July 30, 2005. 8th Saratoga - Alw N1X - 1 1/8 miles - 3+ An excellent collection of 3 year olds, four of whom were nominated to the Kentucky Derby, and one 4 year old vie to break through their entry level allowance condition at 9 furlongs today at Saratoga on the Jim Dandy undercard. Every pedigree in this field is solid and inside starter is no exception. A son of A.P. Indy whose damsire is Deputy Minister, Deputy Indy has not won since his debut maiden breaking performance at 7 panels at Aqueduct in November. Today, Javier Castellano will be looking for a ground saving rail trip, trying to avoid getting hooked into any kind of speed duel with rivals more experienced at this distance. Outside starter, Desert Breeze, got stuck chasing Deputy Indy last out through very quick fractions and, today, John Velasquez will be hoping the $450k Todd Pletcher trainee will force the pace as he did in his maiden breaker at the distance at Belmont Park in June. Spanish Mission enters this out of his maiden breaker at a flat mile and will also be a pace player under top rider Edgar Prado. Despite coming into this out of his maiden win and trying two turns for the first time, the stalking style of Last Samurai could get him a piece of the pie. A.P. Arrow, who raced as a longshot in both the Belmont Stakes and the Santa Anita Derby, posted a front running win in the slop at Churchill Downs. There will be a lot of pace pressure today and we don't expect the A.P. Indy to withstand the onslaught. If there is a pace breakdown, the most appreciative would be Churchill shipper, Bucharest, who likes to snake through the field in the late going. All of Storm Thief's victories have come against New York bred competition and he could find himself outclassed today, although Gary Stevens is having a spectacular meet, with over $134k in earnings from just 8 mounts. The veteran of the group, 4 year old gelding Victory Circle, is a turf specialist who tries for the 10th time to break through this condition. He is out of his league amongst these up and comers. SELECTIONS #8. Desert Breeze WIN 8.70 5.30 3.70 #1. Deputy Indy #7. Last Samurai Our top choice, Desert Breeze (3-1), was close to the relaxed pace set by front runner, Spanish Mission (8-1), engaged that one in the stretch, got the lead and was able to hold off Belmont Stakes also-ran, A.P. Arrow (6-1), for a narrow victory in 1:52.26. Pace setter, Spanish Mission, was best of the rest for third. The exacta paid $50.50 and the trifecta returned $221.00. Congratulations! July 29, 2005. 7th Saratoga - *S*Alw N1X - 5 1/2 furlongs - N.Y. bred f&m 3+ When playing allowance races at this meet, we prefer lightly raced horses from winning barns over the grinders who have travelled around the country enduring unsuccessful attempts at breaking through the next condition, then find themselves moving up in class at Saratoga. The top earner in the field, Wild Humor, races third off the bench in her 20th lifetime start. Trained by Scott Lake, this Distorted Humor filly will be one of the pace players and will likely fold up in the stretch, a habit which accounts for her 1 for 19 record. Graceful Pro, who managed her maiden win in a syrupy heat at Aqueduct last November will be put away early by this group. A filly to keep tabs on today, particularly as she may not attract much attention at the windows, is Royal Fudge, a 3 year old filly who had previously been campaigned by Ken McPeek. As a juvenile, she acquitted herself nicely in a series of stakes following her maiden win in June at Churchill Downs. Particularly notable is her strong closing bid in the $113k Joe A Gimma stakes at Belmont Park, at which she hit the board at 21-1 odds, just 3 3/4 lengths back of Megascape. The Carson City filly prefers to race wide and should get expert handling from rider Gary Stevens. Our choice for the win, however, is outside starter, Quick One, who put forth an eye-popping debut performance at Belmont in June, winning by 7 1/2 lengths in under 1:10. Top New York rider, Edgar Prado, gets the call from trainer, Michael Hushion, who holds a hot hand currently, as well. After falling short in a number of maiden allowance heats over the winter and early spring at Aqueduct, trainer John Terranova thought highly enough of Champagne Ending to enter her as a longshot in the $150k N.Y. Stallion Park Avenue stakes in April. She had a rough trip in that one, but returned for a gate to wire win at 8-1 at 6 1/2 furlongs at Belmont. This Precise End filly has shown the type of stamina which gets her on the board today. A real dark horse in this field is Miss Lakefield, a Meadowlake filly who returns to competition following an 8 1/2 month layoff. Her maiden breaking debut at Aqueduct in November was solid and she shows some brisk works over the past month. This distance doesn't suit veteran Scarlet Billows, a 5 year old mare breaking from the inside post. If a pace breakdown occurs, Mystical Sea has a shot at picking up some pieces. SELECTIONS #8. Quick One PLACE 2.40 2.10 #3. Champagne Ending #4. Miss Lakefield As we predicted, Royal Fudge (9-1) was ignored at the windows but rewarded her backers with a big payout after getting a splendid ride from Gary Stevens, who kept her off the moderate pace set by overwhelming favorite, Quick One (1-5), but remained in contact with the front runner and made a strong move on the turn. She blew past the top choice in the stretch, winning by 3 3/4 lengths over that one in a time of 1:05.33. The exacta paid $45.60 and the trifecta, with longshot Graceful Pro (68-1) up for third, returned $730.00. July 28, 2005. 8th Saratoga - The Saratoga Special - Grade 2 - 6 furlongs - 2 year olds Today's feature at Saratoga is the Grade 2 Saratoga Special, a 6 furlong sprint for 2 year olds, the companion race to yesterday's Adirondack for the fillies. Dixie Union colt, Union Course, flashed speed in his first start at Belmont Park in May and just missed in the Grade 3 Flash last month, closing from off the pace. The upgrade today means rider Richard Migliore will need to have him forwardly placed, going head to head with the big boys, in an effort to emerge as the speed of the speed. Our choice today is Hennessy colt, Henny Hughes, who overcame a rough start before toying with the competition in the $107k Tremont stakes at Belmont earlier in the month. Despite being well clear at the top of the stretch, the Patrick Biancone trainee continued on under Gary Stevens to get under the wire in 1:03.67, a time slightly better than City Zip in 2000 and slightly slower than Tactical Cat in 1998. D. Wayne Lucas took the Adirondack yesterday with Folklore and hopes to keep his graded stakes record perfect through the second day at the meet with Short Circuit, the inside starter, who wasn't able to get going in the Tremont. Lucas hopes the Lemon Drop Kid colt can race back to his maiden breaker but, still, he will need to improve his speed to compete today. The main threat to Henny Hughes is Master of Disaster, making his second lifetime start after crushing a maiden allowance field at Delaware Park at 4 1/2 furlongs in May. Trainer Steve Klesaris can take the same route with this regally bred Dance Master colt as Tim Ritchey did with Afleet Alex last season. The jump from a maiden allowance win at Charles Town to a Grade 2 race at Saratoga is enormous and, despite drawing Edgar Prado for the ride,Hold On Tight will be in tight against these. So far, we like what we've seen out of Ecton Park colts and Parkhimonbroadway, with the outside post, has the best position to pick off some tiring horses in the stretch and grab a piece of the pie. SELECTIONS #4. Henny Hughes WIN 3.80 2.50 2.10 #5. Master of Disaster PLACE 2.60 2.20 #7. Parkhimonbroadway Henny Hughes (4-5) confirmed our suspicions that he is a juvenile star in the making who bears watching with an eye toward the Breeders' Cup. Under a hand ride from Gary Stevens, the Hennessy colt went to the lead and hit the half mile pole in 22.67 before pulling away to a 7 length lead in the stretch, then cruising home in 1:10.38. Master of Disaster (6-5) was never a serious threat to our top choice and finished 3 3/4 lengths back. Union Course (8-1) completed the trifecta, which paid only $14.00. The exacta returned $6.30. July 27, 2005. 4th Saratoga - Claiming (50-45) - 6 1/2 furlongs - 3 year olds The 2005 Saratoga meet opens today and most of America's big name trainers and owners have shipped in with their prize athletes to compete at one of the richest and most competitive meets in the world. June the Tiger, a gelded son of Tiger Ridge, will have early control of the rail in the 4th race, a claiming sprint at 6 1/2 furlongs for 3 year olds with price tags of $50k down to $45k. As a juvenile in the Todd Pletcher stable, he went off at 8-5 odds in the $99k Tremont stakes, finishing 4th in the mud at Belmont Park. Now trained by Linda Rice after an adroit claim for $40k in May, the Florida bred gelding enters this out of two consecutive wins at half the price. Rider Cornelio Velasquez pulled off a graded stakes triple at Arlington Park on Saturday. Giving chase early will be Alphabet Soup colt,Magic Alphabet, a slow starter now racing for his third barn. The Michael Hushion trainee didn't break his maiden until his eleventh start and, though he has shown an ability to close against inferior competition at Calder, is more comfortable near or on the lead. Hotshot New York bred colt, Summerland, is the richest of the field based on $83k in earnings during his juvenile season. Most of that purse money was picked up against state bred allowance and stakes company. After failing against open stakes company in his sophomore debut he hit the sidelines for a few months and only began looking like his old self when he was dropped to the claiming level for the first time in his career. The Richard Violette trainee should get a strong stalking trip under Eibar Coa, who has just completed a brilliant Belmont meet, finishing second to Edgar Prado for the riding title. Outside starter, Four Dollar Limit, appears to be overmatched entering this out of a maiden breaking performance at Mountaineer Park as the 5-2 favorite. Lightly raced gelding, Ultra Pop, could surprise as he shortens to his preferred distance after trying to go with the pacesetters around two turns last month. Tetrahedron, who wintered at Santa Anita, is appealing based on a gate to wire victory at Aqueduct at a flat mile in April. The High Yield colt, trained by D. Wayne Lucas, still must improve his first half speed to be in a position to hit the board today. Our favorite closer is Bargainwiththedevil, a Southern Halo colt trained by Dale Romans, who debuted on the first of the month with a confident victory at Churchill Downs. SELECTIONS #6. Summerland PLACE 3.60 2.90 #1. June the Tiger WIN 7.20 3.80 2.80 #3. Bargainwiththedevil SCRATCHED Our top choices filled out the exacta as June the Tiger (5-2) recovered from a shaky start to haul down Summerland (2-1) in the stretch and win over that one by a length and a quarter in a time of 1:18.30. The quick early fractions of 22.04 & 45.29 wore out our top choice as he was duelling with Magic Alphabet (5-2), who faded to fourth, beaten 5 lengths by Tetrahedron (5-1). The exacta paid $23.60 and the trifecta returned $106.00. July 22, 2005. 1st Monmouth Park - Claiming (10-9)B - 1 mile - f&m 3+ N3L or 3yr. olds A half dozen non-winners of three face one 3 year old filly with 4 wins to her credit in the opener at Monmouth Park today. A couple of sprinters will be stretching out to a 2 turn mile for the first time and figure to be involved in the early pace scenario. Outside starter, Shanena, was dominating in two sprints here last season against conditioned claimers while under the care of trainer Kelly Breen. Since being claimed by her current connections and moved up in class her form has dropped off the table. She gets a class break, adds blinkers and tries a new distance. We have to pass. Rider Rajiv Maragh sticks with First Great Lady, a 3 year old who caught slow fractions and prevailed last out and today moves up in class. The state bred filly has shown a versatility of style but will need to improve her speed a little against this bunch. The other sprint specialist in the group, Fields of Gail, has a fine late kick which she used to pick up a couple of wins early in the year at Philadelphia Park. Unless Felix Ortiz can rate her hard in the early going, this 4 year old is susceptible to being caught in the pace duel. Our choice for the win, Valid Acquisition, is a late blooming 4 year old who worked her way down the maiden claiming ranks in New York before cashing the top prize against allowance company at Penn National in her 11th start. She picked up a win with a $12.5k tag in her Monmouth debut before being thrown to the wolves in an open allowance heat at Philadelphia last week. The probable betting favorite, Pastel Light, will have to race back to her Calder win as a juvenile to prove she is speed of the speed facing sprinting types today. We feel she is vulnerable as the chalk. Lady Krew will need a dramatic form reversal to compete for the top spot today. Inside starter, One Perfect Fit, a New York bred daughter of Abaginone, earned over $50k as a 4 year old in a truncated 2004 campaign before hitting the sidelines for more than a calendar year. She has shown nothing in her two comeback races at this meet. SELECTIONS #3. Valid Acquisition PLACE 3.20 2.20 #2. Pastel Light SHOW 2.10 #5. Fields of Gail WIN 7.00 3.40 2.20 Fields of Gail (5-2) got the perfect ride from Ortiz, who rated her outside early, then brought her along 4-wide for the drive after our top choice, Valid Acquisition (2-1), had softened up betting favorite, Pastel Light (7-5), through early fractions of 23.83 & 48.16. The exacta paid $20.80 and the trifecta, with all our choices in, paid $40.60. July 21, 2005. 1st Belmont Park - Claiming (17.5-15.5) - 1 mile - 4+ All the front running types break from the outside in today's opener at Belmont Park, a 1 mile heat for claimers with a tag of $17.5k down to $15.5k. One and Done is the speedy half of the Gary Gullo entry and attracts Rafael Bejarano for the ride. After a win at this claiming level in early June, the 5 year old gelding by Langfuhr figures to be a logical choice to go gate to wire but the distance has been a problem for this fellow and he was developing a case of seconditis last season. Rush Around rises in class and lengthens out from a sprint for trainer Patrick Quick, who is still looking for his first win of the meet. The 5 year old son of Wild Rush can usually work out a good stalking trip and will easily get the rail with 3 closers to his left in the gate. He hit the board a couple of times at this distance at Aqueduct in the spring and if he runs back to his winter form, when he won with a $30k tag over the inner dirt track, it puts him squarely in the mix. Veteran 7 year old gelding, Sherpa Guide, is capable of producing a giant effort at this middled distance over a track he is extremely familiar with. The New York bred John Terranova trainee hit the board in two consecutive stakes for state bred competition late last summer after failing to clear the N4X allowance condition. High percentage rider, Javier Castellano, retains the mount and will be looking to fall in behind the early pace setters. It's So Simple looked simply outmatched at this level last month after setting a tepid pace. The 7 year old gelding moved to the turf and, again, faltered late. Inconsistency is the name of the game for this one and, consequently, we will back away. Inside starter, Stellanios, will take a lot of support at the windows with good reason. The classy 7 year old gelding races second off the bench and drops in price after closing well against better here at this distance a week and a half ago. At his best, Mount Intrepid, can win at this price but this field has come up more competitive than the hard-nosed 8 year old gelding can normally handle at this point in his career. Bandit Nailhead looks to be the tactical second banana in the Gullo entry. Trainer Victor Cuadra claimed the promising 4 year old gelding,Gibbon's Terrace, for $10k in April and has raced him over his head since then. This has not been a favorable distance for the dead closer. SELECTIONS #7. Sherpa Guide #2. Stellianos SCRATCHED #5. Rush Around WIN 19.20 5.20 3.60 After Stellianos was scratched, the race became wide open as to who was going to be the one to take down betting favorite, One and Done (3-5), who set the pace and faded, qualifying as our underlay of the day. Our longshot pick, Rush Around (8-1), got a masterful ride from Fernando Jara, who kept in touch with the front runners and made a bold 3-wide move out of the turn. They pulled away in the stretch for a 10 length victory over the favorite with Gibbon's Terrace (14-1) a length and a half back in third. The exacta paid $35.20 and the trifecta returned $254.00. July 20, 2005. 7th Monmouth Park - Alw N1X - 6 furlongs - f&m 3+ A fresh group of 3 year old fillies and 1 tough-luck 4 year old are vying to break through the entry level allowance condition at 6 furlongs in the 7th at Monmouth Park today. Promenade Girl, one of two here coming out of significant layoffs, makes her 3rd career start and drops down in class after a strong showing in the $50k Marshua stakes in the slop at Pimlico in January. Gone West filly, Western Princess, who also finished third in a stakes (the $82k Fashion stakes at Belmont Park as a juvenile), will provide company on the backstretch in the early going. This Stanley Hough trainee wilted after moderate fractions at 7 panels at Belmont in her first off the bench a month ago. Those two, breaking from the middle of the gate, will have to contend early with the formidable inside speed, notably our top choice for the win today, Juneau. This Mr. Greeley filly attracts veteran rider Jorge Chavez, who takes the day off at Belmont to take this mount and one another at Monmouth today. Chavez was in the irons aboard this Jason Servis charge in May when she walloped a field of allowance maidens, winning at 6 furlongs in 1:09.52. Later on the card, Attila's Storm beat a tough group of N1X competition in 1:09.15. Xtra Jet, seemingly out of her class at this level, has only a win over $25k maiden claimers at Tampa Bay Downs as credentials. Outside starter, Remarquable Tale, the only 4 year old in the field, has never finished out of the money over this track. The well bred filly is also entered for a race on Thursday, probably the reason top rider, Joe Bravo, has jumped ship. Bravo has taken the mount aboard Comacina, a classy Dixie Union filly who enters this out of a 9 month layoff. Trainer Patrick Biancone has had high expectations for her since her debut last summer at Belmont. She finished third in the $107k Astoria and was pressing the pace in the Grade 2 Futurity before fading in a loss to Park Avenue Ball. Ms. Riskay will find the competition much tougher today than she did at Colonial Downs last month. Churchill Downs shipper, Cherokee Eyes, the only true closer in the field, will benefit if a nasty speed duel develops up front. SELECTIONS #1. Juneau PLACE 2.80 2.20 #8. Remarquable Tale #3. Comacina WIN 7.40 3.40 2.40 Our top choice, Juneau (4-5), off as an unplayable favorite, stumbled out of the gate and failed to get involved in the early pace, allowing Comacina (5-2) to press Xtra Jet (18-1) through fractions of 21.86 & 45.10 before taking over at the quarter pole and cruising home in 1:10.16. Juneau closed to within 2 1/2 lengths for the place prize and Promenade Girl (6-1) proved best of the rest for third. The exacta paid $22.60 and the trifecta returned $56.60. July 16, 2005. 5th Arlington Park - Claiming (35-30) - 1 mile - 3+ A group of vulnerable speedsters in this field of older colts and geldings going a mile at Arlington Park sets up nicely for the trio of experienced closers to arrive in time for the top prize in today's 5th race. Inside starter, Liepers Fork, the likely pace setter, is apt to get involved in a furious early speed contest on the backstretch and, while he came up big at this distance around two turns at Hoosier Park last fall, the 4 year old gelding faded around one turn at Churchill Downs last month against lesser quality competition. Another who likes the lead, 7 year old ridgling, Que Candy, has a tendency to struggle when starting from the outside, as he will today. There is a lot of speed to his left and this veteran of 43 starts has long ago seen his best days. Making his first start as an 8 year old, Baker Road is probably being prepped for a 9 furlong race down the road. He simply doesn't have the speed anymore to stay with these at a distance which has never been overly kind to him. The first to take a shot at the tiring front runners,Rufus the Glider, could be ignored at the windows, and, while we don't see him taking home the win money, we won't hesitate to use him in the gimmicks plays. Last summer, the then 4 year old gelding won over this track at this distance at this claiming level then proceeded to become a fringe player against $50k claimers before folding up his tent for the winter. Bodgiteer, a 5 year old gelding by Captain Bodgit, will take a lot of support at the windows despite making his first start in over 8 months. The classiest of the bunch, we wonder if his back class will be enough to overcome the long layoff. We prefer to bet against this type of favorite. Our choice for the win is ultra consistant 6 year old gelding, Tactical War, a Hugh Robertson trainee who has won 4 of 8 starts at the distance and enters this out of a dominating victory at 9 furlongs with this same price tag. Brian Dude won at last asking versus $18k claimers but is not prone to putting together two strong performances in a row. SELECTIONS #4. Tactical War #3. Rufus the Glider PLACE 8.60 4.40 #2. Bodgiteer WIN 3.80 2.60 2.10 Trainer Chris Block had Bodgiteer (4-5) more than ready for today's competition, sending the favorite out to a 7 1/2 length victory which shaved more than 2 full seconds off his winning time here in a N3X allowance win last September. That race was the penultimate start of a 4 year old campaign in which he earned over $88k in purse money. Today's runaway victory suggests that 2005 may be another lucrative year for the Team Valor homebred. Our longshot second choice, Rufus the Glider (18-1), was, indeed, ignored at the windows and rewarded his backers with a $8.60 place payout after a strong pace pressing trip. Baker Road (7-1) settled for the show money after leading the way and getting 6 furlongs in 1:10.73 before tiring. The exacta paid $46.20 and the trifecta returned $185.80. July 15, 2005. 8th Belmont Park - The Smoke Glacken $65k - 6 furlongs - 3 year olds "R" Three year old sprinters without a win in a $50k stakes race this season are eligible for today's feature at Belmont Park, the $65k Smoke Glacken, a 6 furlong heat which has drawn a few sophomores who had tasted some success on the Triple Crown trail and a few other late developing types who hope to use this race as a springboard to national exposure during the upcoming Saratoga meet. There is a lot of tactical speed in this field and the early pace setter might end up on the lead by default. Juan Rodriguez, who saddles the uncoupled entry of Diamond Isle and Byanosejoe for the suspended Richard Dutrow Jr, has elected to call on Edgar Prado to ride Diamond Isle, a winner of only one race lifetime. The Gilded Time colt finished second to Bellamy Road in the MGD Cradle stakes, a Grade 3 event, last year at River Downs and ended his juvenile campaign with a hard fought third in the Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity at the fall Keeneland meet. His 3 year old season has been nothing short of disastrous, the highlight being an uninspiring third at Monmouth Park last month in a $65k stakes in which he went off at 10-1 odds. The Paraneck Stable has been very quiet this meet and today enter Unbridled's Song colt, Daddy Joe, in an attempt to rebound from his late fade in the Illinois Derby. His best races have com around two turns and over "off" tracks. The quality of the sprinters entered here should force this underachiever out of the money again today. When minor stakes are on tap at Belmont, our favorite rider is Richard Migliore, who today, gets the call aboard Storm Creek Rising, a Storm Creek colt trained by Christophe Clement, who is having a highly successful meet. The jockey/trainer combo is lethal and this colt has never missed the board in 7 career starts, including a strong second to Magoo's Magic in the $82k Huntington stakes at Aqueduct in November. Racing third off the bench, this colt is poised for a big win here. Outside starter, Big Apple Daddy, has faced only New York breds thus far in his career, but we don't look at this as a class drop, as this Bruce Levine trainee has been going up against sophomores such as Galloping Grocer, Sort It Out and Naughty New Yorker and faced Up Like Thunder and Summerland as a juvenile. The classiest of the bunch is inside starter, Vicarage, a highly touted son of Vicar whose best race as a 3 year old was the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby. The price today won't be fair for a colt whose only win came in January in an entry level allowance race. The best closer of this group, Byanosejoe, hasn't been facing much since a fifth place finish in the Grade 3 Gotham at Aqueduct in March. Tashdeed will likely lose touch with this field early on. SELECTIONS #6. Storm Creek Rising SHOW #7. Big Apple Daddy PLACE 2.70 #1. Vicarage WIN 5.20 2.60 Scratches left this race with an unplayable 4 horse field lacking any true front runners. Storm Creek Rising (4-1) reluctantly took the lead, setting a tepid opening quarter of 22.76, before fading in the stretch, just as he did against Proud Accolade at Saratoga last September. Vicarage (8-5) showed his class, keeping the pace setters within reach before exploding into the stretch to pull away for a 4 1/4 length victory over Big Apple Daddy (6-5), the betting favorite in front of his home town crowd. It was another half length back to Storm Creek Rising. The exacta paid $10.20. July 14, 2005. 1st Arlington Park - Claiming (14-12) - 6 furlongs - f&m 3+ Today's opener at Arlington Park features a field of tough older fillies and mares, veterans with a lot of mileage in the claiming ranks. One of three with earnings exceeding $200k, Galatea Cat developed into a bridesmaid last season at 5 years old, finishing second in 5 of her 13 starts. The Cat's Career mare was racing with a tag as high as $40k and some of her best efforts came on the grass. She drops in class today but must overcome a tendency to give way in the late going. Things won't be easy on her through the first fractions as she is surrounded by some fairly quick runners. One of those speedsters is I'm Angela, a 5 year old who also drops from the $18k class and won at this level as recently as early May at Hawthorne Racecourse. One more step down the claiming ladder may be what this mare needs to pick up her second win of the season. The speed of the speed is Unbridled Success filly,Unbridled's Evie, a 4 year old who began maturing quickly last fall after an injury laden sophomore season. After an inauspicious maiden victory over $10k Illinois bred claimers last spring, she re-emerged as a confident front runner in December, knocking off conditioned claimers at Fair Grounds before snagging an entry level allowance win for state breds at Hawthorne 2 months ago. Apprentice rider, Denis Rojas, gets the call again from owner/trainer Jerry Gryczewski and should have no trouble clearing the 2 closers to his left and gaining early control of the rail. We like Western Mindy but not in this spot. Her outside starting position leaves her with a lot of work to do early and Arlington has not proved to be her favorite surface. The trio of closers in this field has a strong shot at hitting the board after the pace setters give way. Freddie's Folly, likely to be heavily bet as she goes for her 5th consecutive victory, gets a new rider and shortens from her preferred distance. Also trained by Roger Brueggemann, Katie Last is an up and coming 4 year old who doesn't pack it in late. Veteran Olympia mare, 8 year old O Lo, appears to be in tough on the rise in class after a 3 month vacation. On even her best recent form she misses against these. SELECTIONS #3. Unbridled's Evie WIN 13.00 6.00 3.20 #1. Freddie's Folly #4. Katie Last Our top choice, Unbridled's Evie (5-1), a steal at that mutuel windows, delivered a career best performance manhandling this crew of veterans. She got easily to the front and set fractions of 22.71 & 45.31 through the half mile along the rail. The only horse to challenge was Galatea Cat (5-1), who applied some pressure mid-stretch, but was repelled by the winner and finished second, beaten a half length. Western Mindy (9-5), who surprisingly went off as the betting favorite, was best of the rest for third, qualifying as the underlay of the day. The exacta paid $79.60 and the trifecta returned $200.60. Congratulations! July 13, 2005. 7th Monmouth Park - OC45k/N3X - 1 1/16 miles - f&m 3+ Many of the competitors in this optional claiming race, the 7th at Monmouth Park, have been butting heads through the first few allowance conditions over the past year. Today, Lord Billy, the main pace factor in the field, races second off the bench for trainer Mary Hartman after nearly a 6 month layoff. Rider Rajiv Maragh was aboard this Lord Carson filly last fall for a gate to wire victory around two turns here and will have her in the lead again although, since she had to ship to Penn National to break through her N3L condition, we suspect her speed might not hold up in this event. Veteran 7 year old, Se Me Acabo, races with a $45k tag once again as new trainer, Peter Kazamias, continues to try her conversion from sprinter to router. She won a few on the Aqueduct inner track over the winter but has only hit the board once in 6 career starts at this distance and her form has gone south since being claimed from the John Parisella stable. A very tough customer primed for a big race is outside starter, Final Assault, who hit the board in 6 straight races here last summer. Trainer, Robert Papania, brought the 4 year old filly back this season in a $60k handicap for New Jersey bred fillies and mares and she faded after setting the early pace. She was never involved in a sprint last out wherein the early fractions of 21.85 & 44.46 set by runaway winner, Xtra Tough, exposed her preference for routes. Delaware Park shipper, Blind Canyon, makes her Monmouth debut and tries to crack this allowance condition for the fifth time. The Valley Crossing filly finished a strong second in the $95k Maryland Millions Oaks last fall but her form has declined since then and the Maryland bred 4 year old may find the competition tougher here than at home. On her best, Picnic Theme, wins this but the Richard Dutrow trainee (saddled by Lawrence Walters) enters this out of a 6 1/2 month layoff. Treasure's Dream has 2 seconds and 2 thirds in 7 tries at this condition and appears to be a useful entry at long odds. Our choice for the  win is 4 year old Diavla who has twice been outfinished by Grinch since returning to the track this season. Joe Bravo, the runaway leader in jockey wins at this meet gets the call from Kelly Breen aboard the inside starter and they should be able to work out a ground saving trip behind the dueling front runners. Keen Perception has had trouble with N3X foes at Philadelphia Park and would need a decided improvement to her speed for an "in the money" finish today. SELECTIONS #1. Diavla WIN 4.20 2.60 2.40 #8. Final Assault SHOW 3.40 #3. Treasure's Dream Our top choice, Diavla (1-1), saved ground early and angled out for a 3-wide finishing move at the top of the stretch, proving no match for the tiring front runners, hitting the wire in 1:45.32 in the slop and rain. Picnic Theme (3-1), racing for the first time in over 6 months, was used up in the pace duel but served notice she will be ready to dominate next out after getting the place money today. Our second choice, Final Assault (6-1), was a prominant pace player but had to settle for third. The exacta paid $14.00 and the trifecta returned $51.40. Congratulations! July 7, 2005. 3rd Monmouth Park - Claiming (30-25) - 6 furlongs - 3+ The 3rd at Monmouth Park today has come up as tough as a claiming race can here on the Jersey shore. A quartet of wily veteran sprinters will be trying to hold off a trio of up and comers who have put up big numbers elsewhere.Somethingdangerous has become something of a seconditis sufferer and had been scratching away for small slicesof purses on the mid-west circuit until being sent East with new trainer Peter Walder for a surprising second here amonth ago at 7-1 odds. That sudden jump up in style suggests to us that this 7 year old gelded son of Danzig is duefor a bounce, particularly considering the quality of the speed horses he'll have to contend with in the early going onthe rise in class. Another 7 year old gelding, lightly raced Choctaw Ridge, races for the Michael Gill operation anddrops in price as that owner is in the midst of dismantling his thoroughbred stable. The Grindstone progeny missedthe board only once last season (a 4 1/2 furlong handicap dash in the mud at Charles Town), races third off thebench, has speed to aim at and isn't far off some outstanding performances over the Mid-Atlantic tracks as a 6 yearold allowance runner during which he racked up over $120k in earnings for the 2004 season. Chuck Lopez should beable to work out a good trip for Special Judge, who is dropped down from allowance company by trainer, JasonServis, who is having a fine meet. The 5 year old gelding had been racing against higher priced claimers at Aqueductand being consistently nudged out for the top prize before scoring a N2X victory in his return to Monmouth a monthago. If the big speed to his left falters, he will be the main beneficiary. Inside starter, California bred Cahill Mango,gets a hidden drop in class from a win over $25k claimers at Belmont Park. That victory marked his East coast debutafter being claimed by one of this track's top trainers, Bruce Levine. Not afraid of an early duel, this 4 year old CahillRoad gelding should still be standing tough in the stretch. The only New Jersey native in the field, Jay's Wish, getsdropped for a tag after struggling against open allowance company. Capable of a strong front running effort, this 5year old gelding's form has dropped off the table in 2005. That Darn Cat made some money last year at SuffolkDowns and scored a win at Gulfstream this spring over $25k claimers but would need a total pace breakdown to getthe win today. Wildly inconsistent 4 year old gelding, Storm Whirl, could get into the mix with his top effort butwhether his is poised for that is anybody's guess. SELECTIONS #3. Choctaw Ridge #1. Cahill Mango SCRATCHED #5. Special Judge PLACE 3.20 2.40 Our top choice, Choctaw Ridge (2-1), was burned through fractions of 21.56 & 44.26 trying to stay ahead of Special Judge (8-5), before fading in the stretch and paving the way for a huge upset victory by the longest shot on the board, Jay's Wish (8-1), who took advantage of the tiring front runners, sweeping by  on the outside for the win in 1:09.55. The exacta paid $114.80 and the trifecta returned $265.20. July 6, 2005. 2nd Monmouth Park - *S* Alw N1X - 6 furlongs - N.J. bred f&m 3+ Passion's Destiny, a 4 year old Skip Trial filly, struggled last season as a sophomore at Monmouth Park under the guidance of trainer Norman Pointer. Since being moved to the Jason Servis barn, she has turned the corner as a competitive sprinter and, after a tough winter on the Aqueduct inner track, broke her maiden here over state bred company by 7 lengths in late May. She was compromised in her first try against winners by a slow break, rushed up to the lead and tired to finish third. With that experience behind her, we expect a strong winning bid today. Professional bridesmaid, Awanda, got up to grab the place prize ahead of Passion's Destiny in that race but is the type of filly who finds ways to lose even though the top spot is hers for the taking. The veteran 5 year old mare has earned over $100k in purse money despite winning only once in 32 starts. She is enticing to sharp handicappers as a horse to key on underneath. Sir Cat filly, Catachip, has again drawn an outside post and, though she overcame that in her maiden win here in August of last year, her limited experience will likely keep her out of the mix in this field. Trainer Keith Sirota tries to bump Another Brianna up from the bottom of the claiming ladder to this entry level allowance heat for Jersey bred fillies and mares. The Lucky Roberto filly has neither the back class nor the speed currently to compete seriously with these. Similar to Passion's Destiny, Soup It Up recently crushed a maiden allowance field here, winning by 7 lengths. Although we aren't confident this daughter of Alphabet Soup can take the top prize, we would use her to fill in the gimmicks. Margaret Anne has shown an ability to close in the past but her form went south in the fall and she was badly outmatched in her first race off the layoff here last month. War Deputy filly, Lady Sevi, was hung outside in her first try against winners and finished a length back of Awanda. A cleaner trip could get her into the mix today. Keepitfancy ships in from Pimlico and attracts rider Joe Bravo after dropping to claiming company to break her maiden with a $40k tag. This Tree filly doesn't appear to have the speed to grab the lead against this field. SELECTIONS #3. Passion's Destiny SHOW 2.20 #1. Awanda WIN 9.60 4.60 2.40 #2. Lady Sevi PLACE 5.20 2.80 All three of our choices made it into the trifecta after Passion's Destiny (6-5) was unable to shake Lady Sevi (7-2) through fractions of 22.15 & 45.33. While those two were duelling on the front end, Awanda (7-2), who was never far back, snuck through on the rail to get to the wire a half length up on Lady Sevi in a time of 1:10.58. The exacta paid $40.60 and the trifecta returned $73.20. Congratulations! July 1, 2005. 2nd Churchill Downs - Claiming (15-12.5) - 5 1/2 furlongs - f&m 3+ There is a great deal of speed to contend with in the 2nd at Churchill Downs, a 5 1/2 furlong dash for older fillies and mares. The mare to key on here is Set to Sparkle, a 5 year old claimed for $40k as recently as last November, who runs today with a $15k tag. The tough speedster has beaten much better than this field and has failed to hit the board lately only when facing allowance company or tougher claimers than these. Trainer Maria Pinzon has found the right spot and may even be letting the veteran underachieve a little in her 30th career start. She enters this out of two straight victories under the same conditions, but shortens in distance. Level Sands filly, Hay Daisy, has raced almost exclusively against conditioned claimers since breaking her maiden at Ellis Park last summer at this price. The move up in class today may expose her limitations and put her away early. Tampa shippers have been winning at this meet but Quick Fuse, claimed 5 times in 4 months over the winter at less than half the price today, simply doesn't have the speed to keep up anymore. Ohio bred 5 year old, Red Hot Helen, would have to produce a career best performance to hit the board, shipping in from River Downs. The probable favorite, inside starter Island Saga, is a Southern Halo filly trained by David Vance who was unable to crack the N1X allowance condition at Turfway Park in the spring and found some success against conditioned claimers here under high percentage rider, Robby Albarado. Her challenge today will be to work out a trip without being pinned to the inside. Her 5 1/4 length victory here 2 weeks ago suggests we should include her on most of the tickets. Gold Run Type proved she belonged at this level when she was outfinished by Set To Sparkle at 6 1/2 furlongs here in mid-June. The 5 year old Cherokee Run mare loves this track and is an interesting play at a price. Closer Lee Gage appears to be well out of her class today. SELECTIONS #3. Set to Sparkle WIN 7.60 5.00 2.80 #1. Island Saga SHOW 2.40 #7. Gold Run Type Our top choice, Set to Sparkle (5-2) made her third consecutive trip to the winner's circle after pressing early pace setter, Hay Daisy (7-1), who showed surprising tenacity in the early going. Fabio Arguello got Set to Sparkle into an all out duel with Hay Daisy coming out of the turn and pulled away for a 1 length victory in 1:04.58. Island Saga (6-5), who went off as the bettors' choice, couldn't get out from her position on the rail until it was too late and finished another length and a half back in third. The exacta paid $40.60 and the trifecta returned $91.60. Congratulations!