Teach
05-11-2017, 09:21 AM
To Play or Not To Play, That Is The Question. With A Paraphrasing Attribution to Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
Race One:
NOT TO PLAY:
1 MISTER MONOLO dropped to this level last February and has not distinguished himself in this claiming company. I see no reason to extol his chances here. He has not won in a month of Sundays. 3 DOOLITTLE’S RAIDERS looks to be extending himself beyond his limitations, i.e., “A Bridge Too Far”. Yet, speed, loose on the lead, can be dangerous (he should be “on the engine”). Still, I cannot recommend. 5 SIR MAURICE. I find him hard to recommend (yet, he is, in my opinion, the least likely to “toss out”). He’s a plodding type who has a habit of finishing off an exotic.
TO PLAY: 7, 4, 6, 2.
Race Two:
NOT TO PLAY:
1 BATTLE MIDWAY (MTO) will be declared. 3 MARCHANT looks weak in this allowance company. Will be tested for stamina. 7 SILVER BEACH is my least likely “throw out”. I do have the greatest respect for Monsieur Christophe Clement as a conditioner. Still, I just don’t know if he can get the ten panels. Also, this colt has been away from the races for nearly eleven months.
TO PLAY: 5, 4, 2, 6.
Race Three:
NOT TO PLAY:
10 DREAMS ARE PAZIBLE. I know. NYRA oddsmaker, Eric Donovan, has installed him as a ML 3-1 shot. And then there’s trainer, Todd Pletcher, and the veteran reinsman, Javier Castallano…but, the question remains: Will this 2 year-old take a right turn toward the Belmont Park Rd. First-time starters are often an enigma. Will he break? No morning gate-works. Concerning. I hope he doesn’t say: “What am I doing here?” 9 FORTY NIGHTS. Not much pedigree. Would move up on a wet track (not happening). I find her hard to recommend. 8 TRINNI PRINCESS. I don’t see much in the pedigree, nor in the morning works, that indicates that this filly is a winner at first-asking. 6 STREAM OF GOLD was off slowly in only start. In a 5-panels race, that can’t happen; the first few “jumps” are critical. Unless Joe Parker has worked out the gate issue… 4 VELVET TRINNI. I see nothing that inspires.
TO PLAY: 2, 5, 7, 1, 3
Race Four:
NOT TO PLAY:
1 OH SO SINSTER. This lightly-raced 8 year-old would be a complete shock. One second in six tries on the lawn. 4 ARCTIC SCHILLER. I find him hard to recommend. One try in a turf route (he finished up the track). On top of that, he’s moving up. 5 Njord offers me no indication from his pedigree that he’s a contender. 6 ELBOW ROOM is trying the turf for the first time. Bruce Brown is 0 for 52 with horses making their first grass start. 7 JEGOS FIRE is not particularly well bred for the turf. Two tries on the lawn. Nada! Yet, has been facing MSW types. 8 LEGENDARY HUMOR. I find this horse very hard to recommend.
TO PLAY: 2, 3, 10, 11, 9.
Race Five:
NOT TO PLAY:
5 IT’S TWO HOT BENNY. I believe this filly would prefer a shorter distance. 7 ONE PENNY PIECE may be most affected by the Belmont Inner’s route configuration. Will Paco Lopez have to rush this mare up to get her into contention?
TO PLAY: 6, 3, 4, 2, 1
Race Six:
NOT TO PLAY:
4 CHOSEN ONE ELIJAH has shown little in his most recent starts. Gate issues? 2 COURNOYER has faced weaker. Did win his last in lesser company. Moves up to face winners.
TO PLAY: 6, 7, 5, 3, 1
Race Seven:
NOT TO PLAY:
8 BELLE OF THE SPA showed little on the dirt in her last. 7 TIZZA TEMPER. Turf pedigree is suspect. 4 PIQUET. First-time starter with a trainer who has a low-percentage record with turf debuts. 2 SPA TREATMENT (MTO) declared. 1 ALLEY OOP has shown little on the main. No reason to believe that will change when switching to the turf.
TO PLAY: 6, 10, 9, 5, 3
Race Eight:
NOT TO PLAY:
7 ANYTIME ANYPLACE (MTO) declared. 5 HEY JABBER JAW (MTO) declared. 2 ALL STAR RED goes from The Carter to an optional claimer turf race. 0-for-2 on the lawn. Turf pedigree, marginal. 1 KING KRANZ has never raced on the lawn. Trainer with low dirt-to-turf record.
TO PLAY: 8, 6, 4, 3
Race Nine:
NOT TO PLAY:
10 SATURDAYNIGHTFLING showed little in her only pari-mutuel start. 9 CATANIA ROSE has shown nothing in this company. 8 VERONA BLUE is another filly who’s shown little. 7 FREUDEE did grab the lead in a turf race down in Florida, yet she folded to finish dead-last, distanced. Unless, she shows a penchant for the dirt, can’t see. 5 ZEPPOLE show little in this company in her last. I see no reason for a wake-up call here. 3 LADY RULLAH does step down in the claiming ranks. She showed little in her last. She did bobble in her last. A cause for concern. 2 MAJESTIC MALISSA showed nothing in this company in her only start. 1 YOU LUCKY DOG does have a second and a third in seven tries in this company. Yet, at best, I believe this filly could complete an exotic.
TO PLAY: 12, 11, 13, 6, 4
Race One:
NOT TO PLAY:
1 MISTER MONOLO dropped to this level last February and has not distinguished himself in this claiming company. I see no reason to extol his chances here. He has not won in a month of Sundays. 3 DOOLITTLE’S RAIDERS looks to be extending himself beyond his limitations, i.e., “A Bridge Too Far”. Yet, speed, loose on the lead, can be dangerous (he should be “on the engine”). Still, I cannot recommend. 5 SIR MAURICE. I find him hard to recommend (yet, he is, in my opinion, the least likely to “toss out”). He’s a plodding type who has a habit of finishing off an exotic.
TO PLAY: 7, 4, 6, 2.
Race Two:
NOT TO PLAY:
1 BATTLE MIDWAY (MTO) will be declared. 3 MARCHANT looks weak in this allowance company. Will be tested for stamina. 7 SILVER BEACH is my least likely “throw out”. I do have the greatest respect for Monsieur Christophe Clement as a conditioner. Still, I just don’t know if he can get the ten panels. Also, this colt has been away from the races for nearly eleven months.
TO PLAY: 5, 4, 2, 6.
Race Three:
NOT TO PLAY:
10 DREAMS ARE PAZIBLE. I know. NYRA oddsmaker, Eric Donovan, has installed him as a ML 3-1 shot. And then there’s trainer, Todd Pletcher, and the veteran reinsman, Javier Castallano…but, the question remains: Will this 2 year-old take a right turn toward the Belmont Park Rd. First-time starters are often an enigma. Will he break? No morning gate-works. Concerning. I hope he doesn’t say: “What am I doing here?” 9 FORTY NIGHTS. Not much pedigree. Would move up on a wet track (not happening). I find her hard to recommend. 8 TRINNI PRINCESS. I don’t see much in the pedigree, nor in the morning works, that indicates that this filly is a winner at first-asking. 6 STREAM OF GOLD was off slowly in only start. In a 5-panels race, that can’t happen; the first few “jumps” are critical. Unless Joe Parker has worked out the gate issue… 4 VELVET TRINNI. I see nothing that inspires.
TO PLAY: 2, 5, 7, 1, 3
Race Four:
NOT TO PLAY:
1 OH SO SINSTER. This lightly-raced 8 year-old would be a complete shock. One second in six tries on the lawn. 4 ARCTIC SCHILLER. I find him hard to recommend. One try in a turf route (he finished up the track). On top of that, he’s moving up. 5 Njord offers me no indication from his pedigree that he’s a contender. 6 ELBOW ROOM is trying the turf for the first time. Bruce Brown is 0 for 52 with horses making their first grass start. 7 JEGOS FIRE is not particularly well bred for the turf. Two tries on the lawn. Nada! Yet, has been facing MSW types. 8 LEGENDARY HUMOR. I find this horse very hard to recommend.
TO PLAY: 2, 3, 10, 11, 9.
Race Five:
NOT TO PLAY:
5 IT’S TWO HOT BENNY. I believe this filly would prefer a shorter distance. 7 ONE PENNY PIECE may be most affected by the Belmont Inner’s route configuration. Will Paco Lopez have to rush this mare up to get her into contention?
TO PLAY: 6, 3, 4, 2, 1
Race Six:
NOT TO PLAY:
4 CHOSEN ONE ELIJAH has shown little in his most recent starts. Gate issues? 2 COURNOYER has faced weaker. Did win his last in lesser company. Moves up to face winners.
TO PLAY: 6, 7, 5, 3, 1
Race Seven:
NOT TO PLAY:
8 BELLE OF THE SPA showed little on the dirt in her last. 7 TIZZA TEMPER. Turf pedigree is suspect. 4 PIQUET. First-time starter with a trainer who has a low-percentage record with turf debuts. 2 SPA TREATMENT (MTO) declared. 1 ALLEY OOP has shown little on the main. No reason to believe that will change when switching to the turf.
TO PLAY: 6, 10, 9, 5, 3
Race Eight:
NOT TO PLAY:
7 ANYTIME ANYPLACE (MTO) declared. 5 HEY JABBER JAW (MTO) declared. 2 ALL STAR RED goes from The Carter to an optional claimer turf race. 0-for-2 on the lawn. Turf pedigree, marginal. 1 KING KRANZ has never raced on the lawn. Trainer with low dirt-to-turf record.
TO PLAY: 8, 6, 4, 3
Race Nine:
NOT TO PLAY:
10 SATURDAYNIGHTFLING showed little in her only pari-mutuel start. 9 CATANIA ROSE has shown nothing in this company. 8 VERONA BLUE is another filly who’s shown little. 7 FREUDEE did grab the lead in a turf race down in Florida, yet she folded to finish dead-last, distanced. Unless, she shows a penchant for the dirt, can’t see. 5 ZEPPOLE show little in this company in her last. I see no reason for a wake-up call here. 3 LADY RULLAH does step down in the claiming ranks. She showed little in her last. She did bobble in her last. A cause for concern. 2 MAJESTIC MALISSA showed nothing in this company in her only start. 1 YOU LUCKY DOG does have a second and a third in seven tries in this company. Yet, at best, I believe this filly could complete an exotic.
TO PLAY: 12, 11, 13, 6, 4