Pennine Ridge Stakes – Race 9 at Belmont Park – Post Time 5:50 PM Eastern

Analyze It may be unbeaten but he opens at 4/5 odds. It’s not that he can’t win as he certainly fits all the criteria as he’s a dual grade 3 stakes winner on grass and his average margin of victory in three races is five lengths. Just the same, he’s only run three times and there’s another horse in the race as good as he is AND more important as probable to win as he is and that horse is Untamed Domain, who opens at 5/1. Untamed Domain won the G2 Summer Stakes last September before a bang-up 2nd behind Mendelssohn in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Given three months off he disappointed when third in the Dania Beach and then when he otherwise would absolutely would have improved if kept on turf, the connections thought to put him on the Derby trail and try dirt for the first time in the Tampa Bay Derby, where he finished 6th. Blinkers came off for the American Turf Stakes last month and he ran HUGE, rallying from 8th at the top of the stretch to get 2nd (in a dead heat) while winner Maraud (who runs today in the Penn Mile) was already in high gear. The 110 Equibase figure Untamed Domain earned in the American Turf is likely to be improved upon today in his 2nd start without blinkers and he has every right to win and post the mild upset because of that.

Analyze It ran off a four and one-half month layoff in April as if he had never been away, capturing the G3 Transylvania Stakes the same way he took the Cecil B. DeMille Stakes in November. With 108, 109 and 111 figure in his three starts to date and never giving any horse a shot to catch him in the last 8th of a mile in any of those 3 races, Analyze It must be considered a win contender, but not a GOOD win bet as the odds-on favorite.

Hawkish is also entered in the Penn Mile and I hope he goes there because that is an easier spot. He’s improved in every start and his allowance win when last seen on 4/15 earned a 105 figure good enough to be competitive if improved upon as it likely will be. The horse we MUST use for profit in exotics at the least, and for a small win bet so we don’t end up kicking ourselves later is Channel Cat. Opening at a healthy 20/1, the colt ran BETTER THAN IT APPEARS when 6th in the American Turf (won by Maraud with Untamed Domain in a dead head for 2rd). In the race, Channel Cat got pinched at the start and began 12th of 13 and was still 10th at the top of the stretch but made up good ground very late to end up 6th. With ONLY seven other horses in this field, Channel Cat is likely to be closer up early, more like he was right before that when putting in a nice win on the turf with a 98 figure and the figure he earned in the American Turf, 105, was the same figure Hawkish earned so at the least Channel Cat has about the same probability to win as that one.

We will include Catholic Boy in the 2nd position on exact tickets as he moves back to turf, where he won the With Anticipation Stakes last summer at Saratoga in only the 2nd start of his career. He was flat when last seen in the Florida Derby and may need one race to get back to form good enough to win but he could hit the board.

Bets:

Untamed Domain to win at 2 to 1 or more as a true KEY BET on the day.

Channel Cat to win and place at 5 to 1 or more. (For a much smaller amount than on Untamed Domain).

IF Hawkish should run here rather than the Penn Mile, he is worth considering for a win bet at odds of 3 to 1 or more.

Exactas:

Untamed Domain over Hawkish. Catholic Boy, Analyze It and Channel Cat

Hawkish, Catholic Boy, Analyze It and Channel Cat over Untamed Domain

Untamed Domain over ALL then also (the opposite) ALL over Untamed Domain

Hawkish, Analyze It and Untamed Domain over Hawkish, Analyze It, Untamed Domain, Catholic Boy and Channel Cat

Snow Chief Stakes – Race 7 at Santa Anita – Post Time 6:30 PM Eastern/3:30 PM Pacific

Huddle added blinkers for his last start, the 3rd of his career and 2nd turf route, and he blazed along on the lead through fractions of 22.6 and 46.2 on the way to a wire-to-wire win. Not only will the competition be tougher in this stakes race, there are two, possibly three, other horses that may want the lead early, and even if left alone on the front end, a 46.2 half-mile split is really going to set up the late kick of a couple of runners here, most notably Hardboot, who just WON a very similar stakes race for California bred horses. In that race, the Silky Sullivan Stakes at Golden Gate, Hardboot rallied from last of 10 and was still seventh with a quarter mile to go before circling the field to win going away. He had run similarly well last November at Del Mar in the 2nd start of his career and first turf route when breaking his maiden. With a career best 103 Equibase figure (that’s the 2nd best last race figure in the field) to improve upon, Hardboot is going to be very tough to keep from passing them all once more.

Waya Ed tried turf for the first time when last seen on 4/15 over the track and ended up 3rd after leading from the start. He led on slow fractions and does not wear blinkers and so it may have been the case of no other horse wanting the lead. He had been off for 3 months prior and in his last start since, his 2nd career start and first route, on the all-weather at Golden Gate, Waya Ed rallied from just off the pace so as he’s NOT a need-the-lead type as it appears others in here are he could get a ground saving trip and run very well at odds too high to ignore.

Take the One O One is the stablemate of Waya Ed, owned by Jay Em Ess Stable and trained by Brian Koriner. He led from the start in his most recent race, on the main track, before settling for 3rd, and it doesn’t appear he has the ability to relax in the early stages so he could be tired late BUT two of his last 3 efforts resulted in 104 and 106 figures that are the best in the field and so I will use him on exotic tickets played but will prefer either or both of the other two contenders for win bets.

Bets:

Hardboot to win at 2 to 1 or more

Waya Ed to win at 3 to 1 or more.

The best way to insure a profit betting two horses to win is to use a “Dutching” tool like the one at Amwager which helps allocate your total bankroll for optimal profit.

Exactas:

Box Hardboot, Waya Ed and Take the One O One

Box Hardboot and Waya Ed again

Pick 3: (two tickets)

Race 7 – Hardboot, Waya Ed and Take the One O One

Race 8 – Lemon Crush, Z Z Tiger, Paprika and Rocketann

Race 9 – Mopotism, La Force, Vale Dori and Unique Bella

Race 7 – Hardboot and Waya Ed

Race 8 – Lemon Crush, Z Z Tiger, Paprika and Rocketann

Race 9 – Mopotism, La Force and Unique Bella

Beholder Mile – Race 9 at Santa Anita – Post Time 7:30 PM Eastern/ 4:30 Pacific

Mopotism wheels back on six days rest off a last of 7 finish in the Gamely Stakes last weekend when trying turf for the first time. Trainer O’Neill is tossing the effort and so can we. O’Neill knows his horses and has a pretty strong record of 9 for 45 bringing horse back on a 5-10 day rest over the last few years, with a 31% flat bet profit and with 50% of the 45 horses hitting the board. Considering Mopotism opens at 20/1 in spite of having won the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes over the course in January with a 114 Equibase figure that stacks up EXCEEDINGLY well with heavy favorite Unique Bella’s best efforts (with one exception), Mopotism could be a KEY longshot bet on the day.

We must also note that Vale Dori, who opens at 2/1, finished 2nd in this race last year off a win in the Adoration, the Santa Margarita, the Santa Maria and the La Canada. Mopotism won the La Canada, finished 2nd (to Unique Bella) in the Santa Maria and finished third in the Santa Margarita before the irrelevant try in the Gamely. That’s pretty much the same pattern and similar form which gives us more reasons to believe Mopotism has a big shot.

Unique Bella has no knocks except for being the odds-on favorite. She was beaten when 2nd at 1 to 5 in the Apple Blossom when last seen but other than that, and her inexplicably bad effort in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint last fall, she’s tough as nails and could take some beating. Just the same, her two-turn wins, except in the Santa Maria in February (128 figure) have been good but not exceptional, with 112, 112 and 100 figures, so she’s not unbeatable.

La Force is the horse to use on any and all exotic and multi-race tickets played, and to make a small win/place bet on so we’re not kicking ourselves later. Beaten inches by Mopotism when third in the La Canada, the filly should improve off a 4th place finish last month in the Adoration Stakes after two months off and if she can run back to her La Canada effort with a 113 figure, she could be in the picture at the end.

Except for one pick 3 ticket, I’m taking a stand against Vale Dori, who ran poorly with no excuse at 8/5 in the Adoration Stakes last month, her first start following 9 months off. I just can’t imagine her improving enough to beat either Mopotism or Unique Bella. As for Paradise Woods, she’s highly suspect as the 2/1 second favorite on the morning line as she didn’t show a thing when fourth in the Santa Monica Stakes in March, her first start off three months off. She’s going to be fresh and have the lead early but not to herself as Vale Dori and Unique Bella will be right there from the start. We don’t make money in the long term using two favorites in the exotics so I’m leaving Paradise Woods off my exacta tickets, except one with La Force because that one opens at 20/1.

Bets:

Mopotism to win and to place at 3 to 1 or more

Consider a small win and place bet on La Force at 6 to 1 or more

Exactas: Mopotism over ALL and (the opposite) ALL over Mopotism

Box Mopotism and Unique Bella

Penn Mile Stakes – Race 9 at Penn National – Post Time 7:45 PM Eastern

Encumbered makes his first start since finishing 13^th of 14 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf last fall and although it may be tough to return off a seven month layoff and run well enough to win a graded stakes race like the Penn Mile, I believe this colt can do just that. In the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, Encumbered broke well to secure a good spot in third shortly after the start and held that position just outside eventual winner Mendelssohn before tiring with less than a quarter mile to go. Ignoring his poor try on dirt prior to that against Bolt d’Oro in the Frontrunner Stakes, Encumbered proved himself at the level, winning the Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes in September after breaking his maiden in his first turf route. Those two efforts earned 98 and 97 Equibase Figures, respectively, which are better than any of the figures likely favorite Maraud earned during his two year old campaign. Working like clockwork since his return to the track in April, Encumbered also may have the benefit of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf being a “KEY RACE” as six of the other 12 horses won their next starts, four of those in either March or April and off long layoffs like the one Encumbered is returning from. Trainer Callaghan has also shown the ability to get horses to win running turf routes off long layoffs, having done so a couple of times in the past two years, with one of those having come off a layoff to win a stakes race. Much more physically mature than when last seen in the fall, Encumbered may be tough to beat in this year’s Penn Mile Stakes.

It must be noted Hawkish is also entered to run in the Pennine Ridge Stakes at Belmont the same day as the Penn Mile but if trainer Toner chooses this race, the horse must be taken very seriously. Sent to post at 3 to 1 odds in the Palm Beach Stakes in March, only the second start of his career, Hawkish finished fourth of seven and three lengths behind Maraud, who was sent to post at just slightly lower odds of 5 to 2. Given six weeks off, Hawkish returned on April 15 to dominate a field of seven at this mile trip on turf, winning in a hand ride by nearly five lengths to earn a career-best 105 figure, as good as Maraud earned winning the Palm Beach. The race Hawkish won in April turned out to be a “KEY RACE” as well, with both the runner-up and fourth finishers flattering the horse by winning their next starts. With perhaps the best closing kick in the field (22.4 for the last quarter mile in his most recent race), Hawkish is definitely a contender in this race.

Maraud has won three of four races this year including two stakes races. He won the Palm Beach in March with a 105 figure before a poor fifth place effort in the Transylvania Stakes in April. Maraud redeemed himself last month with a strong win in the American Turf Stakes with a career-best, and field high, 113 figure. That type of effort can win the Penn Mile if repeated and if none of the others improve but he is likely to the prohibitive favorite and as such may not offer good return potential for win bets.

Bets:

Encumbered to win at 2 to 1 or more.

A second win bet, this one on Hawkish, appears warranted at 5 to 2 or higher.

Exactas:

Box Encumbered, Hawkish and Maraud