[ateamstupid]

Leg C (Race 10): 33RD RUNNING OF THE CARRY BACK (GRADE II). $300,000, 3, 6 FURLONGS.

1 - INDIAN ASHTON (Wesley Ward / Frank Alvarado)
Tribal Rule gelding scored in a $50,000-$40,000 claimer at SA two back in fast time, then was laid off for nearly five months and returned to run a disappointing sixth in the $50,000 Valid Video over this oval in the slop. Perhaps he needed the race, perhaps he didn't care for the sloppy, sealed track and he hit the gate at the start, perhaps leaving him uncomfortably far behind. Ward certainly doesn't mess around with shippers, but this dude has a little to prove.

2 - FATE TAKES A HAND (Frank Brothers / Cornelio Velasquez)
Connections saw fit to claim this Tale of the Cat chestnut for $75,000 out of his debut, and it looked awfully smart when he rolled by 8 1/4 that day. He came back with a troubled fifth at GP, but showed up at CD on 5/23 and cruised by 5 1/2 against N2L foes. Long, steady string of works since, capped off with a :59 2/5 bullet at CD on Sunday. Scary.

3 - JERONIMOS STORM (Jesus Chavez / Abdiel Toribio)
Very strange situation with this colt, as he crossed the wire in front by 3/4 two back, but was disqualified to second for drifting out late, then last out, crossed the wire in front by 3/4 before being disqualified for second for drifting out late. If you're keeping score, he's still a maiden. Not a very fast one, either.

4 - BLACK SEVENTEEN (Brian Koriner / Clinton Potts)
Looks like connections figured this chestnut out in a hurry. Following a pop-and-stop in the G1 SA Derby, they've turned him back to six furlongs and he's responded with two monstrous wins on the HOL cushion, earning a 109 BSF for his last victory. TG guys not as impressed, as he got a 3 1/2, but that still puts him with the contenders. Speedy colt doesn't encounter a ton of speed, so he's capable of taking them for a ride. Very dangerous.

5 - POP GOES THE TIGER (Douglas Potter / Sebastian Madrid)
Like a true So. Fla. runner, this gray has already run 17 times at only three years old, and he's found his way into a few stakes while he's been at it, and appears to have his head screwed on straight after an up-and-down winter. He puts on blinkers following a closing fourth in the Valid Video. Has a lot of ground to make up on the first two runners in there, and he seems to be on the outside looking in with this solid field.

6 - FINALLYMADEIT (Javier Negrete / Eddie Nunez)
Barn's lone winner in 28 tries attempts to make it two in a row following 6-1 score in the Valid Video, which followed a stinker in the G3 Hirsch Jacobs, which followed a strong effort behind elder Weigelia in the $100,000 Ponche H. Has shown the ability to lead and stalk, and Nunez appears to fit him like a glove. Appears to be the strongest threat of the local contingent.

7 - RATHER CLEVER (Kirk Ziadie / Jose Lezcano)
Ran two very similar races to start his career, then scored by a head when dropped in for $50,000 and followed that up with a strong second behind a return winner in an N1X locally. Needs to raise his game in a big way, as his top figures (79 BSF, 6 1/4 TG) won't cut it.

8 - TEUFLESBERG (Jamie Sanders / Robby Albarado)
Amazingly showed no ill effects of numerous Derby Trail© runs, running a huge race when scoring at 8-1 in the G2 Woody Stephens BC at seven furlongs. BSF of 104 and TG of -1 for the effort, both of which put him right at the fore of the contender list, and he's versatile enough to press a slow pace or sit off a hot one. Not sure the value will be there, but he's frightening.

9 - YESBYJIMMINY (Eddie Plesa, Jr. / Manoel Cruz)
Yes It's True bay has gone to post favored in eight of his nine career starts, which makes it ironic that his best race likely came when he was 7-1, running second to Street Magician in the $139,000 Aventura. Didn't appear to have much of an excuse when second to Finallymadeit last out, and he's got to make up ground on that one and some imposing shippers today from a wide post. Leaning elsewhere.

8 - Teuflesberg 2ND
Last was just tremendous, now we'll see if it was an aberration
4 - Black Seventeen 1ST
Ripping apart foes at HOL, they'll have to come and get him
6 - Finallymadeit
Looks to be in better form than ever before
2 - Fate Takes a Hand
Hasn't missed a beat since brief layoff

EXACTA - $13.60