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

Post time: 12:10 p.m.

Carryovers: 
Chesapeake Jackpot Pick 6 — $2,560
Jackpot Super High 5 — $6,244
Late Pick 5 — $0

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RACE 1: CLAIMING $7,500, 4-YEAR-OLDS AND UP, 1 1/16 MILES

6-3-4-7

#6 Morning Thoughts (5-2) raced wide throughout and held third against the very classy Everett’s Song last out. He’s dropping in class from starter optional claiming rivals, and should be able to take control of the pace in a race without a lot of it. #3 Gambling Tzar (5-1) had no shot of catching El de Larry over a speed-favoring track last out, but closed as best he could and lost second by a neck. He should get a share even if Morning Thoughts sneaks away with it. #4 Captain Cardo (12-1) has had a busy meet; this is already has fourth start of the season. He closed well and lost third in a blanket finish last out, and has put in decent efforts against these types and better.

RACE 2: MAIDEN CLAIMING $12,500, 4, 5, AND 6-YEAR-OLDS, 5 1/2 FURLONGS

2-1-6-5

#2 Stormy Hollow (3-1) has chased gate-to-wire winners in his last two starts. Now, he’s the one with the best early pace figures in the race. He may be able to control the early pace in a soft field even by bottom-level maiden claiming standards. The only one who might challenge him is #1 All Fruits Ripe (8-1). He almost pulled off two gate-to-wire miracles at huge odds towards the end of grass season last year, then came from off the pace and just missed first off the bench at Charles Town last out. #6 A B C Ya (6-5) spent the better part of last year finishing second at this level. He has easily the best late pace figures in this field, and if the aforementioned two end up burning each other out, today might just be the day.

RACE 3: CLAIMING $12,500 (N/W3L), 4-YEAR-OLDS AND UP, 6 FURLONGS

7-5-2-3

#7 Beach Cowboy (2-1) was well-bet when dropped to this level last out, but got caught very wide and didn’t do much thereafter. While he has another outside draw, he’s facing a much easier field than he did last time, and looks fast enough to cross and clear to the front. #5 Order Ofthe Kettle (3-2) makes his second start off a two-month break and also gets class relief. He was run off his feet in his most recent start, but he’ll be heard from late if Beach Cowboy doesn’t get too comfortable up front. #2 Aim for the Cork (6-1) made good ground second off the three-month layoff last out, getting up for third at 53-1 at Charles Town. He could shake up the exotics here as well.

RACE 4: CLAIMING $40,000, 3-YEAR-OLDS, FILLIES, 1 1/16 MILES

4-5-3-7

#4 Moon Cache (2-1) ran a sharp brisnet figure of 78 in her maiden-breaking win three starts ago, the best figure anyone in here has run around two turns. She was a re-rallying third in a first-level contest when last seen on December 27; Xtra Heat Stakes winner Onyx Ten was second in that contest. #5 Bourbon N Lace (15-1) makes her first start since October 29 and drops to a more realistic spot after facing better for most of last year. She’s a half-sister to numerous six-figure earners, and while most of them did their best work in sprints, there’s some distance ability sprinkled in there as well. #3 Nancy Mary (5-1) broke her maiden going two turns last out, and was third with a very solid 74 against a salty maiden field in her previous outing.

RACE 5: ALLOWANCE (N/W1X), 4-YEAR-OLDS AND UP, 1 1/16 MILES

6-1A-7-3

LATE PICK 5 STARTS HERE. CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO ANALYSIS

While #6 Derbyness (5-2) has let his backers down at low odds three times in a row, he hasn’t been in a spot where the pace setup looks as ideal for him as it does here. He got caught up in a tussle from an outside draw going a mile last out, and hung around to finish a respectable fourth. He goes second off a seven-week layoff here, and looks as if he’ll have an easy time on the lead as long as he breaks. Whichever half of the Jamie Ness-trained entry runs will look very strong. My preferred half is #1A War Master 7-5), who was second to the dazzlingly impressive Secret Zipper last out. He outfinished Derbyness four starts ago with a strong off-the-pace move, and has faced some very strong rivals in the interim. is the most likely one to haul in Derbyness today. #7 Cap Com (10-2) has finished third five times in a row, and given his figures and pace profile, he’s likely to finish a grinding third once again.

RACE 6: ALLOWANCE (N/W1X), 4-YEAR-OLDS AND UP, FILLIES AND MARES, MD-RESTRICTED, 6 FURLONGS

4-5-7-2

While it’s never easy to run your best first off a seven-month layoff, if #4 Takethemoneyhoney (7-2) does so, she’ll wallop this field. She went off as the slight favorite on debut at Parx last July, and ran a huge race. She set very fast early fractions, shook off pace pressure, and won by 13 lengths with a 91. Since then, six of her eight rivals have come back to win, and two of them have won twice. She came back to the worktab in early January for Michael Moore, and has by far the highest ceiling of anyone in this race. Since Lizzie Merryman added blinkers to her homebred #5 Spencer Tiara (5-2), she’s been a new horse. She ran two big races in arow on the lead at Aqueduct, winning one and losing the other by a head. If Takethemoneyhoney struts her best stuff, I don’t think this one can keep up, but she’s talented enough to hold off the others. #7 Bondiva (3-1) has hit the board three times in a row against similar. She’ll likely workout a pace-stalking trip and hang around for a small share, as usual.

RACE 7: WIDE COUNTRY STAKES, 3-YEAR-OLDS AND UP, FILLIES, 7 FURLONGS

5-4-7-3

The first stakes race of the day pays tribute to the 1991 Maryland-bred Horse of the Year. #5 Onyx Ten (5-2) beat some of these in the Xtra Heat Stakes last out, coming up the inside to prevail with a career-best 88. Her only bad race came in the aforementioned 1 1/16-mile contest two races back. She looks very well-suited for this distance, and should sit close to the pace and work out a nice trip. #4 Safe Trust (8-1) gave Caprice a scare two races back, then sat on the pace and beat first-level rivals last out. While that track favored speed, she’s still the main speed of this contest, and might improve second off the bench. The other Jose Corrales trainee in here, #7 Shkhara Fire (4-1), finished second to Onyx Ten in the Xtra Heat, and should once again get a great trip just off the early leaders.

RACE 8: MIRACLE WOOD STAKES, 3-YEAR-OLDS, 1 MILE

5-1-4-2

The hard-knocking Maryland-bred of the late 1980s and early 1990s is honored here. Note that Studlydoright, the morning line favorite, will almost assuredly scratch to run in the John Battaglia Stakes at Turfway Park tonight. Among the remaining runners, #5 Pay Billy (3-2) is the fourth choice, which would represent tremendous value if it holds. He was an impressive winner of a first-level contest last out, setting the early pace, repelling stretch challenges, and pulling clear to win with a sharp 93. He has the most early speed of anyone in here, and in a small field like this one, it might be easy for him to sneak away and leave them reeling. The top three finishers in the Spectacular Bid Stakes are back in this one. #1 Sacred Treasure (5-2) might’ve been best, as he was blocked in the stretch, rallied strongly when clear, and lost by a half-length. He’s less likely to run into traffic in a small field, and while he’ll have a hard time catching up to Pay Billy, he can easily outkick the others and round out the exacta. #4 Crab Daddy (5-1) was a gutsy second in a tight photo in the Spectacular Bid, and was an impressive winner in the Parx Future Stars Stakes in his prior outing.

RACE 9: MAIDEN SPECIAL WEIGHT, 3-YEAR-OLDS, FILLIES, 6 FURLONGS

5-4-7-6

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