For those of you new here, before each race I will post a preview that gives a little something about each entrant in the race and then my opinion on how we can win the race.  Let’s get right to it!

Atlantic Slew (Cox/Court) – Morning line favorite after a clear win for Canterbury stalwart the last few years, Robertino Diodoro.  Claimed by Brad Cox and laid off for 7 weeks, she’s back at the claim level without any works but a trainer that’s 40% first off the claim and wins a third of the time off a break.  Will be prominent early.

Gratzie (Robertson/Canchari) – Canterbury connections coming back since being seen last just missing in a Penn National starter allowance.  Work pattern a bit sporadic.  Another speedster.

Dancing Dove (Contreras/Clawson) – Off the pace type with a pair of tough outs at Oaklawn this season.  Another freshened since mid-February.  Has had a couple of solid works for the return.  Barn does well with returners (21%).

Run Away’s Sis (Richard/Contreras) – Recent speed figures are remarkably low for this race but does figure to prompt the pace as well, which I think we’ll enjoy.

Blake Beauties (Caldwell/Santana) – Tough trip when claimed last out.  Yet another who looks to want to be close early.

BRILLIANT BELLE (LITFIN/FRANCO)

Ol Sanish (Villafranco/Vazquez) – Solid class drop from a good barn, albeit one that has been a little cold.  Mare has never started this low and does her best work going longer.  That said she could be a factor late on class alone.

Ice Goddess (Broberg/Eramia) – Claimed from owner/breeder/country superstar Toby Keith  by a top claiming trainer who is 30% first off the claim.  Comes off a front-running win and pushes up a bit in class.

One Minute (Chleborad/Birzer) – Rough two starts at the meet at $25,000.  A winner at Saratoga and ran in some very nice races earlier in her career (Grade 3 Schylerville at the Spa), she’s had a rough go of it recently, missing at $10K at Remington to end last year when claimed.

That’s Exciting (Puhl/Parker) – Another one dropping in here, hitting the lowest level of her career.  If she comes, she’ll be coming late which is probably a good thing given her far outside post.

Our girl has her work cut out for her for sure.  She’s moving up in class and that is never an easy assignment.  However she improved dramatically from her first start of the year to the last and the third start off the layoff tends to be when a horse gets into stride.  She’s shown speed in the past but rated well in her last which may be her best option in this race with so much speed in the race.  She may be able to settle in behind the early pace and be able to make a solid run at the early leaders on the turn for home.  Franco has been riding the best of his career and is only a win off the leading rider title heading into the last couple of weeks into the season. Quite a few positives in a relatively open race with several question marks w/ several speedsters, class droppers and first-off-the-claimers all in the mix.

Admittedly I anticipated that we would be outclassed in this race and was pleasantly surprised to see that we really aren’t but will need equal parts luck and skill to prevail.  The best thing we have going for us is that Heather and I will be in the middle of the desert between Las Vegas and Reno come race time which can only mean good things – especially if we can’t get any signal to watch the race!

Good luck everyone!!