By Jennifer Morrison
Saturday’s Best Bet: 5 – MOONQUEST – Race 6
Saturday’s Longshot Play: 7 – LETS RUN TWO – Race 3
RACE 1: 2- FEDALINE; 3 – LADY IN RED; 6 – SOME LIKE IT HOT; 5 – STOLE THE RING
The powerful combo of the Ulwellings and trainer Kevin Attard are strong in the opener with winter raced FEDALINE. She had two outings on the dirt off a long layoff and beat a few in her latest. The class drop and switch to Tapeta will work in her favour. Class dropping Lady in Red began her career with two decent outings last fall.
RACE 2: 2 – TRUE TEMPER; 1 – KAUKOKAIPUU; 4 – YORKVILLE; 6 – DIRECT DRIVE
First time starter TRUE TEMPER is by a sire, Maclean’s Music, who has a high rate of debut winners from starters. This Mark Casse trainee was at Belmont Park getting ready for a long time. His workout times got better recently. Winter-trained Kaukokaipuu showed plenty of speed and ability in his juvenile season.
RACE 3: 7 – LETS RUN TWO; 3 – SHELLY THE ROCKET; 6 – MY GIRL HOOTER; 1 – ABSOLUTE JEWEL
My top pick LETS RUN TWO ended 2022 with a good effort for her current trainer and she might be able to reel in the speedy Shelly the Rocket, who figures to the favourite.
RACE 4: 2 – FEDALIA; 7 – HATMAKER HOLIDAY; 1 – MISS BRENTWOOD; 3 – JARA
The first Pick 4 wager begins with a 5 furlong dash and while FEDALIA is not as quick as some of these out of the gate, she is racing fit as she just missed in a 5 1/2 furlong sprint at Gulfstream on March 15, The combination of jockey Wilson and trainer Dunslow is a successful one.
RACE 5: 1 – WAR’S END KISS; 3 – AMERICAN GAMBLE; 6 – KERICS BEAUTY; 4 – BIG GINGER
The maiden win last November by WAR’S END KISS was good enough to think she can be a player off a short layoff for trainer Steven Chircop. This is an evenly matched field of fillies but she drops in class. An April 15 workout, while over a very fast track, was quick, 46.40.
RACE 6: 5 – MOONQUEST; 6 – KID MARVELOUS; 3 – CLASSIC DANCER; 1 – UPTOWN LIGHTS
A pair of Mark Casse trainees are formidable in this maiden optional race. The 5-year-old maiden MOONQUEST has been away a year and since he is not entered for a claiming price despite the layoff and the modest form, that suggests his trainer believes he can win at this level. The stablemate, Classic Dancer, is competing for a tag for the first time and has been gelded recently. Beginner Kid Marvelous has a good pedigree to win first time out.
RACE 7: 2- FEARLESS ANGEL; 6- BLIND SPOT; 5 – JILL JITTERBUG; 1 – COLLECTING FLATTER
The $125,000 Star Shoot Stakes at 6 furlongs is for 3-year-old fillies and FEARLESS ANGEL, despite not having any recent races like others, is working well enough for her return. She was an impressive maiden winner second time out (turf) and Patrick Husbands rode her that day and is back to partner her. Lasix and blinkers added for Blind Spot, who is in from Florida and looks like a major player, as does another invader, late-running Jill Jitterbug.
RACE 8: 1- COTTON ; 5 – EMICRACK (CHI); 3 – ROMANTIC GAMBLE; 2 – LENNY K
This is the Welcome Back starter handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs and the highweight is Romantic Gamble, a three-time winner this year on dirt in the US. The question for this Ontario-bred is whether he has simply improved this much (94 Beyer Speed Figure in his latest) or does he love dirt that much more than Tapeta? COTTON was claimed from a big win here in November and recently ran a huge race without getting a clear run in a sprint at Gulfstream. He gets the slight nod over speedy Emicrack.
RACE 9: 2 -FILO DI ARIANNA (BRZ); 3 – ROCKCREST; 1 – FORESTOR’S FORTUNE; 7 – SECRET RESERVE
He just won two Sovereign awards for 2022 Sprinter and Turf Male of the year and FILO DI ARIANNA makes his 2023 debut in this allowance race. The 7-year-old has raced just nine times in his career and won seven of them. He won his only synthetic race. Not sure if he will love the short distance but he should be tough. Rockcrest is the quickest of the others at this distance.
RACE 10: 3 – SILENT TRIBUTE; 2 – FOOLISH GAMES; 8- TELLTALE; 6 – CRIMSON NIGHTS; 4 – SENSATIONAL SARAH
The Stuart Simon trained SILENT TRIBUTE shows some speed in her three outings in 2022 and could win her maiden at five furlongs in her season opener. First-time starter Foolish Games had a smart workout time from the gate recently and she is by a speedy sire.
