I think there are some interesting plays on today\'s card. At the risk of looking foolish if they don\'t fire, here are some opinions:
3rd: I\'ll start off with the obvious: # 3 Pure Sensation-Ran within a length of Stakes winning Corfu in debut, only another future stakes winner can beat him. I\'ll use him to start P3s & 4s that could end with a bang.
4th: No real opinion, but to keep those picks alive I\'ll use 1,6,7,8
5th #5 Mr. Starr\'s Report (15/1 ML) comes in 2nd off almost a year\'s layoff for Jack Fisher. His form was darkened against $14k claimers in his 1st race back tightner at Colonial, now he comes here and if he\'s ready to fire his 2012 sheet #s he beats this field.
6th: #8 Jumpinofftheedge is 20/1 ML and broke his maiden 1st out sprinting getting a figure that puts him in the mix. then had a troubled trip at a mile. Back to sprint and had a good work 2 weeks ago. I don\'t know if he can beat both the 1 & 5, but if either one bounces, he should be in the exacta.
7th: One of the 2 Linda Rice FTSs, #5 May Shares is light on turf breeding stats & first time out stats but has been working out great on the turf & his sire\'s FTS have improved this year (there was a win this week that I don\'t think made the TG stats). They paid $125K for him & BRIS lists his sire\'s stud fee at $3,000, so they must have seen something special at the 2yo sale. Sneaky turf breeding on a sire who is only getting 6% turf winners & is 0 for 24 first turf as TGI shows a 16.25 for turf which is his best TGI number by almost 4 points over dirt (20), Synth (23) & Off (20.25). Working great on turf. Another $125k purchase is AE #9 Aesthetique. His breeding stats are better than #5, but his barn has been ice cold this year (1 for 52 in 2013)-it could be heating up with 3 2nds and a 3rd in 6 starts this meet. If only one of these goes I\'ll single her, otherwise I\'ll box & play both.
8th: No opinion using 2,6,8 & 10 in picks.
9th: BEST BET: #3 Slumber won a similar race off a long layoff last year & then disappeared until now. Working great for return.
10th: #1A Farhaan gets lasix for his American debut for McLaughlin, who is deadly first time lasix. Was working well at Keeneland & shipped here for a decent dirt work before racing on turf. Should be ready & better than the Americans and other Euro imports here. It\'s wide open if he scratches instead of his entrymate.
11th: An impossible race, but since I\'m playing the P6, I\'ll go 6 deep with 1,4,6,7,8 &9.
Good luck to all on what looks like a very interesting Thursday card.
