MJC analyst Gabby Gaudet will share her longshot and exotic plays with The Racing Biz each Saturday. Photo courtesy of the Maryland Jockey Club.
In the latest edition of our weekly feature with Maryland racing analyst Gabby Gaudet, she plays a Pick 3 and scopes out the featured Maryland Juvenile Futurity.
MARYLAND JUVENILE FUTURITY
The skinny: The final Maryland stakes race of 2014 features a dozen Maryland-bred two-year-olds going 7 furlongs.
Notably: The two horses with the lowest morning line odds — Stonebriar (8-5) and Ghost Bay (7-2) — are both maidens.
Gabby’s take: “I think this is a good race, but unlike Friday’s Juvenile Filly Championship, I think it’s a little less wide open.”
[boxify cols_use =”3″ cols =”6″ position =”right” box_spacing =”5″ padding =”3″ background_color =”gray” background_opacity =”10″ border_width =”1″ border_color =”blue” border_style =”solid” height =”160″ ]GABBY’S PICK THREE TICKET
- Race 7 – 1, 4, 7
- Race 8 – 6, 7, 8, 11
- Race 9 – 2, 4, 5, 6, 8
- Ticket cost ($0.50 unit): $30[/boxify]
SCOPING OUT THE JUVENILE FUTURITY
[su_list icon=”icon: check”]- The particulars: 2yo, Maryland-breds, 7 furlongs
- Conditions: Stake, $125,000 purse
- Top Selection: #11 Stonebriar; Two Punch gelding is winless in five tries but has finished in the triple three straight, including last-out second in the restricted Christopher Elser Memorial at Parx Racing, in which he was a dead-game second after dueling throughout… The third-place finisher that day, Nasa, returned to win a stake at Parx… Owns field’s best Beyer, an 80 in the Elser, but Gabby points out, “Those Parx Beyer speed figures are often inflated when horses come to Maryland, and they don’t always run to what the figs say. But Stonebriar’s saving grace is who he’s run against and how well he’s run against them.” … Also was third, behind the very good Golden Years, in the Maryland Million Nursery… Tim Keefe trainee has the speed to find a good trip — might be the fastest of all, in fact — and the class to get the job done here… Bottom line: A standout, and the pick.
- The Longshot: #6 Take Achance On Me; Forestry colt enters off a maiden score and, says Gabby, “is one who’s going to improve with distance, and he may like 7 furlongs or even further”… Jason Egan trainee has made his own trouble in his two starts, hesitating before leaving the gate in his debut and then breaking far outward in his second start… Shows a solid turn of foot and made a quick move to contention in last start before winning under a confident ride… With Trevor McCarthy injured, Jevian Toledo picks up the mount… Bottom line: A horse on the improve who could jump up against these.
- Don’t Sleep On: #7 Ghost Bay; Maiden Ghostzapper colt has finished third in each of his two starts to date… Last out, Larry Murray trainee finished ahead of three who returned victorious, including Take Achance On Me… Has shown no early speed at all going six furlongs but has a pair of solid works since last race, including a bullet half-mile in 48 1/5 seconds a week ago, fastest of 57… Figures to be running late but will need to kick it in gear sooner than prior starts… Jockey Forest Boyce returns from her winter Fair Grounds base to take the mount, one of just three she has on the day… Gabby says, “He looks like a horse who’s getting better, and I like that he improved in his first race on a fast track”… Bottom line: A live runner who will be on the ticket.
“Good luck!”
(Featured image, of Ben’s Cat, by Laurie Asseo.)
