Laurel Park picks and ponderings October 5, 2019

Anna’s Bandit. Photo by Laurie Asseo.

by Frank Vespe

In which we pick the races from Laurel Park each day…

Post time: 1:10 p.m.

Carryovers: Rainbow Jackpot Pick 6 — None; Super High 5 — $546; Late Pick 5 — None

Notable: 

ANALYSIS

RACE 1 

Last time out, racing in similar circumstances, #3 You Made It (3-1) was a good second, closing to fall less than a length short. The winner, La Piu Bella, came back to run third in an allowance contest next time out… It’s not an easy spot, but #6 Controllingthegold (5-1), who arrives here on the rise, has won two straight and certainly has taken to this whole turf sprinting thing… Favored #3 Miss Bob (9-5) can’t be ignored, but that 0-for-6 ledger in turf sprints makes taking short odds somewhat distasteful…

Selections: 2-6-3-4

RACE 2 

It looks to us like the best horse in here, #2 The Great Provider (8-5), is also the speed of the speed, arrives in good form having finished in the money in nine straight, and loves this trip (9-of-10 in the exacta). That seems like plenty of reason to eat the chalk in here…

Selections: 2-3-1-4

RACE 3

Last time out at the $25,000 level, #5 Five Star Perfect (7-2) had belated action and rallied into third after having been far behind the lead quartet for the first half-mile. He gets blinkers on today and stretches out to a mile, which might be a bit more in his wheelhouse, and he gets Victor Carrasco in the irons… #3 Awesome At Riedes (8-1) makes his debut in this contest with a good-enough work tab under him. Three of his siblings won as two-year-olds, and trainer Wayne Potts wins about 9% with debut juveniles…

Selections: 5-3-1-8

ANALYSIS

RACE 4

On debut, #8 Bethabara (6-1) gave a credible account of himself. After breaking a step slow and lingering well back, he rallied nicely in the lane to grab second, just ahead of #7 Twirling Wind (4-1), both dusted by 4-5 choice Maybe an Omen. Trainer Ham SMith is 8-for-27 (30%) with maidens making their second career starts after having finished in the money first time out… Trainer Mike Stidham wins with 20% of debut 2-year-olds, and he’s sending out first-timer #4 Lady Fire (9-2) here… Note that #6 Mayas Miracle (8-1), making her career bow for trainer Jerry O’Dwyer, did squeeze in a turf work last week, breezing a half in 51-and-change with the dogs up…

Selections: 8-4-6-2

RACE 5

The Linda Rice-trained #8 Pagliacci (2-1) is the opera lovers’ hunch play du jour and also the most likely winner here. He’s been keeping the right company, having finished second and third in a pair of allowances at Saratoga, and the runner-up from his last, Fig Jelly, returned to be second in a stake at Monmouth. More good news: rider Horacio Karamanos leaves the speedy #2 Jarvis Steel (10-1) to get aboard… Probably too much to expect #7 Robey’s Boy (5-1) to win this contest, given how many times he’s tried and failed to do so already, but all he does is run competitive races and there’s every reason to think he’ll do so again here…

Selections: 8-2-7-11

RACE 6 

Trainer Brittany Russell is playing the claiming game with #4 Warm (8-5), a $16,000 claim three back. She took down this never-won-three condition last time out but rather than, say, trying the more difficult first allowance spot, she brings the runner right back here. If the filly gets claimed, the connections made money on the deal. If she wins but doesn’t get claimed, the a-other-than condition is still out there. And if she doesn’t win, well, she wasn’t winning the a-other-than today anyway… She deserves to be (and is) a longshot, but let’s give a crack to #7 Graceygab (15-1). This Bullsbay filly has won two straight, and trainer Claudio Gonzalez is 11-for-42 elevating horses off victories…

Selections: 4-7-2-6

ANALYSIS

RACE 7 

The speedy #3 Bearsatlanticmist (6-1) seems to have discovered the fountain of youth. The six-year-old Stormy Atlantic mare, toiling at the $4,000 level on the main track earlier this year, has won three of her last five as a go-for-broke turf sprinter. She arrives in this $12,500 spot off a win at the $8,000 level at Delaware and also won for $10,000 three back. If new jock Julio Correa can get her to break alertly, she should be the controlling speed and will be tough to reel in… Several in here have proven themselves competitive at this level, including #2 Just too Much (6-1), #9 Missworldvenezuela (6-1), and #10 Market Money (7-2). 

 Selections: 3-2-9-10

RACE 8 

The morning line favorite has scratched out of this claiming event for juveniles, which kinda throws into wide-open territory. We’ll give another crack to the Dale Capuano-trained #5 Sudden Breeze (6-1), who broke his maiden at first asking and then was a not-bad third last out despite having been rank when in traffic in the early and middle portions of the race. If he can settle, he can take a step forward… The probable favorite here is #7 Promising Pistol (3-1), who logged a front-running score to break his maiden last out, but we’re not sure the cutback from a mile to 5 1/2 furlongs will do the son of Flat Out — whose best efforts were at 1 1/4 miles — any favors… 

Selections: 5-4-6-7

RACE 9 

Trainer Carl Doran’s patience has expired with #5 Ortinola (8-5), who takes a double-drop from $25,000 to $10,000 here and looks, off a second-place finish at the higher level, to be poised to win for the second time in her career today. All of the other major players in this spot have done their best work on the turf, with only middling dirt form…

Selections: 5-2-3-6

RACE 10

Trainer Hugh McMahon has done good work with turf sprinters over the years, and #6 Kitty Zip (3-1) looks like a likely maiden-breaker today in this claiming sprint. She ran second at this level last out, giving up a two-length lead late… Let’s give another crack as well to #8 Sunday Red (8-1). The Super Ninety Nine filly makes her second start after a Jonathan Maldonado claim, and though she ran poorly last out — finishing seventh in the same race in which Kitty Zip was third — she has better efforts to run back to, and Maldonado is 12-for-50 with runners making their second start off the claim for him…

Selections: 6-2-8-9

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