Buy TicketsBy Bob Ehalt and Matt Shifman
Hot List Key:
A : A preferred horse to watch B: Secondary horse to watch
*C: Went down 2 or more betting notches in the final 3 minutes and finished 1st through 3rd
*D: Went down 2 or more betting notches and finished 4th or worse
* - 4 or more betting notches if 11-1 or more.
1st race – (2) Parkway ships in from New York and drops into a claimer. Gets a narrow nod here. (6) Temecula rallied for second at Saratoga and is the one to fear. (1) Miracle Worker will be helped by a rail trip. Betting strategy: 2 to win, place. Exacta box: 1-2-6.
3rd race – (2) Gamblers Tail will welcome a dry track for a change. Should fare well in claimer. (1) Merit could perk up against claimers. (8) Mo Rum exits a nice maiden win. (3) Mo Winning is worth a look in his first start for McPeek. Betting strategy: 2 to win, place. Exacta box: 1-2-3-8.
5th race – (3) Positano Sunset was fourth in the Grade 1 Ballerina and should handle this field. (6) Unsung Melody is peaking at the right time of year. (2) Zeitlos cannot be ignored against this bunch. Betting strategy: 3 to win, place. Exacta box: 2-3-6.
8th race – (9) Strong State didn’t care for a wet track in the Grade 1 Spinaway. Reverts to winning form on a dry surface. (3) La Cara won impressively at Saratoga and looks like the key rival. (12) Stilettos is unbeaten but landed a tough post. (6) Pretty Sure showed potential in her debut win. Betting strategy: 9 to win, place. Exacta box: 3-6-9-12.
10th race – (10) Jonathan’s Way was impressive in a debut win at Saratoga and can make it two in a row here. (5) Owen Almighty is 2-for-2 with a stakes win and is the top threat. (1) First Resort has speed and the rail and could be hard to reel in. (7) Sandman looked sharp in a maiden win at the Spa. Betting strategy: 10 to win, place. Exacta box: 1-5-7-10.