Saturday Preview. Whew, what a day of racing. Big cards at Laurel, Charles Town and Parx and other big horses and big races around the country. By the Numbers.
1: Phil Teator picks up one key ride on Tetradrachm for Bill Mott in the Who’s To Pay at Belmont Park. Recently back on the New York scene, Teator takes advantage of the lucrative cards at Parx and Laurel and lands a big opportunity on a horse who finished third in the Bernard Baruch in his most recent start.
2: So Many Ways and Irish Lute drop two grades from the Test at Saratoga to the Dogwood at Churchill Downs.
2: Fair Hill-based Fenneka Bentley could sweep the early double at Penn National as she sends outs Fire Ruler and Cimbria.
3: Travers 1-2 Moreno and Will Take Charge clash for the third time in a row, squaring off in the Pennsylvania Derby at Parx. There will be a buzz (sorry, too easy).
5: Rainbow Heir goes for his fifth win in six starts in the Gallant Bloom at Parx. Mike Smith picks up the ride for Ben Perkins.
5: Californian Sweet Lulu goes for her fifth in a row in the Cotillion at Parx.
5: Close Hatches goes her fifth career win in the Cotillion at Parx.
6/5: Alcibiades winner Spring In The Air aims to stop a three-races losing streak in the La Lorgnette at Woobine.
8: Dance To Bristol eyes her eighth consecutive victory while breaking from the outside in Saturday’s Gallant Bloom at Belmont Park. It’s the last tollbooth before the Breeders’ Cup for the Bowie-based filly.
8: Number 8 in the Jersey Girl Stakes at Monmouth is the aptly named Ima Jersey Girl. Where’s Springsteen when you need him?
9/2: Highest odds of any of Joe Bravo’s mounts at Monmouth Park.
11: Stakes offered at Charles Town Saturday night. Chad Brown ships Saratoga winner Bond Vigilante for the Researcher and entered My Happy Face for the Charles Town Oaks.
12: Ah, the front bandages angle. Classic Point will wear front bandages for the 12th consecutive time. In that skein, she has risen from finishing fourth in a non-winners-of-two for $20,000 claimer to finishing second in the Grade II Honorable Miss. She takes another crack at Dance To Bristol in Saturday’s Gallant Bloom.
15: Starship Truffles goes for her 15th career victory, at Gulfstream Park, she tries to rebound from a loss in the Ballerina at Saratoga.
16: Who says owners and trainers won’t support long races? The Laurel Turf Cup attracted 16 horses for its 12 furlong traverse. Welcome to the show Keith Feustle. The new morning line oddsmaker in Maryland somehow made sense of the field to install Atigun as the 5/2 favorite, Lake Drop as the second choice at 7/2, Tricky Hat at 9/2, Eagle Poise at 6/1 and last year’s winner Dannhauser at 15/1.
19: Nates Mineshaft finished 19 lengths behind The Apache and Real Solution in the Arlington Million. The eight-time winner won’t meet any of those in the Illinois Owners Purse at Arlington.
23: Maryland hero Ben’s Cat goes for his 23rd career victory. King Leatherbury cross-entered the 7-year-old gelding in the Laurel Dash on the turf and the De Francis Dash on the dirt.
81: The Frank de Francis Dash attracted the winners of 81 races. Of course, Ben’s Cat accounts for 22 of those. Sixteen-time winner Immortal Eyes contributes his fair share while New York shipper Sage Valley exits the Grade I Forego at Saratoga.
27,500: Purse of the feature at Zia Park.
