Monday, August 5
Early Pick 4:
2nd: #6 Countercyclical has obviously had some issues to delay his debut until midway through his 3YO season for Klaravich, but he's been working well and is expected to fire his best shot first time out. #7 Boogie Too faces the weakest field of his career today and his last dirt race was a good clear 2nd behind 3YO stakes player Make Your Move, in which he was up on a fast pace and opened a clear lead before tiring late. #8 Spintastic wasn't good last out, but was in a race where nobody except the winner ran, and his previous two dirt races are fast enough to win this. He's another who's been training forwardly since shipping up. If #2 Rum Tum Tugger wins after back-to-back no-excuse losses at 2-5, it'll be entirely predictable based on how this meet's gone, but he's the type of horse who's a waste of money including over time.
3rd: #6 King Cyrus is the kind of Pletcher 2YO you're supposed to beat for several reasons. These 7-furlong races are way different than the 5-6 panel heats he typically dominates where if you can just get out of the gate, you're in great shape, King Cyrus is modestly bred and he reportedly got handled in the AM by Chisholm, who took money and didn't run a step behind Dunkin Bend on Saturday. He'll probably be favored just because of Pletcher and there are several better options in here. #4 Tightly Bridled comes into this off a best-of-69 half-mile over the main track, was bred and sold to be fast. The question is him staying the distance, as he doesn't have any works beyond four furlongs, but he's got a good chance to snap Zito's losing streak with 2YO firsters. #1A Souperfast is a half to Uncle Mo and sold for $500k as a yearling, Mott's firsters have been running OK of late and he just missed getting a first out winner with Souperfast's workmate Quilt on Wednesday. The stretchout to 7 furlongs should suit A.P. Indy progeny #5 Aslan way more than his 5-furlong debut did and he's eligible to take a big step forward 2nd out for Albertrani.
4th: I'm not thrilled with the form of favorites #3 Hoboken Joe or #5 Greeley Pack, but just can't figure out where else you're supposed to go in this weak NYB MSW turf sprint.
5th: This is a wide-open affair where cases can be made for just about everyone in the race. #6 Blossom's Trail looks marginally the horse to beat dropping back down after her ambitious placing against Kitten's Dumplings in the Lake George, but it's not as if she has a discernible advantage on figures against this group. #7 Eddy Gourmet is overdue to get a decent trip and get back to the winner's circle. #8 Red Hot Tweet appears to have found a home on grass, although it's fair to question the validity of the 76 BSF she got for her last-out win. #9 Smittenwithkitten beat a weaker field in her MCL win, but earned a competitive number and ran down speeds who finished 2-3 to get there. #5 Dancing for Glory obviously can win, but is bound to be overbet for Chad Brown. #3 Exchange Cat's 4/27 race probably wins this and she lands in a spot without much confirmed early speed. #1 Elusive Design needs a figure boost, but comes off an MSW win at CNL in which she lost a ton of ground and still won off without much urging. Even #2 Dattts Da Boss appears to be a cut below these, but has run the kind of numbers that wouldn't make her totally impossible.
$.50 6,7,8/1,4,5/3,5/ALL $72
$.50 6,7,8/1,4/3,5/3,6,7 $18
Race 2 $5 DBL 6,8/1
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