By Jennifer Morrison

Sunday’s Best Bet:   7- HONEY WON’T – Race 3

Sunday’s Longshot Play:   1 – POSTURING – Race 10

 

RACE 1:  5 – LOADED VIXEN; 5 – NO WHAMMIE; 4 – GREEN GABLES; ; 1- TICKLE HER TOE

Speedy gals at 5 1/2 furlongs and perhaps LOADED VIXEN, who was wintered in Florida, can fend off the others. Her stablemate No Whammie runs well when she is fresh and can close ground while Green Gables is also very quick.

RACE 2:  2 – GIVE ME MY MONEY; 6 – DO THE GRIDDY; 1 – TORY’S HOLIDAY;3 – GRAND AMBITION

My top pick, an Ontario bred by Souper Speedy, came so close to winning his maiden in his last two races of 2022. He lures champion jockey Kazushi Kimura. Do the Griddy returns as a gelding for the powerful Kevin Attard barn.

RACE 3:  7 – HONEY WON’T; 3 – TRICKY MAGICIAN; 1 – FOREST B; 4 – MASTER SPY

Classy HONEY WON’T shows only light prepping but his form from last year stands out against this field. He has speed to run at. Tricky Magician has had a lot of workouts and he starts the year at a low level. The filly Forest B may lead for a long time.

RACE 4:   5- TIMELESS ELEGANCE;  4- ELYSIAN FIELD; 1- CALABRIAN QUEEN;  9- ZONING ORDER

First time starter TIMELESS ELEGANCE is here for the Jonathan Thomas barn. She has a turf pedigree and has worked a lot on grass in Florida but her synthetic track workout times have been solid. The Mark Casse barn has several in this first leg of the Pick 4 including the interesting Elysian Field who ran so well in a sprint at Saratoga last summer and the very quick Calabrian Queen.

RACE 5:  5 – CANYOUHEARMENOW; 3 – STYLISH GENT; 4- SUPER HEADLINE; 5 – SIR GRAYVENSCROFT

Class dropping CANYOUHEARMENOW comes in from Tampa Bay Downs and this gelding is only 1 for 26 in his career and his sprint efforts have not been great. However, he meets easier and when trainer Zeljko Krcmar employs jockey KK, they win at a 38% rate.

RACE 6:  8 –  4- RACING IN THE RAIN; BIG BAD BEAST;  5- DUKE OF MIAMI; 1 – FADE AWAY

This is a non-winners of 3 sprint at 6 1/2 furlongs and winter raced RACING IN THE RAIN has never raced this low on the claiming scale, $7,500, and he had a big workout time on April 23. Big Bad Beast was also winter raced and was a winner on the dirt in February. The Colebrook Farms/Pat Dixon horses have been prepping strongly.

RACE 7:   1- OLD CHESTNUT; 7 – ROCKSTAR RO; 5 – PERFECT CRIME;  3 – LAPOCHKA

The late Pick 5 begins with a tricky allowance/optional race at 6 1/2 furlongs. Many ways you can go here but OLD CHESTNUT, making his first start off the Marty Drexler claim trained in Florida and he could be fit enough. Florida-raced Rockstar Ro left Woodbine in December off a big win and is a solid factor.

RACE 8:  5 – UNCLE JOE;  4- LONG POND;  7- SOUPER CLASSY; 6 – TALK TO YA LATER

There are a few horses in this optional claiming sprint who have a lot of 2nds and 3rds. UNCLE JOE is one of those but he has put up some good workout times and his natural speed is a bonus. Two horses from the Mike DePaulo barn (under trainer Ross Armata, Jr while DePaulo sits out a suspension) are contenders.

RACE 9:  3 – NEW YORK THUNDER; 4 – SHIP THE GOODS 1 – STAYHONOR GOODSIRE; 2 – GRAN SPIRITED

The $125,000 Woodstock Stakes has a small field of sophomores going 6 furlongs. Two speedsters from the US look sharp including NEW YORK THUNDER, who adds Lasix and is undefeated.

RACE 10:  5 – PARAMOUNT PRINCE; 1 – POSTURING; 10- MORSTACHYS; 8 – ONE BAY HEMINGWAY; 4- PUDDINGONTHERITZ

King’s Plate eligible PARAMOUNT PRINCE gets his 2023 season going in this sprint and he was impressive in his career debut when he won by 9 lengths. He must avoid getting boiled over in a pace battle. I like the way Posturing has been working this spring and take stretch running Morstachys in exotics,