Saturday, December 22, 2018 5 CORY GAL will try to parlay her recent experience RACE 1: over the track into a winning performance after 2 QUIZZICAL CAJUN is wheeling back after finishing 2nd vs state-bred special weight competition responding to the dropdown in competition with an going 6 furlongs. improved 2nd place finish at this level and distance. Trainer Mike Yates has Romero Maragh in the SELECTIONS: 4-3-5 saddle. 5 HE’S SMOKIN HOT is dropping to the $50,000 level after facing state-bred maiden special RACE 4: weight competition both here and at GP West with 9 LADY WORTHINGTON, a $650,000 daughter of mixed results. Trainer Joe Orseno has Paco Lopez in Scat Daddy, is making her local debut at 5 furlongs the irons again. 7 SOUPER COURAGE is dropping after setting the pace and just getting nailed at the into the claiming ranks, and cutting back to 6 furlongs, wire when finishing 2nd going 5 ½ furlongs on the after returning from a layoff across town to finish a Keeneland turf. Trainer Wesley Ward has Albin stalk-and-fade 7th vs maiden special competition Jimenez in the saddle. 2 OVERLEVERAGED is going a 2-turn mile. making his turf debut for trainer Linda Rice the first start since he chased the pace and weakened in a 5 SELECTIONS: 2-5-7 ½-furlong sprint moved from the turf to the Laurel main track. 7 GRENADIER is shifting to the turf after RACE 2: dueling for the lead and finishing 3rd in a 5 ½-furlong 6 A BLUE THREAD is debuting locally for trainer sprint moved from the grass to the Churchill main Kiaran McLaughlin after following his maiden victory track. on the dirt with a 3rd place finish – beaten 1 ¼-lengths – on the turf in the $100,000 Awad; Luis Saez rides. SELECTIONS: 9-2-7 8 JOYFUL HEART, 3rd at this distance in the Grade 3 With Anticipation at Saratoga, stretches out after an RACE 5: eventful outing in the 6-furlong Futurity at Belmont in 2 BROWNS GAP moved to the Jorge Navarro barn which he veered in at the start, set the early pace, via the claim, and stretches out a tad to a mile and a and faded from his earlier exploits to finish last. sixteenth, after finishing 2nd vs similar in his GP West Trainer Brian Lynch has him working consistently on finale at a mile & 70-yards. The popular gelding loves the Palm Meadows turf. 7 DULL KNIFE, a son Scat the local surroundings (23-4-4-3). 6 UNEXPLAINED Daddy, makes his North American debut for trainer is stretching out an additional 16th of a mile after Todd Pletcher after winning his 6 ½-furlong debut on rallying wide to defeat similar going a 2-turn mile the synthetic surface at Deauville in France. The across town. Trainer Armando De la Cerda has freshman gets Lasix, and has John Velazquez in the Jeffrey Sanchez going for 2 in a row. saddle. 1 W W CONCERTO is making his local return after the pair of set-the-pace ‘in the money’ finishes across SELECTIONS: 6-8-7 town. He has speed, the rail, and a chance to steal the race on the front end. RACE 3: 4 TAPIT’S PRINCESS is a $500,000 daughter of SELECTIONS: 2-6-1 Tapit debuting for trainer Happy Alter with a steady morning work tab showing over the track. The tote RACE 6: action should tell us more about her chances to win at 11 MONDAYMORNINGMEMO is dropping to the first asking. 3 ORRA MOOR is a daughter of Orb $12,500 level after showing speed and weakening debuting for trainer Todd Pletcher with Lasix, and a late after facing $20-25,000 maidens when sprinting string of stamina enhancing workouts showing at on the Woodbine Tapeta surface. Trainer Nick Palm Beach Downs. Gonzalez has Luis Saez in the saddle. 10 MY PEOPLE SING is dropping a notch, and 1 ZENNOR, who was on the also eligible list for last turning back to 5 ½ furlongs, after the pair of distant Saturday’s Grade 2 Ft Lauderdale, makes his first 3rd place finishes vs better going 6 furlongs across start since rallying to get beat a head when 2nd in an town. 7 MR LUCAS is dropping to the $12,500 level $80,000 optional claimer on the Belmont turf. on the main track after dueling for the lead and 7 IRISH STRAIT is making his local return the first weakening to finish 5th vs $16,000 maidens going 5 start since facing a steady stream of graded stakes furlongs on the GP West turf. Trainer Natalie Fawkes competition before the freshening. Trainer Graham has Paco Lopez handling the surface switch. motion has Jose Ortiz named on the gelded son of English Channel. SELECTIONS: 11-10-7 SELECTIONS: 10-1-7 RACE 7: 4 COLONEL MOORHEAD is debuting locally for Hall RACE 10: THE MR. PROSPECTOR (G3) of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard with blinkers 2 KROY is stretching out to 7 furlongs after added after shaking off early trouble (bumped) to highlighting his versatility when he switched from turf finish 4th vs Pa-bred runners in the ‘key’ $107,000 to dirt and won the 6-furlong Millions Sprint Preview at Crowd Pleaser at Parx, a race that produced a trio of GP West. Trainer Armando De la Cerda has Paco next-out winners. Paco Lopez handles the first start Lopez in the saddle. 8 UNO MAS MODELO will try to since July 21. 9 ANOTHER is debuting locally for make it 3 victories in a row after following his triple- trainer Bill Mott after ending his turf campaign in the digit speed figure victory in the ‘slop’ at Churchill with Big Apple with a stalk-the-pace 3rd place finish going a a ‘come from’ behind’ score here on Opening Day in mile at Belmont vs allowance company; Luis Saez the 7-furlong Claiming Crown Rapid Transit. rides. 12 BANTU is making his local return for trainer 11 COAL FRONT should be primed and ready to Brendan Walsh after the consistent campaign in the offer more after returning from the lengthy layoff for Bluegrass State, which includes the $50,000 trainer Todd Pletcher, showing speed and fading, in starter/allowance score at Churchill. the Grade 3 Bold Ruler Handicap at Aqueduct; John Velazquez rides. SELECTIONS: 4-9-12 SELECTIONS: 2-8-11 RACE 8: 8 CURLUCK, now in the red-hot Jason Servis barn, RACE 11: the daughter of Curlin cuts back to 5 furlongs after 8 SON OF OAHU is stretching out to 9 furlongs after ending her campaign in Canada with a well-meant tracking the speed and finishing 2nd in front of a trio of 2nd-place finish going 6 ½ furlongs on a ‘yielding’ next-out winners in a 1-mile $35,000 optional claimer Woodbine turf. 1 R HAPPY ENDING is returning to on the GP West turf. 1 RACE ME HOME (IRE) is her most accomplished surface and distance (3-2-1-0) returning to the turf for trainer Mike Maker after after shipping up to Ocala and finishing 2nd in the OBS making a 6-wide move to finish 4th, on the main track, Sprint contested on a synthetic track. in the 9-furlong $196,000 Claiming Crown Jewel. 10 FIRST APPEAL is making her local debut for 4 WHO’S YOUR DRAMA is stretching out to a mile trainer Linda Rice after rallying to finish 2nd – beaten and an eighth after rallying from a tough post (13) to three-quarters of a length – when facing $25,000 finish 4th in the mile and a sixteenth Claiming Crown optional claimers going 5 furlongs from Post 10 Emerald. Trainer Peter Walder has Tyler Gaffalione across town. named to ride. SELECTIONS: 8-1-10 SELECTIONS: 8-1-4 RACE 9: 10 BRICKS AND MORTAR is making his 4-year-old debut after the stellar sophomore campaign in which BEST BET: RACE 10 – 2 KROY he won 4 of 6 races, including the Grade 2 Hall of Fame. Trainer Chad Brown has the classy son of LONGSHOT: RACE 7 – 4 COLONEL MOORHEAD Giant’s Causeway training consistently on the Palm Meadows turf. .