Fri 12/11: Fair Grounds - Turfway Park

[Easy Goer Otis]

Good luck LoneStar. I'm in NOLA and heading for the Fairgrounds later.

Here are some comments on the card after my first pass:

R1 is a bit of a joke. There are less than a dozen Alabama-breds foaled every year. Very few can race in open company and the one that can is 1-5. Jockey just needs to stay on the horse.

R2 I am interested in #3 Chicory Blue (5-1) as hot trainer Hugh Robertson moves son of Yes It's True from synth to turf for the first time. Hasn't raced since August, but has four 5f works plus a bunch of 4f. Should be fit and ready.

R3 A lot of contenders. Don't trust the favorite. Will wait until I see them in the paddock.

R4 I have my eye on two price horses here in #3 Champagne Tony 9-2 and #8 Bob's Consultation 12-1. Champagne Tony is a 6yo hard-knocking midwestern claimer that has not been in this low since last December, when he easily won a $5k claimer at Hawthorne. John Haran brings his Chicago barn down here and this looks like a quick move to grab some purse money and risk the claim while he sorts out the stalls. Bob's Consultation seems off form, but finished 3rd against $12k claimers at Santa Anita earlier this year with a figure that would blow all of these away. Could be 20-1+ and I will include on my tickets if he looks good.

R5 #6 Baama Care 7-2 seems to have a pretty significant pace advantage as the one with the most closing speed in a race full of questionable finishers.

R6 Hard to get past Larry Jones' #10 Chapter and Verse, who drops down after finishing a creditable 4th to Control Stake in a $50k claiming race at KEE in October to a $7.5 claiming race at FG in December. Won a $20k nw2 claimer the race in Sept at MTH as 3/2 favorite. But why so low and why no Boo Boo in the saddle? Will consider 5-7-9 as other options or underneath. Want to see these in the paddock.

R7 A good deal of speed in this mile race, so I'm looking for the counter-punchers to sweep past those contesting the pace early. #2 Cashleigh 6-1 fits the bill, extending herself fully to win by a nose last month at DeD. Seems to have a decent late turn of foot for the dirt. Other closers are #8 Joy to the King 8-1 whose T/J combo hits at 19% win and 44% ITM and the even-running son of Flower Alley #7 Danzig Gold. 2 for 22 but newly gelded. Maybe he gets more focused.

R8 $25k Maiden claimers. Will need to see these in the paddock, but most intrigued by the lightly raced $100k NY-bred KEE12 purchase #6 Horse With No Name 8-1 Now almost 5yo, has not raced since March of his 3yo season where he was racing at AQU in NY-bred MSW against much stronger fields.

R9 La-bred Mdn $10k claimers. Pass.

Good luck today!

Cheers,

Otis