Midweek 4 @ CD

[bellsbendboy]

6) Awful heat with seemingly no one capable of running par. Going five long and hoping to clear the race. Quenn of Diamonds was entered derby week for 40K and scratched, gets Calvin and has worked twice since; Miss Sharona was entered straight maiden @ Keeneland and now drops into an easy spot; BUTANE comes up first time tag, as does Miss Rerun and AGALIHA for Lynnie and Larry a potent combo this oval for seemingly forever.

7) Eleven hundred yards on the lawn with the rail way out and as you may guess speed a plenty. CHINCHILLA would win at a short price off the hedge but she draws the eight hole and at twenty two feet needs to find a bunch of luck... but the price will be right. Anything resembling late February race in New Orleans when she was caught wide (rail at 20') and beat a nostril suffices. Also Simply Divine who should get a good seat under Robbie the boss of the midwest moss behind the dueling trio.

8) Dislike singling a 4-5 shot but SCORPIUS is the most likely winner in the sequence. FIVEStarDay Darley runner has scratched several times from similar spots, gets Calvin and shows steady works indicating the scratches were not soundness related. A tepid single indeed.

9) Maiden mile on the green and Jimmy D enters MON SENOR for his 4yo and turf debut. Out of a mare who Beyered 97 on the grass this homebred has been working very well. MM colt is a half to Tippity Witch $298K and 102 Beyer and B J will try to take them wire to wire. Also Satchel for Steve Penrod, an Arch homer who has been training very well under Melancon and would be no surprise. Call it 1,6,7,8,9 / 2,9 / 6 / 2,6 Good Cappin. BBB

[bellsbendboy]

Competent cappers going five deep in a race should have the winner in excess of seventy-five percent of the time. This race was not in that survey! While the positives with the $45 winner included dropping into claimers and a couple of decent morning moves, perhaps more telling was the competition and maybe a couple of less than interested races in Hot Springs. Vance has had a pretty bad run of late batting 5 for 116 on the year and claiming one last week for $62,500 that could not complete the race. Some of our horses had comments such as drifted in, broke in air, stumbled...suffice to say this will not become a key race!!!

In May older horses always have an advantage and this race was no different. The winner ($8.40) overcame a fifteen month layoff and was winning her fifth in six tries. I did not think she would make the lead but her two key rivals were both off poorly and when the rail is out this course, like most, speed rules.

The fifteen or so pick 4 winners breathed a sigh of relief when the free square ($3.60) rolled under pressure. Oddly the three biggest $1 pick four payoffs for me $10K, $6K and $5K all had a three dollar horse somewhere in the sequence. Of course that was back when I had some game. LOL

In the nightcap Dodgen who never runs a short horse had his colt ready and he wired his field ($18) with something left. In hindsight, I could have scuttled the Penrod firster but I spent a few years in his shedrow when he was second string at Claiborne behind Woody Stephens, and he his a solid horseman. If I did single here I could of wheeled leg one and taken the three speeds in leg two and.........woulda coulda... Play again Sunday. BBB