Laurel Park: Spot plays and horses to watch, December 15
Edgar Prado smiles after Always Thinking won the Sensible Lady Turf Dash. Photo by Dottie Miller.
Gary Quill is taking a brief hiatus from his GQ Approach full-card picks and analysis. In his stead, we present daily spot plays and horses to watch. Good luck!
First post today 12:30 p.m. The late Pick 5 has no carryover. The Super Hi 5 has no carryover. The Jackpot Rainbow Pick 6 has a carryover of $6,260.05. Eight races are on the card, all on the dirt.
- The first is a $40,000 maiden special weight event going six furlongs on the main track. The 4-5 favorite here is #6 In Jail. This Mike Trombetta-trained filly has finished second in three of her four starts on the dirt, last out gacking up a lead in the lane at odds of 1-5. Obviously she can win here, and you’ll want to include her in multi-race wagers, but it’s going to be hard to stomach expected short odds on her given her penchant for not quite getting it done. We’re curious to see #5 Awesome Mary (8-1) in this spot. She’s a daughter of Awesome Again out of the stakes-placed Hard Spun mare Truly Marie. She’s been training well enough towards this spot for crafty trainer Jose Corrales, who’ll leg up his nephew, Elvis Trujillo, and you gotta believe Uncle Jose wants to put his nephew on some live runners.
TODAY’S FULL-CARD SELECTIONS
- Race 1 – 5-6-4-7
- Race 2 – 6-2-1-4
- Race 3 – 3-7-11-2
- Race 4 – 7-4-3-1
- Race 5 – 9-7-11-2
- Race 6 – 5-7-2-9
- Race 7 – 3-2-7-1
- Race 8 – 3-2-8-1
- Race 9 – 3-8-5-9
- The fourth is a first-level Maryland-bred allowance for fillies and mares giong six furlongs. The favorite here, and our horse to watch, is #7 She’s Achance Too (2-1). The Jason Egan trainee returned last out from nearly six months away to be third, beaten just a half-length, against similar. That day, she was drawn down on the rail, which forced her hand a little bit; today, drawn outside, jockey Jevian Toledo should be able to use her tactical speed to best advantage. What’s more, she has the right to move forward in her second start off the bench.
- The seventh is a first allowance sprint for two-year-olds with a 9-5 favorite in the form of #5 Thoughtless Doll. The James Chapman trainee won by 10 lengths at first asking at Mahoning Valley while earning a gaudy 70 Beyer speed figure. If she runs back to that, she could be tough in here. But you have to wonder what exactly she beat: the other division of that race went three seconds slower, and her 10-length margin suggests there wasn’t a lot behind her. Obviously, she could be a special horse, but we’re not inclined to take short odds while finding out. A runner who, on the other hand, will appreciate significant class relief in here is #3 Pikachu Princess (6-1). The Gina Rosenthal trainee, who won at first asking, has been stakes-placed twice since, including a second-place finish two back behind Limited View, who won impressively next out in the Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship. In her last, Pikachu Princess was well beaten in the the open Smart Halo Stakes, and the winner of that event, Take Charge Paula, returned to win a $75,000 stake at Gulfstream. Angel Cruz will ride.
