Laurel Park picks and ponderings November 8, 2019

by Frank Vespe | Nov 8, 2019 | Breaking, Handicapping, Maryland, MD Racing

Anna’s Bandit. Photo by Laurie Asseo.

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

Post time: 12:25 p.m.

Carryovers: Rainbow Jackpot Pick 6 — $4,269; Super High 5 — $725; Late Pick 5 — None

Notable: Hey, there’s a $1 million horse in the fifth (Correctness, whose dam is a half to the dam of multiple G1 winner Elate) and a Grade 2 winner in the sixth (Minit to Stardom).

ANALYSIS

RACE 1

1-7-4-2
Top choice #1 Irishtown (3-1) gets back to what might be best game, sprinting on dirt; was a good third with a troubled trip in second career start behind Night Code, who returned to be third in an allowance at Keeneland… Favored #7 Lets Play Hardball (9-5) owns best fig of these but made little impact vs. better last time out… #4 Taskinas (12-1) tries dirt for first time after making debut in rugged edition of Jamestown Stakes; winner Embolden came back to be third in G3 Futurity behind next-out Breeders’ Cup Juvy Turf Sprint winner Four Wheel Drive, and runner-up Bella Aurora was an easy winner in dirt bow last weekend here; runner is a half to six-time dirt winner Braxton…

RACE 2

3-2-4-6
Glacial pace up front may have hurt #3 Ortinola (4-1) last out; she made a middle move to reach second but could not go with winner, yet, despite being eased late, was a clear third; runner-up returned to win next; has done best work on or near the lead… Favored #2 Tiz a Sharpie (8-5) makes third start off a five-month break; failed as the favorite in last but was well clear of rest…

RACE 3

3-4-7-2
Look for an improved effort from #3 Dyna’s Knight (12-1), who ran evenly last time out after bearing out at the start in first try with Lasix… favored #4 Fort Royal (7-5) has proven he fits with these and makes third start off a five-month layoff; show horse from last returned to graduate…

ANALYSIS

RACE 4

3-4-1-5
Closing sort #3 Sudden Breeze (3-1) caught a good trip last out to beat similar, with a three-way duel developing up front; might catch a similar circumstance today, with a bunch of these having shown early lick… Curious to see Steve Asmussen-trained #4 Candygramformongo (5-2) arrive here after beating $50k NY-bred maiden claimers at Belmont last time; none of four to run back has won… #5 Bricktop (3-1) beat lesser last time out and figures to be one of those in the early vanguard…

RACE 5

2-3-9-1
Trainer Eddie Graham has sent out five first-timers in maiden special weight company in the last five years — which he’s also doing with #2 Deciding Vote (15-1) — and all five have finished in the money, with two winners… #3 Correctness (7-2) is a daughter of Medaglia d’Oro who cost a cool $1 million at auction; her dam is a half-sister to the dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Elate; trainer Delacour one of the best in the region and can get ’em ready to win first time out, though lengthy string of works makes you wonder how well this one’s coming around… #9 Aseelah (10-1) gave a good account of herself on debut when second behind Project Whiskey; that runner won the Parx Juvenile Fillies earlier this week…

RACE 6

1-2-3-6
Drop from graded company should put #1 Minit to Stardom (3-5) in a winning mood; Star Guitar filly broke a Laurel course record on the lawn earlier this year and then won the G2 Honorable Miss before running second in the G2 Gallant Bloom; winner Come Dancing ran sixth as second choice in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint… #2 Liz’s Cable Girl (12-1) isn’t the runner she once was, but in a race full of early speed, she might be the only one running on late…

ANALYSIS

RACE 7

5-3-6-7
Favored #5 He’s Not Curly (2-1) didn’t run a bad one last time when rallying into sixth in a starter on Maryland Million day at nearly 40-1, picks up solid journeyman Peltroche in the irons; has shown ability to be on or near pace as well as to rally and owns three wins at the trip… Big effort last time out from #3 Praise the Moon (12-1), who made a big middle move to get to even terms with the leader before emptying out while having the worst of the trip in the lane; expect rider to try to keep him covered up longer, make one move late…

RACE 8

5-10-9-13
Presumably one of these evenly matched sorts will win today, but we wouldn’t recommend taking short odds on any of ’em… #5 Once More Eh (15-1) gave best account of himself four back at the Big T, and a return to that would make him a contender here at long odds… #10 Make the Rules (5-1) makes third start off a year layoff and looks to bounce back off subpar effort… #9 Awesome Agenda (12-1) dropped to the bottom at CT to break his maiden at 1-2 but did it like an odds-on shot should; lightbulb might have gone on…

RACE 9

11-8-6-10
Nice group in the $10k lifetime claimer, and while some of these have won three already — an advantage over those with just two wins — we’ll take one of the latter on top, as #11 Day the Music Died (6-1) figures to sit the right trip off several speed types and arrives here off a win and making his second start off a four-month break… #8 Zitarrosa (7-2) and #10 Fact of War (9-2) both have three wins and should be on the ticket…