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View Full Version : Meadowlands Picks: Sat., April 21


Teach
04-21-2012, 06:50 PM
I don't normally play the Pick-5, but if you do, consider:

#s 2 and 1, with #s 3 and 1 with #s 2, 1, and 9 with #s 3 and 4 with #s 6, 4, and 9.


Race One:

In this Spring Survivor Series pacing final, I like the two entries. My top choice is: #2 Breakin The Law. What more could you ask? The horse has won four in a row, seven wins in his last eight starts. This Artiscape-bred
gelding has ten lifetime wins in 14 starts. He also has one of thebest drivers in the country, "Buckeye," Dave Miller, in the bike. This horse should be coming off the pace. Oh, by the way, you also get the 2aTakeItBackTerry. The Ron Burke-trained entry looks tough. The main threat appears to becoming from the three-horse Jimmy Takter entry. I particularly likethe #1 Arts Ideal Hanover with Ron Pierce. This horse just missed holding on against the top pick last week. Also, in thisthree-horse entry is 1b One Thru Ten with Tim Tetrick. Thishorse finished third by a half-length in last week's race. You alsoget 1a Rockndream. If there's a fly in the ointment, it willcome from #4 Winter Night with Corey Callahan. This horse has a strong closing kick. He did finish fourth in last week's semifinal,but he was only 3/4ers of a length off the winner at the wire. Don't be surprised if this horse is right there in what looks like it might be a blanket finish.

Race Two:

In the Spring Survivor Series trotting final, I like #3 Not Afraid. No,I'mnotafraidto pick this SJ's Caviar-bred gelding over the horse who will likely go off the favorite, #1 Top Billing. In fact,I think #1 Top Billing may be vulnerable (you also get #1aTrouble.) In analyzing the race, Top Billing had the perfect tripfrom the rail last time. This time, he draws mid-pack. On the otherhand, #3 Not Afraid draws the two-slot. This horse will benefit from that inside starting post. Yes, I'm picking Not Afraid with Ron Pierceon top. I believe it's a toss-up between Ray Schnittker's (Remember Deweycheatemandhow) #2 On The Podium and the entry of TopBilling and Trouble. After that, you might make a case for DanielDube's horse, #5 Racintowardadream. Yes, he's only finished third twice this year in 8 starts. However, he mightpull off a surprise. He certainly capable of hitting the board.

Race Three:

I'm going to take a shot for little value. My pick here is 5-1 onthe morning line. I'm talking about #2 Lastinart Hanover. This horse ships in from Chester where he had two seven-hole starting posts. He won one of those two races; he finished fourth in the other. The horse's times have been good. In fact, prior to his Chesterappearances, the horse blitzed a 1:55.2 at the tight-turned FreeholdRaceway. "The Orange Crush," Andy Miller draws the assignment. Yet,the logical choice appears to be #1 Rock Three Times. DriverDan Noble just got this horse up in time at the wire, last week. Heshould sit the same trip. All Dan Noble would appear to need to avoid is getting trapped inside as he angles this horse out for the stretch run. This horse is very much a player here. Then, there's #9 Blues At Midnight with Ron Pierce. This horse will have to overcome a nine-hole starting slot; yet he did that last week in a race in which he finished second. He should not be counted out. Finally, #5Attack Modes Billy has hit the tote in three straight races. This Cam's Card Shark-bred gelding looks like he's in a razor-sharpcondition. He finished second a nose to Blues At Midnight two weeks ago.

Race Four:

#3 Totally Empressive has had a string of very tough starting posts(except for a qualifier about a month ago). The horse now draws inside and gains the services of Hall-of-Famer Ron Pierce. Earlier in theyear, this Panderosa-Camluck-bred gelding was performing very well down at Pompano Park. He's a value-play who has a chance of upsetting the apple-cart. The logical here is #4 Midnight Lawyer with TimTetrick. This horse tried tougher company last week and finished sixth. Thisweek he's back in with the kind he can and has handled. Thevery capable "Bionic Man," Tim Tetrick, retains the assignment. Then, there's #7 Clooney Drummond. This veteran No Nukes-bred pacer has faced better at both Pocono and Yonkers. He certainly fits well in this company. Does the horse need one over the track, or is he ready to win at The Meadowlands at first asking? Finally, #8 All Pro Hall with the "Hall of Famer," John Campbell, won his last in a convincing manner at Dover. The horse has hit the board seven times in 9 tries this year. Certainly capable of completing a gimmick.

Race Five:

#6 Mias Bold Maneuver is my longshot pick in this race. You can discount his last race from the number eight-hole at Yonkers. If you don't leave from the outside at "The Hilltop Course," it's difficult tohit the tote. This horse did just that two races back and finished second. The horse's time was a sparkling 1:54.1. If Simon Allard guns him out for the lead, he'll become an immediate factor here. Much will be known in the first twenty-five to thirty seconds. I might add that this horse has faced better in the past. Speaking of horses who have faced better, #4 Intrigued Royally with Andy Ray Miller made it all the way to the finals of the Four Leaf Clover. He's a horse that hasn't shown much lately but could easily surprise. Then, there's #9 Stonebridge Master. He ships back to Bergen County after a solid qualifier at Pocono Downs. Tim Tetrick draws the driving assignment for this Mark Ford trainee. If this horse can overcome the outside post, he will become a player in this race. Finally, another longshot try. This one's the #2 Alex Bullville with Daniel Dube. The horse has shown little in recent tries, but they're playing his song: "Love On An Elevator". "...Living it up while you're going down." Could surprise and add value to your exotics.

Race Six:

In this Preferred $25,000 race, I like #5Melvyn. This horse was coming in the stretch but simply ran out of real estate. In fact, he was finishing faster than the eventual winner. The "Hall-of-Famer," John Campbell, will need to time this horse's move just right. There's a bit of "a sleeper" herein this race. I'm talking about #6 Powerful Mist with Tim Tetrick. This horse has turned in some solid recent qualifiers atChester. The horse was third in the Cane Pace at Pocono last year and fifth in The Little Brown Jug. It may just take this horse a race or two to reach peak form; yet, on the other hand... #1 Rockincam draws the pylons. He's driven by the ever capable Dave Miller. In the horse's most recent race at Chester, he turned in a 1:50 while finishing third. His last panel was 27.2.

Race Seven:

#4 Electrofire has faced better at both The Meadowlands and Yonkers. In his most recent Meadowlands effort, he finished fifth in $14,000 company. Prior to that, he raced at Yonkers in The Levy Series; it was a race that he finished up the track in a dull effort. However, this horse now faces the kind he should be able to handle. CoreyCallahan is most capable. #9 Pan Grad is another horse who has faced better. He'll have to overcome the nine-hole starting slot, butRon Pierce is most adept in finding a tuck and getting his horse's into winning spots. This Panderosa-Artsplace-bred gelding should benefitfrom a softer field. #8 Keep Going finished second in this company in his last. In that race, he turned in a solid 1:51.1. Jarett Kelly has a knack of completing exotic wagers. Finally, #3McCedes lead all the way to stretch in this company last time; he did fade and finished fourth. However, the horse gets a much better starting post; he also retains the service of "The Color Purple," Dave Miller. If Miller doesn't have to use up too much of this horse's energy in trying to grab the lead, this McArdle-bred gelding will immediately become a factor in the race.

Race Eight:

#3 A J Corbelli tried the top-tier pacers group and came up abit short. He now backs down into the kind of company he should beable to handle. In all fairness, A J Corbelli did start from theoutside post in his last race and although he got as close as thirdbefore falling back to fifth at the wire. Yet, the horse's time of1:49 is nothing to sneeze at. Any repeat of last Saturday's effortwith this somewhat softer bunch should lead to a trip to the winner'scircle. I'm going to look for some longshot action with the railhorse, #1 Shark Ingested. The horse finished third in his lastrace at Chester in the stirling time of 1:51.3. Corey Callahan in thebike helps this horse's chances. Then, there's #2 Rescue Planwith Ron Pierce. This 6-year-old gelding one his last at Chester in asolid 1:51.3. He's hit the board in all three of his recent races. I'm not touting him as a win candidate, but he's most capable ofcompleting a gimmick. Finally, #8 Southwestern Dream won hislast against softer in 1:49.4; he came the last quarter in a brisk 27seconds. Yes, he'll have to deal with the outside 8-hole startingslot, but the horse is capable of mounting a late charge that could pithim into contention.

Race Nine:

In this most difficult race to handicap (I can make a case for five orsix horses), I'm leaning toward the Corey Callahan-driven #5Hurrikane Scotty J. The horse closed into solid fractions up-frontand narrowly missed getting all the enchiladas; he finished third by ahead to the winner, Da Vision Of Art. Speaking of #1 Da Vision OfArt, he, as cited, won last week's edition of this race. With JoeBongiorno in the bike, this Arts Place-Big Towner-bred came flying onthe outside to win by nose over, Most Happy Keene. Yes, #8 MostHappy Keene is a threat here as well. He draws the same post as hedid last week, a race in which he narrowly finished second. Driver TimTetrick will likely be gunning this Abercrombie-bred gelding for thefront. Last week, the horse set some bliostering early fractions andstill almost hung on for the win. Can he do it again? That's the64-dollar question (inflation has eroded that amount). Finally, #7TheeTownLittleGuy has won two straight against slightly softercompany. I personally don't envision him making it three-straightwins, but he can easily complete an exotic.

Race Ten:

In what appears to be a tightly-contested race, I'm giving my tepid nodto the rail horse, #1 Hickory Horace. I picked the horse lastweek, but he just missed as he got hooked by Heart Of Rocknroll in thestretch and ended up losing by a neck. The horse again draws thepylons. Driver Tim Tetrick should be able to find an up-front tuck andthen, as last week, as last week, mount a charge around the half-milepole. This time I believe the horse has a better chance ofprevailing. #6 Giddy Up Delight finished third in his lastweek's race at The Meadowlands. Prior to that he took part in the LevySeries at Yonkers,. Admittedly, the horse hasn't too much lately. Butwait, do I hear an aleam-clock going off? Could tonight be the nightthat Simon Allard guides this horse into the winner's circle? Then, Ilike #8 Mickey Hanover. He's finished in the money in both hisrecent tries. No reason to believe he can't be right there again.Finally, #3 Grams Legacy did finish fifth last wek, but priorto that he had hit the board in five of his six tries. In his currentgood form he shouldn't be overlooked. Ron Pierce retains the drivingassignment.

Race Eleven:

#9 Oscar Oscar breezed to an easy win in this company lastweek. Despite now moving outside, I still see this WesternTerror-Matts Scooter-bred gelding as a major threat to "...go all theway!" If "The Orange Crush, "Andy Miller, can get to the lead withcomfortable early fractions, this horse then becomes most capable ofgetting his picture taken. Others to consider here are #8 McGreatwith Corey Callahan. THis horse finished third to Oscar Oscar lastweek. In that race, he came home in 26.4. He should once againmounting a late, come-from-behind charge. #4 Legacy N Diamondsfinished second in last week's Oscar Oscar race. The horse again drawsa good starting post. He should be in the thick of things when theyreach the wire. Finally, #2 Master Stroke with Dan Noble. This horse finished fourth in the Oscar Oscar race, In that race, thehorse challenged for the early lead but hads to settle for a tuck afterexpending a good deal of energy. A smoother trip might be all that'snecessary to put this gelding into contention. He certainly fits inthis company.

Race Twelve:

#7 Oh My Joepa could be any kind of horse. He's won three in arow. Last week, in this company, he drew the extreme outside post andstill hung on for the victory. He now meets no tougher than hedefeated last week. And, I believe, with the same results:picture-taking in the winner's circle. The most capable Corey Callahanretains the driving assignment. #6 Bettor's Glass finishedthird recently in the late-closing Weiss at Pocono Downs. Prior tothat he finished second in another leg of that late-closing event. This horse has been very sharp in recent efforts. He can be a factorhere on his best. Another horse I like is the rail horse, #1 FatMans Alley. The horse finished third by less than a length in thiscompany last week. The horse now gets a much-improved starting post. He's certainbly capable of adding value to your exotics. Finally, alongshot try, #4 The Onlyest One. This horse finished fifth inthis company last week. Yet, the horse was in the outside flow for agood portion of the mile. That trip around the Meadowlands oval mighthave served as a tightener. The horse fits here and might complete agimmick.

Race Thirteen:

#5 Sky Tantrum finished fifth against slightly strongercompetition last week. In now settles back in with the kind he shouldbe able to handle. Daniel Dube drives for trainer Mark Silva. ThisMach Three-bred gelding might just wake up here and hit the wire firstat a decent price. #3 Montecito N with Joe Bongiorno willlikely be gunning for the early lead. How far his legs will take himand how well Bongiorno rations out this horse's speed will go a longway in determing where this horse finishes in this race. To paraphraseMarlon Brando in "On The Waterfront," I think this horse is a"contendah," not just some palooka. #2 Mr Hallowell hasfinished third in all three of his recent pari-mutuel races. If thepast is prologue this Bullvon's Dream-bred gelding will once again thethird slot down on the infield tote. Finally, #1 Must Be The Bunnyonce again draws the pylons, and once again, after a week's hiatus,he's being driven by Corey Callahan. Last week, the horse ran into abuzz-saw named Cc Racy. The horse is capable of completing an exotic.