'urban Park Eramia Martin 15-1
5 Star Dog Cohen Brberg 6-1
10 Bank On Andy Morales Ortiz 15-1
3 Esposito Roman Cruz 15-1
2 Justenufftuff Ulloa Williamson 15-1
9 Hard Work FDe La Cruz Haran 20-1
7 Joey B Canchari Shorter 15-1
4 Diamondmaze Thompson Smith 10-1
1 Aviator Parks Bridgmohan Vance 12-1
7 Purse $91,000, 1 1/16 miles, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, allowance
**DEVILITE is a lightly raced filly who has finished well in three sprint races, and the daughter of Tapit is bred to improve at route distances. WHISPERING SPEAKER finished second behind a winning odds-on favorite in her local debut, and she appears much-improved for trainer Norman McKnight. GOOD CREATION crossed the wire a half-length in front of the top selection in a useful sprint tune-up, and she does have two-turn experience.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
6 Devilite Santana Asmussen 2-1
8 Whispering Speaker Cohen McKnight 3-1
4 Good Creation Eramia Von Hemel 8-1
1 Wholehearted Sanjur Contreras 6-1
3 Turkmenistan Bridgmohan Mason 6-1
7 Fabulous Girl WDe La Cruz Martin 5-1
1a Trueamericanbeauty Sanjur Contreras 6-1
5 Northern Fern Elliott Morse 15-1
2 The Girl Factor Vazquez Moquett 12-1
8 Purse $91,000, 6 furlongs, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, allowance optional claiming
***RANSOMED won five races on the tough Southern California circuit in 2018. He finished a hard-fought third in his return from a freshening and appears to be sitting on a top effort. SUMMER STORM has been a decisive winner in consecutive fast-track races, and she is sharp enough to move up and repeat. HIGHLAND LASS caught the top selection in the final strides to get second-place money March 2, and she is a threat to win the race if the pace is contentious enough.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
9 Ransomed Cohen Diodoro 5-1
10 Summer Storm Morales Van Berg 3-1
11 Highland Lass Bridgmohan Barkley 9-2
2 Tyfosha Santana O'Neill 4-1
5 Springdetti Mojica McKnight 5-1
3 Sweet Tatum Court Martin 15-1
1 Shabang Baby FDe La Cruz Martin 10-1
7 Ring Me Up Lara Cristel 15-1
6 Cash Register Vazquez Villafranco 20-1
4 J P's Gladys WDe La Cruz Puhl 20-1
8 Claire's Music Eramia Trout 30-1
9 Purse $91,000, 1 1/16 miles, 3-year-olds and up, Arkansas-bred, allowance
***PROMISING SHOES leads the field with six career victories, including an optional-claiming win earlier in the month. Top connections seem to have him spotted to repeat. BOGEY is a proven two-turn runner who has finished strong in consecutive sprint races, and he is a must use in all gimmick wagers. TAPIT STAR was a convincing maiden-sprint winner, and the steadily improving colt is dangerous if able to go this far.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
5 Promising Shoes Vazquez Villafranco 5-2
7 Bogey Quinonez Witt 3-1
10 Tapit Star WDe La Cruz McBride 8-1
11 Maria Rose FDe La Cruz Jansen 12-1
3 Pop Life Santana Moquett 5-1
4 Spotitude Bridgmohan Mason 10-1
8 Light Bound Bid Eramia Loy 15-1
6 Hamazing Vision Loveberry Hornsby 12-1
9 P C Suspect Canchari Martin 12-1
2 Dothebestyoucan Morales Hornsby 20-1
1 Got Mojo Elliott Morse 20-1
EXOTIC POSSIBILITIES
MATAPAN looks like a winner in the first, and playing two doubles with COLOR ME PRETTY and SUGAR CUBE in the second race should be the start of a winning day. SMELLIN CANDY drew into a full field in the fourth race, and I recommend putting him on top of several runners in the middle and roughly three horses at the bottom of a trifecta.
Sports on 03/28/2019