Laurel Park picks and ponderings January 10, 2020

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 — $3,107; Super High 5 — None; Late Pick 5 — None

Notable: Happy New Year!

RACE 1

5-2-3-7
Top choice #5 Loa (5-2) gave a pretty good account of herself last out when third (albeit well beaten) versus better, and the runner-up came to win at the special weight level; ought to be able to get a good stalking trip… Speedy #2 Patriotic Punch (9-2) stuck with it OK last out against similar and will look to carry her speed a bit further today…

RACE 2

4-3-6-2
She couldn’t get it done last time when dogged on the lead early, but #4 Fiduciary Values (9-5) looks like the controlling speed in this starter allowance and will have a chance to take ’em all the way under Cruz… Her major rival for top honors figures to be the horse that bested her last time, #6 Sweet Home Dixie (2-1), who could give trainer Ham Smith his 2,000th winner, but don’t sleep on #3 Chevy to the Levy (9-2), who made a middle move before tiring late last time out and has better efforts on her page…

RACE 3

4-6-7-1
Vroom! The speedy #4 Miss Maserati (7-2) ships down from New York after having raced at Finger Lakes for trainer Grusmark, enters with six straight finishes in the exacta, and figures to be flying early; she’ll be the one they need to catch… Nice effort last time out against similar to win for #6 Case Dismissed (3-1), who rallied from last under McCarthy to get the money and will see a couple of her beaten rivals in here… #7 My T Talk (5-2) faced better last out when fourth in state-bred allowance company…

ANALYSIS

RACE 4

6-3-1-2
Nice effort to graduate last time out by #3 Noble Way (2-1) in his first try in the Capuano barn, slugging it out on the lead and prevailing; the show horse that day, Kneesinthebreeze, returned to graduate yesterday here; this one figures to have the same kind of trip – slugging it out on the lead – today with other early types in the gate, and all of that might be good news for #6 Casper Slew (4-1), who was just sort of even last time against similar but should catch a setup he likes today; note that trainer Trombetta protects him here after exposing him to being claimed last time… Casper Slew finished behind #1 Mystic Times (5-2) last out, when that runner chased Ziggy Mon to no avail, but Mystic Times figures to be joining Noble Way (and Great Go Go and perhaps even Goodluckjonathan) in the early vanguard…

RACE 5

1-5-2-6
Favorite #1 Lucky Trinity (9-5) got pretty well throttled last out in the Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship, but let’s not hold that against her: winner Hello Beautiful is a rocket ship, runner-up Miss J McKay is good enough on turf that she was pointed to the Breeders’ Cup (though she didn’t drawn in) and isn’t half-bad on dirt, and show horse Naughty Thoughts returned to win a race and then run third in the Gin Talking; this looks like a good spot for Lucky Trinity to recapture her winning ways, though it’s a very evenly matched group… Trainer John Servis liked what he saw of #5 Jara (9-2) in her maiden win (by DQ) enough that he tried her in the G2 Demoiselle; that didn’t go well, but she can make amends here…

RACE 6

4-5-2-10
Bottom-level maidens here, and it feels like #4 One Odd Story (3-1) ought to be loose on the lead; she led for a half-mile last time against better, and that race has produced two next-out winners and two others to finish in the triple next out… Favored #5 Silver Sides (9-5) ran well last out to miss narrowly versus similar, though that race is a bit hard to assess; none of six to run back has won, and the winner was a first-timer… Let’s give a little love to #2 Sipin On Board (30-1) because this is a race that could blow up, and trainer Jose Corrales is the kind of conditioner who occasionally does blow up races, and, well, why not?

ANALYSIS

RACE 7

3-8-7-2
Obviously, you need to respect the favorite in here, #8 Towson (7-5), who just missed last time at this level, but we’re not at all inclined to accept those short odds on a horse who just set a career-top speed fig and is winless in five tries at this one-mile trip (four seconds)… So we’ll have him on the ticket but try to beat him on top with #3 Dah Philly (7-2); she closed willingly last out in her first try in a while without blinks and gets bug boy Whisman up today; may offer better value at a distance she likes (two wins and five ITM finishes in six starts)… Speaking of value, #7 Petion Lass (15-1) hasn’t run well her last couple but does have some credible tries versus better on her resume and makes her first start in the Geralis barn today…

RACE 8

5-3-8-7
Seems like there’s some early lick in this two-other-than allowance, and a horse we hope might rate just a bit back off it is #5 Workin On a Dream (6-1), who really ran a pretty good race last out in his first try in seven months, and going seven furlongs; he led a long way that day and stuck with it into the final furlong before tiring late; he ought to be fitter for his second foray, and the cutback won’t hurt, either… #3 Showalter (4-1) gave up the ghost last out when he couldn’t quite make the lead against better, but he might be speedy enough to get there today, and if he does, he may go a long way… #8 Marco Island (3-1) ran a big one last out to win an a-other-than against the well-regarded Benintendi; can he repeat?