August 28, 2004. The winner of the $1 million Grade 1 Travers stakes, to be run today as the 11th race at Saratoga, often ends up being one of the favorites in the Breeders' Cup Classic and, with Smarty Jones retired, could be a leading contender for top three year old honors at the Eclipse dinner. Leading winner at the meet, John Velasquez gets the mount on a front-running type for the second straight year. Last year, Strong Hope dueled with Peace Rules. This year, Velasquez will take Jim Dandy winner, Purge, to the front to hook up with Lion Heart. We love the ride this Pletcher-trained son of Pulpit got here 3 weeks ago, putting away Medallist, and taking the top prize in near-record time. Our concern is the way he bounced in the Belmont Stakes after a big performance in the Peter Pan. Trainer Patrick Biancone is having a fantastic Saratoga meet and he hopes to top it all off with a gate to wire performance by Haskell winner Lion Heart. As the distance has increased, this Tale of the Cat colt has been betrayed by his sprinter's pedigree. Outside horse, Suave, has criss-crossed the country after campaigning in Florida to start the year and has only a Grade 3 victory to show for his travels. This A.P. Indy colt has consistently been beaten by the top 3 year olds. Our value play of the day is inside horse, highly touted underachiever Eddington. His performance in the Jim Dandy was a strong comeback after being shelved following his disappointing Belmont Stakes. This Unbridled progeny is a closer and should get a ground-saving trip from Richard Migliore, who has replaced Jerry Bailey aboard the Mark Hennig trainee. One of three Nick Zito-trained colts, Sir Shackleton ships in from Mountaineer Park, where he won the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby. A dependable, consistent horse, it wouldn't be a big shot to see him rumbling home strongly under leading North American jockey, Rafael Bejarano. But, we're not backing him today. The Cliff's Edge will take a lot of support at the betting windows and, with good reason. The pace scenario sets up perfectly for a strong closer such as this one. Other than his Blue Grass victory, the Gulch colt, with Shane Sellers aboard, has failed to really fire in the big races. We predict another "in the money" finish. Birdstone crashed the Triple Crown party in June and a similar performance wouldn't be a total surprise. There are other accomplished closers to contend with, however. SELECTIONS 1-6-3-5 FINISH 5-6-1-3 As the sky darkened over Saratoga, a bright light emerged withing the 3 year olds division. Birdstone (9-2) caught up with Purge (4-1) at the quarter pole with The Cliff's Edge (3-1) in close pursuit, then pulled away in the stretch for the win in 2:02.45. Stablemate, The Cliff's Edge, was 2 1/2 lengths back and our top choice, Eddington (9-1), who had run a strong stalking trip, got up for third, edging out Purge. The exacta paid $46.40 and the trifecta, with all our picks in, returned $277.50. Congratulations! August 27, 2004. Maiden 2 year olds stretch out to 1 mile & 70 yards in the 4th, an allowance race, at Monmouth Park today. Santa Ana Winds makes her second career start and has drawn the outside post once again. In her debut two weeks ago, Julian Pimentel was able to get the Summer Squall progeny over to the 4-path, only to have him tire in the stretch. A strong workout on Monday morning indicates that trainer James Ryerson has this one ready for a stronger effort today. Hay Jarred has had trouble in the early going in his first two tries, but without much early speed in this field, the John Dowd trainee may be able to stay involved to the stretch. On the inside is $100k Devil's Bag colt, Conquer the Night, who posted a bullet over this track a few weeks ago in anticipation of his debut today for trainer Dennis Manning, who has hit big with first-time starters a few times. Chris DeCarlo gets a leg up. Another first-timer, Rapid Royal, ships over from Philadelphia. Out of the Joe Pierce barn, Monster Affair, led to the half in his first two turn try here a month ago. A Florida-bred February foal, this Concerto colt has an edge in experience over most of these. We'll be watching well-bred E.B. Striker (Smart Strike - Miss Owens, Smarten), who makes his first start after showing very little speed in the mornings. Top trainer, Tim Hills, adds blinkers to Frankfivethousand, who moves up from the maiden claiming ranks after a disappointing debut last week. Bidder's Prospect also gets the hood after acting up on the first turn stretching to a flat mile a month ago. Despite the trouble, he still finished third and Jose Ferrer picks up the mount. Setch would need some major improvement to compete for the win today. SELECTIONS 6-9-3-5 FINISH 5-6-3-1 Jockey Victor Molina got Hay Jarred (6-1) out of the gate well and, with the dearth of speed in this field, rated an easy pace in fractions of 23.32 & 47.04. Bidder's Prospect (9-5), our top choice and the betting favorite, couldn't gain on the front-runner, allowing him to win in a leisurely 1:46.52. Monster Affair (5-1) came from well back to gain the show prize. The exacta paid $54.20 and the trifecta returned $187.40. August 26, 2004. The inaugural running of The Union Avenue, a $65k stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares who have not won an open sweepstakes this season, is carded as the 8th at Saratoga. Our Breadwinner ships in from Monmouth Park off a win over $25k claimers and will be one of the first out of the gate trying to soften up the probable pacesetter, Cologny. Her New Jersey win last week was aided by a golden rail and the 5 year old Ormsby mare will be hard pressed to reproduce that performance today. To her right in the gate, starting from the extreme outside, Go for Gin filly, Cologny, will be looking to clear the field early and get loose for another front-running victory. The talented Scott Lake trainee exits a commendable fourth against a tough Grade 2 field in the Honorable Miss, in which she finished just a half length behind wily veteran, Smoke n' Frolic. A Smart Punch, with 7 wins in 10 starts at Finger Lakes, makes a bit of a jump in class today and will be in tough facing the most accomplished field she's seen in her short career. Runaway meet leader in wins, John Velasquez, replaces the injured Jose Santos aboard inside horse, Beautiful America. This 4 year old Dixie Brass filly has bounced between the turf and dirt and routes and sprints in a career which has seen earnings of just under $500k. She was finishing well behind Cologny in the $61k Scotzanna stakes at Belmont Park last month, while shortening from a nine furlong turf try earlier in that meet and should be sharper today. Undefeated in 3 races against state-breds as a 3 year old, Sugar Punch has to be given some credit, particularly with up to a 10lb advantage over some of her rivals. Edgar Prado keeps the mount and should be able to work out a good closing trip for the only sophomore in the field. An also ran in the New York sophomore division last season, The Name Was Gone usually gives a decent account of herself and might be overlooked on the tote board today. She might be wise to include on some of the exotics plays. Distinctive Kitten, another Monmouth shipper, looks to be out of her class with these. Behrnik passed some tired horses in a $60 claiming sprint two weeks ago but we still think of her as more of a distance runner. SELECTIONS 8-1-6-3 FINISH 6-1-8-4 Sugar Punch (3-2) was tenacious, stalking Cologny (2-1) throught brisk fractions of 22.90 & 45.32, took over the lead in the stretch and held off a fast closing Beautiful America (5-2), to win by a neck in 1:09.81. Cologny faded to finish a well-beaten third. The exacta paid $13.80 and the trifecta, using all our top choices, returned $24.20. August 25, 2004. The 6th at Monmouth Park is an N2X allowance race for fillies and mares 3 years old and upward, to be run at 1 1/16 miles. The field is an interesting mix of shippers and locals, youngsters and veterans. State-bred 4 year old, Cryptofem, has campaigned here primarily as a sprinter, posting a 7 3/4 length victory in a restricted entry level allowance heat that came up very slow in mid-June. The Cryptoclearance filly acquitted herself well in a couple of Meadowlands routes last fall, but the lack of serious early speed could find her reluctantly showing the way today and this strip has been deadly towards vulnerable speed horses lately. Trainer, Gregory Martin, having a highly successful meet, sends out Bank Audit, first off the claim from the John Parisella barn. The sophomore broke her maiden at a mile on the Aqueduct winterized oval and beat $75k claimers at Belmont, again at a mile, this spring. Third off the bench, making the turf to dirt move and racing at a suitable distance are three reasons to use this Wild Rush filly in her first race against older competition. Leading jockey, Joe Bravo, picks up the mount. Veteran 7 year old mare, Heather Light, starting from the inside post, has finished second in 10 of her 34 career races. Out since January, this claiming horse has come up big off the bench and faces a pretty shaky N2X field today. Another place prize wouldn't be a surprise. After knocking at the door all summer, sophomore Final Assault delivered a dynamite performance two weeks, destroying an entry level allowance field by 9 3/4 lengths at a flat mile. The Robert Papania trainee, with Edwin King Jr. aboard once again, has never raced with a tag and will be well placed to overcome the vulnerable front runners at the top of the stretch. Ringaring a Rosie looks to be a shade slower than the best here. With a 7lb. apprentice in the irons, this one would benefit from a scratch or two and is a fringe player, at best. Outside filly, Tempting Note, had a successful winter campaign with two seconds in minor stakes races for 3 year olds at Aqueduct. Injuries forced her to the sidelines and trainer, Ben Perkins, brought her back for a dismal showing in the $60k Serena's Song last month. The Editor's Note filly has posted a bullet work in preparation for her first start against older horses. Madam Hertfield, a late running type, ships in from Pimlico and will get a severe test against these. SELECTIONS 4-2-1-6 FINISH 4-7-1-3 Edwin King didn't bother waiting for a front-runner to emerge, instead sending our top choice and betting favorite, Final Assault (9-5), to a sensible lead, hitting 6 furlongs in a leisurely 1:14.15, then holding on for a tight victory over Tempting Note (3-1) in 1:46.51. Although Heather Light (11-1) didn't get the place prize, she did finish third, offering some value to the trifecta, which paid $117.80. The chalky exacta returned $22.00. August 22, 2004. The top East coast handicap horses run a mile and a quarter today at Saratoga in the Grade 2 Saratoga Breeders' Cup Handicap. Today's feature race, carded as the 9th race puts forth a field which includes three million dollar earners. On the inside, two speed horses will hook up in what should be brisk early fractions. Two-time Grade 3 winner, Presidentialaffair, comes out of two successive gate to wire victories at Monmouth Park. The 5 year old gelding was pulling away from the field both times and his time in the Salvator Mile Handicap was among the best in that race over the past ten years. The Lady's Groom, a 4 year old colt from Runaway Groom, stayed close in the Mass Hdcp. and finished just a length back of Newfoundland in the Gulfstream Park Hdcp. Richard Migliore gets a leg up and will be challenged to keep this one interested late when the closers start to bear down. Trainer Allen Jerkens got a big win yesterday with Society Selection in the Alabama, for sophomore fillies, and could complete the stakes double if talented 6 year old, Bowman's Band, can overcome his career long case of seconditis by building on the strong late moves he showed in the Met Mile and the Whitney. This grandson of Northern Dancer should be a natural at the Classic distance and we have to dismiss the disappointing seventh after a troubled trip in the Suburban last month. A year late, Funny Cide makes his homecoming debut start, 7 weeks after a strong performnance in the Suburban. Edgar Prado takes over the reins from injured Jose Santos and should have a lot of horse for the drive. Lightly raced 5 year old, Alumni Hall, ships in from Arlington Park and will get a severe class check today. This is a tough spot for the A.P. Indy progeny to try graded stakes competition. Half-brother, Congrats, must avoid getting into a speed duel with the two inside horses. Staying off the pace worked well for this one in last year's Jim Dandy, but this Shug McGaughey trainee hasn't faced competition like this yet in his career. Our choice for the win is Sarava, who came up with a huge performance two years ago in the Belmont Stakes and has recently hinted that a return to form is in the immediate future with very strong late moves in the Suburban and Whitney against the best horse available. Evening Attire has come off the bench big before but his penchant for disappointing performances scares us off against this type of field. SELECTIONS 4-5-6-scr FINISH 8-6-5-7 Well-backed favorite, Funny Cide (1-1), stalked a very brisk pace and was just a length and a half back after 6 furlongs, run in 1:10.90. Once the pacesetters were through, last year's Triple Crown contender dueled with Bowman's Band (7-2) to the top of the stretch, only to be laid to waste by a flying Evening Attire (7-1), who went on to a 5 length victory in a new stakes record time of 2:00.83, over 2 seconds faster than his win in this race two years ago over Abreeze and Dollar Bill. The exacta paid $35.40 and the trifecta returned $99.50. August 21, 2004. Complementing yesterday's Spinaway, the best juvenile colts in the country try 7 furlongs in today's Grade 1 Hopeful, the 9th race at Saratoga. Flamenco, runner-up in the Grade 2 Sanford here last month, will be one of the four inside horses vying for the early lead. Jockey Jerry Bailey will likely run a pace pressing trip, hoping to have something left for the extra distance. Starting from the inside post, Devils Disciple, ships in from minor stakes victories at Calder Race Course. The gelded son of Devil His Due won twice by a margin of 9 lengths and has posted a blazing bullet workout over this strip. Probably the speed of the speed, he will encounter a lot more company at the top of the stretch than he is used to. Western Expression colt, Winning Expression, was compromised by his outside post in the Sanford when trying for the lead under Edgar Prado. Today, starting to the right of the speed, Prado should be able to work out a much better ground-saving trip and the added distance should actually work for this promising home-bred colt. English-bred Wild Nature was losing ground in the stretch in an allowance try at 6 1/2 furlongs and seems a bit on the slow side compared to this bunch. Well-bred Consolidator (Storm Cat - Good Example*Fr, Crystal Glitters) once again has to vie for the lead from the outside and it's important to note that this D. Wayne Lucas trainee has only beaten maidens after 4 starts. The $1.25 million colt gets blinkers for today and Pat Day keeps the mount. Afleet Alex opened a lot of eyes after his dominating win in the Sanford and has posted a couple of bullet works since then. Unbeaten, and not even challenged in three starts, we like this Northern Afleet colt to establish himself as the top juvenile with another big win. Storm Surge won at 6 1/2 furlongs and could be a useful play underneath on the exotics tickets. SELECTIONS 6-3-2-5 FINISH 6-1-3-7 Over a sloppy track in the rain, Devils Disciple (5-2) and Flamenco (8-1) dueled through lightning fractions of 22.00 & 44.79, disposing of any pretenders on the front end. On the turn, our top choice and bettors' favorite, Afleet Alex (3-5) was asked to open up and went 4-wide to challenge for the lead. In mid-stretch, however, the Northern Afleet colt began to drift way out to the centre of the soaked track. Rose brought him back, straightened him out and he found an extra reserve of stamina which sent him sailing past the two leaders in the final yards for the win by a neck over Devils Disciple in 1:23.58. Flamenco picked up the show prize. The exacta paid only $8.20 and the trifecta returned a mere $21.40. August 20, 2004. Top juvenile fillies go 7 furlongs today in the Grade 2 Spinaway stakes, the 8th race at Saratoga. Portsea, a daughter of More Than Ready, trained by Todd Pletcher, crushed maiden allowance competition at Monmouth Park 3 weeks ago. Leading jockey, John Velasquez, gets a leg up and will have the Vinery Stables' star in front early. Also exiting a Monmouth romp, Miss Matched, a Formal Gold filly, will be pressing the early pace. Trainer Patrick Biancone, having a fine meet, is campaigning Michael Tabor's $800k Thunder Gulch girl, Sense of Style, who broke her maiden here at 6 1/2 furlongs, after making a strong move under Edgar Prado. Steven Asmussen has taken over the training for Punch Appeal, a minor stakes winner at Calder Race Course. Outside horse, Broadway Gold, is an exquisitely bred filly, purchased at auction a year ago for $600k, who won the $107k Astoria stakes at Belmont off the bench in late June. She burned money as the favorite in the Grade 2 Schuylerville in the mud, but we expect a rebound with Jerry Bailey retaining the mount. Winner of that race, Classic Elegance, starts today from the inside post, and is a threat to make another splash late. Play With Fire made up over 14 lengths in her maiden win here 3 weeks ago at 48-1 and, with an extra furlong and a half, could be a bit of a bomb in the gimmicks. SELECTIONS 7-4-1-6 FINISH 4-3-6-7 Patrick Biancone's excellent Spa meet got another shot in the arm today from a dominating performance out of betting favorite, Sense of Style (4-5), who easily put away a decent field at the top of the stretch to cruise to a 6 3/4 length over another 2nd time starter, Miss Matched (7-1), who had run a pace pressing trip, then held on for the place prize. Play With Fire (17-1) delivered another strong closing performance to get third. The exacta paid $20.60 and the trifecta returned $152.00. August 19, 2004. The 5th at Monmouth Park is a claiming race for older horses with tags of $12.5k down to $10.5k, to be run at a flat mile. There is a lot of early speed here, starting with Alan Seewald trainee, 5 year old gelding Secret Song, coming off two straight wins over condition claimers. The son of Montbrook faces a class check today. Outside horse, Kind Slew, was racing in Arizona for most of the year before being claimed by Peter Walder out of Bay Meadows for a mere $6.25k. Walder immediately shipped him East, where he beat $8k claimers here handily. In top form and with 5 wins at the distance, we feel this is the one to catch. Image of Approval, starting from the inside, had a fine 4 year old season but has struggled with consistency this year. Trainer, Anthony Pecoraro, shipped him north for an even third against better than this. He drops in price and Elvis Trujillo will try to circle the field for a closing bid today. Veteran 8 year old gelding, Country Joe, has 22 wins to his credit and starts today for the Stephen O'Connor barn after beating state bred claimers under Walder's tutelage. Apprentice, Eriluis Vaz, makes his Monmouth debut and will try to point the old-timer in the right direction and let the horse do the work. St. Dehere was trying to break the n2x allowance condition last season here and at Belmont Park. The 6 year old enters this out of a win at the same price 2 weeks ago at Philadelphia Park. We won't be afraid to use this Patricia Farro on top of some saver tickets. Harrington Sound, a former stakes runner, makes his second start after 2 years on the sidelines. Grand Slam progeny, Double Slam, showed a lot of promise as a sophomore and was claimed by Michael Gill from the Stephen Asmussen barn in February in New Orleans. In two starts at Monmouth this summer, the gelding has arrived late. The pace scenario sets up perfectly for him today. It's make or break time at this level. SELECTIONS 3-7-4-6 FINISH 7-3-6-1 Kind Slew (5-2) overcame the track bias today, clearing the field early to set fractions of 24.37 & 47.72 to prevail over our top choice, Country Joe (5-1), by 3 3/4 lengths in 1:38.18. Double Slam (9-2) stayed close to finish a non-threatening third. The exacta paid $33.00 and the trifecta returned $207.60. Congratulations! August 18, 2004. The 5th at Monmouth Park, for older fillies and mares with claiming prices of $25k down to $20k, is to be run at 6 furlongs. The field lacks true frontrunners, meaning the inside horses will be reluctant leaders at the first call. Our Breadwinner, shipped in from an optional allowance try at Penn National, struggled with inside trips last winter at Aqueduct and last summer at Belmont Park. Trainer Dimitrios Synnefias, winless in 33 tries at this meet, goes to apprentice rider Michael Baze aboard the 5 year old mare. Louis Quatorze filly, Fourteen Candles, is more likely to still be standing in the stretch. She has three wins at the distance, two of them over this oval. Today's pace scenario sets up similarly to a try at the $20k - $18k level in June, during which she dueled through moderate fractions, only to be caught late by the longshot closer, Third Collection, a rather fortuitous winner at 7-1. Par de Deux, a filly trained by Allen Iwinski, showed great promise as a sophomore, winning an entry level allowance race impressively at Delaware Park in November. Injuries have hampered her development and she is in a very negative form cycle, dropping down in class today. It might be unwise to second-guess trainer Alan Seewald, a high-percentage trainer having another fine meet, but outside horse, Carolyn Frances, just claimed from John Dowd's stable, seems to want more distance than this and the slow pace up front won't help matters in the stretch. Australis and Cove Hill Missile traded wins at Aqueduct in the spring against better. After a few months on the sidelines, the 5 year old Salt Lake mare returns to Monmouth, dropping in price, with a couple of very sharp works to her credit. Julian Pimentel retains the mount and will have this versatile runner close enough at the top of the stretch to make a dominating move to the wire. Look to Heaven is the filly if you are looking for value, switching from the grass at Philadelphia, and dropping down from the second level allowance class. The Storm Boot filly can be dangerous on the lead and closing and is a "must use" on all gimmicks. Mary's Nickle caught Fourteen Candles two weeks ago and is a good bet to catch a piece of the pie while passing a few tired ones in the deep stretch today. SELECTIONS 4-5-6-2 FINISH 1-7-6-2 Our Breadwinner (8-1) took advantage of the lack of front speed, pressing the early pace fractions of 21.93 & 45.50, taking control after a half mile and cruised home in 1:11.38, finishing 2 1/2 lengths up on Carolyn Frances (9-2), who never threatened the winner. Mary's Nickle (6-1) closed for show. The exacta paid $130.80 and the trifecta returned $748.00. August 14, 2004. On the Arlington Million day undercard are a couple of $50k stakes sprints which could be useful if you are playing multi-race bets on this 12 race card. Race 3 is the Smart Deb, a 6 furlong sprint for 3 year old fillies. On the inside, Silver Crown returns to stakes company after climbing the allowance ladder here at Arlington. The Distorted Humor filly, trained by Frank Springer, will be the controlling speed and is, by far, the best and fittest front runner of the bunch. Jockey James Graham is having a fine meet and took two horses gate to wire yesterday, including her half sister, Humorous Type, a 9-1 shot in the opener. Twice a Deelite cuts back from a disastrous mile stakes try and will try to recapture the magic she produced at Louisiana Downs in early July, winning by 9 1/2 lengths over an entry level allowance field. Expensive Canadian bred, Maple Syrple, owned by the Godolphin stable, ships in from England where she was curiously entered by Saeed bin Suroor in the Eternal Stakes, a 7 furlong sprint on the turf, after 11 months on the bench. This American Chance filly won the $166k Clarendon stakes at Woodbine as a juvenile, then finished second to Ashado in the Grade 2 Schuylerville stakes at Saratoga. Leading jockey, Rene Douglas gets the mount and, based on back class and pedigree, this would be a logical winner. The weird training strategy has us guessing, though. Questionable Past returns to the races, 8 months after a second in the $250k Delta Downs Princess stakes. Trainer Michael Stidham has been working the Petionville filly well here and she could be coming along late. Trainer Hugh Robertson has two fillies entered. On the outside is Bad Kitty, a daughter of Mt. Livermore, with a decent late kick, who won three times as a juvenile but is still looking for her first victory as a sophomore. Another late-running type, Piano Tuner, has been unable to beat open company allowance horses and tries to make the jump from facing state-breds. SELECTIONS 1-6-4-5 FINISH 5-6-1-4 Carlos Marquez Jr. brought Questionable Past (9-2) four-wide, picking up where she left off as a 2 year old, to win by 3 1/4 lengths in a moderate time of 1:11 flat. Bad Kitty (9-2) made her winning bid a little early, got the lead at the top of the stretch, but settled for second, outfinishing favorite, Silver Crown (6-5). The exacta paid $44.00 and the trifecta returned $75.40. In the 6th race, the Forward Pass, a 7 furlong sprint for 3 year olds, we like Nebraska Moon, a gelding who has been on a steady improve all season. Jerry Bailey takes the mount on probable favorite, Korbyn Gold, a Steven Asmussen trainee who finished second to The Cliff's Edge in the Grade 3 Iroquois stakes last fall. SELECTIONS 4-7-2-1 FINISH 4-6-2-7 Nebraska Moon (4-1) used the extra furlong to his advantage in his stakes debut, closing from far back to just last in 1:24.51 over longshot, Caiman (14-1). The exacta paid $162.40 and the trifecta, with Elegant Fame (7-2), paid $625.00. Congratulations! August 13, 2004. The 5th at Saratoga is a 6 1/2 furlong sprint for fillies and mares, 3 years old and upward, with claiming prices of $60k down to $50k. The coupled entry, owned by Michael Gill and trained by Mark Shuman, represents most of the early speed in this contest. Ask Not, a 5 year old winner of 10 races, comes off the bench after a troubled trip in an optional claiming race at Monmouth Park in June. If she delivers a performance similar to her Hollywood Park hot streak last summer, she can beat these easily, but, she doesn't appear to be on top of her game and the outside post presents a challenge right out of the gate. The stronger half of the entry, Read Me My Rights, was campaigning on the fringes of minor stakes in New Orleans when she was claimed by Shuman in the spring. She enters this out of a pace pressing winning trip over a short field at Monmouth last month. One of Shuman's go-to guys, Ramon Dominguez, gets the mount and they will be the ones to catch in the stretch. Last year, trainer Richard Dutrow entered Elegant Mercedes, first off the claim after a layoff, into a 7 panel race here under similar conditions. The Suave Prospect filly, with Edgar Prado aboard, made a strong move to win at 7-2, delivering a career-best performance. Prado is up again today and Dutrow brings in the now 4 year old off a 9 week break. She drops back to the claiming ranks for the first time since the win here last summer. Texas shipper, Bridal Gal, would need a big jump forward to seriously contend from the very outside post. New trainer, Randy Schulhofer has named Aaron Gryder for the ride. Fly With Karakorum had some success here as a juvenile and has raced on wet tracks many times without actually winning. The A.P. Jet filly will probably be involved early but hasn't shown the requisite stamina to produce a winning bid today. Well-bred 4 year old filly, Stacy's Squaw (Indian Charlie - Lusty Lady, Star de Naskra), rattled off 3 consecutive wins as a sophomore last season at Delaware Park. She makes just her second start this year for trainer Allen Iwinski after 7 months on the bench after hitting the board in some stakes races at the Meadowlands. We'll be watching closely as this girl faces her toughest competition to date. A winner of 3 races over wet tracks, Raise Devil, is in excellent form racing first off the claim for the Steve Klesaris barn after a $50k claiming win at Belmont Park a month ago. The 5 year old gets Lasix treatment for the first time and is a good upset bet. Behrnik has shown her best foot in routes and will be forced to circle the field today. A talented runner, the pace scenario and distance point us in another direction. Se Me Acabo (Chi) is the wild card here. A 3-time winner at the distance with third place finishes in the Grade 3 Clement L. Hirsch Hdcp (behind Azeri) and the Grade 3 Hawthorne Hdcp (a DQ dropped her to fourth) suggest that this veteran be taken seriously. But, long gaps in training scare us off. SELECTIONS scr-3-1-1A FINISH 1-5-3-6 Our top choice, Elegant Mercedes, scratched, leaving the Gill/Shuman entry alone on the front for the better part of the race. Read Me My Rights (2-1) took a stranglehold on the contest in her Saratoga debut over a sloppy track, setting fractions of 22.62 & 45.57, then finding herself with an 8 length lead at the top of the stretch, able to cruise home in 1:17.38. Betting favorite, Raise Devil (8-5), stalked, but never really got close and was overtaken in the stretch by a late running Behrnik (10-1), who got the place prize. The exacta paid $51.50 and the trifecta returned $104.50. August 12, 2004. The 7th at Monmouth Park is a 6 furlong sprint featuring older horses with claiming prices of $16k down to $14k. Inside horse, Knockout Kid, a veteran 7 year old gelding, returned to the races this spring after over a year on the bench. Clearly, not the front-running threat he once was, trainer Edwin Broome dropped him all the way down to face New Jersey breds with $8k tags. Claimed out of a win by Gamaliel Vasquez for Michael Gill, he went on to post another victory at the same level and was claimed back to the Broome stable on behalf of Richard Malouf. He will be pressured today on the rail and hasn't shown the speed necessary to outrun many of those assembled here. Brookes Trick might have won last out under these conditions had jockey Dale Beckner been able to use the whip. Rain in the forecast bodes well for this gelded 5 year old who has shown an affinity to running on the front over this oval. Trainer Tim Shaw, winless at the meet, sends out Rigid Spur, who moves off the turf and out of allowance company to meet these. Going at least 3-wide early will probably scare this one back, notably after wasting a 10 length lead in a route earlier in the meet. Trainer Kelly Breen got a win first off the claim with Glamdring and now moves him up in class. Infiltrator, winner of the July 18 race in which Brookes Trick finished behind Kaw Liga Sioux, was beaten a month ago by Oath of Office, who subsequently lost to Glamdring. The 5 year old gelding was facing top claimers last summer at Saratoga. Today, he'll have first shot at the tiring pacesetters and wouldn't be a surprise to take the top prize. Top earner in the field is River Power, who has quietly accumulated over a quarter million dollars in purse money. A regular restricted stakes contestant last fall here and at the Meadowlands, the Patricia Farro trainee has fallen onto hard times and will likely get at least a slice against these. Jockey Edwin King Jr. closed well aboard Kaw Liga Sioux to get the nod for place over Brookes Trick, then went wide on the rise in class in his last. The 4 year old gelding, winner of the New Jersey Futurity as a juvenile will take some money and is the type of runner who can jump up and surprise you, but we're going to leave him on the bottom of the exotics tickets today. Austrian Devil, a veteran of 53 races, ships in from Philadelphia where he just posted his lifetime best Beyer. He jumps up in class here and is a bounce candidate. Gill hasn't won yet with Sky of Gold after claiming him for $25k at Calder last fall. He faded in his Monmouth debut in May, then was shipped to Delaware Park. He's back and you won't find a lot of confidence concerning this one in our corner. SELECTIONS 4-2-5-6 FINISH 4-2-1-5 Overlay of the month, Brookes Trick (15-1), got the perfect trip from Dale Beckner, tucked in behind front-running Knockout Kid (6-1) and a game River Power (3-1). When those two were through beating themselves up through fractions of 21.94 & 44.87, they left a hole for our top choice, Brookes Trick, to slip through for a half length victory over a late charging betting favorite, Glamdring (5-2), in a time of 1:10.43. Knockout Kid got the bob for the show prize. The exacta paid a huge $118.80 and the trifecta returned $576.60. Congratulations! August 11, 2004. The 7th at Monmouth Park is a 6 furlong sprint for New Jersey breds which have not won 2 other than maiden, claiming or starter. Road Builder, trained by Jason Servis, had shown some speed last season as a juvenile before getting lost in the fog at Aqueduct then hitting the bench for 6 months. The Quiet American colt returned with a vengeance here in late May, going gate to wire in less than 1:11, starting from the outside, against state-bred allowance maidens. Five weeks later he won a restricted entry-level allowance race, again from the far outside, this time using a tracking trip under Eibar Coa. Coa is back today and there is some solid early speed, but we think this is the one to catch. Five year old horse, Bruiser, has been stalled at this class for nearly a year and trainer Dee Curry even tried dropping him into the claiming ranks last out in Delaware Park. Once a pretty good stalking horse, it would be a surprise if this one hit the board today. Inside colt, Kell, trained by Richard Dutrow, figures to take a lot of betting support, going second off the bench with two wins in three career starts but will be hard pressed to get two lengths clear by the half mile, then cruise home in over 1:11. Jay's Wish dueled, then faded on the rise to this class a few weeks ago. Coa jumps ship and trainer, Frank Costa goes for the weight allowance with apprentice Michael Baze. Call an Interview is the weaker half of the Glenn Thompson entry (with Joe Bravo named on both) who will likely be scratched in favor of a N2L claiming race on Thursday. If he does run, we don't expect he'll make much of an impact. The strong half of the entry, Midnight Express, second in the New Jersey Futurity last season and third in the Grade 3 Jersey Shore BC in June, has already won at this level despite having been eligible to race at an entry level allowance class. Jockey Joe Bravo expertly manouevred him off the rail to the outside in the mud to prevail by 3 1/2 lengths over a few of these last month. If he runs, this one gets our win bets. Five year old gelding, Jimmy Easter, usually finds a way to lose. The inside post today will not work out well for him. Closer Orion's Jade loves the track and jockey Alan Garcia sticks with the Norquestor gelding in his third try at this condition. With 6 second place finishes out of 15 career starts, we'll use him underneath. Sprinting doesn't appear to be Idol Gina's game, although trainer Jayne Vaders sends him out once again hoping he can close more quickly than he's shown this season. SELECTIONS 1-6-scr-2 FINISH 1-8-3-5 After brief rain in the afternoon, the track was downgraded to "good" but was playing very fast, allowing Kell (3-1) to zip to the lead in fractions of 21.91 & 44.75 along the inside. Our top choice and heavy favorite, Midnight Express (3-5), proved much the best under a hand ride by Joe Bravo, taking the lead at the quarter pole and finishing easily in 1:10.61, 5 1/4 lengths up on the late closing router, Idol Gina (14-1). Jimmy Easter (27-1) got the nod in a 4 horse finish for the show prize and added some value to the trifecta, which returned $149.60. The exacta paid $18.80 and the winner was a solid key in the final leg of a Pick 3, which paid $128.00, despite including 2 favorites. August 8, 2004. One of the most significant coming of age events each year is the running of the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park for 3 year olds. The Triple Crown hype is long over and the sophomores are about to bridge the gap and join the older Handicap division. This 9 furlong contest is one of the last remaining races where 3 year olds at this level face only their own age group. And, it is one of the most important preps for the Breeders' Cup Classic. With the untimely retirement of Smarty Jones resonating within the industry like a missed note, the sophomore division is looking for a new leader. A couple of the likely candidates are entered here. Lion Heart, undefeated as a juvenile, didn't win his first race as a 3 year old until he outdueled My Snookie's Boy here in the Grade 3 Long Branch 3 weeks ago. There has been much muttering that the runner-up in the Kentucky Derby is not the colt he was in the spring. But, looking at that last race as a tuneup to an ambitious second half campaign, we see no reason that the $1.4 million Tale of the Cat progeny can't take his speed right to the wire today. Trainer Patrick Biancone, who just missed with Pomeroy yesterday at Saratoga, is having great success at this meet and we might get a fair price. Inside horse, My Snookie's Boy, really stepped up his game in the Long Branch, sticking with the big speed and finding another gear in the stretch. The extra distance today and more company late will likely find this Crafty Friend colt on the outside looking in. One of two Nick Zito trainees running in this race, Pies Prospect, has improved each time out after his 4th in the Peter Pan. Jockey Chuck Lopez should have this Crafty Prospector colt well positioned for the drive. Rock Hard Ten has only missed the board once. And, after faltering in the Belmont Stakes (at 12 furlongs), he returned to California to demolish a decent group of Grade 2 runners in the Swaps BC Stakes in better time than the likes of Came Home, Congaree, Captain Steve and Cat Thief. It's time for the big Kris S. colt to stand up and be counted. It could be a romp. Pollard's Vision ran second in the West Virginia Derby yesterday, thereby once again bypassing the big guns in this division. Petionville colt, Wimplestiltskin, who has never actually crossed the finish line first in his career, ships in from California and appears to be quite a bit inferior to the best of this bunch. Mark Hennig-trained Tap Day might get a little support at the betting windows but he doesn't have the speed or the pedigree to last against these yet. Swingforthefences is cross-entered in today's turf stakes at the same distance. We think trainer Richard Violette would be wise to let the Boston Harbor colt build on his Iowa Derby win and try to bust up Rock Hard Ten's party rather than try grass for the first time against seasoned veterans. A performance approaching his Wood Memorial try or his closing move in the Peter Pan behind runaway winner, Purge, puts him right into the mix late here today. The other half of Zito's uncoupled entry is Belmont Stakes third place finisher Royal Assault, who followed that up with a dull try in the Long Branch. There's always a chance late runners like this will pick up a piece, but he won't be prominent in our plans. SELECTIONS 5-4-9-2 FINISH 4-1-2-3 Jockey Joe Bravo, not unexpectedly, hustled second choice Lion Heart (9-5) to the lead and they set sensible fractions of 23.18 & 46.81, with betting favourite, Rock Hard Ten (4-5) closely in tow. That one faded at the top of the stretch and Stew Elliot brought Long Branch runner-up, My Snookie's Boy (20-1), up to challenge Lion Heart to no avail, as the front-runner went gate to wire in 1:48.95 to win by a length. Pies Prospect (16-1), third in the Long Branch, picked up the pieces late for another show prize. With the guns failing to fire, the gimmicks came up large. The exacta paid $81.40 and the trifecta returned $1,298.60. August 7, 2004. A field of seven 3 year old sprinters faces it's toughest challenge yet in the 8th at Saratoga, today's running of the Grade 2 Amsterdam, to be run at 6 furlongs with a purse of $150k. The top three finishers from the Grade 3 Carry Back stakes at Calder are entered here and all will be starting from the inside trying to gain control of the rail. Not a strict front-runner, Weigelia (the winner last month in south Florida) stalked a fast pace in both stakes wins this year and the challenge of jockey Abdiel Toribio will be to keep from burning out too early in a race where few of the colts want the lead. Joining in early will be D. Wayne Lucas trainee, Quick Action, a Carson City son coming out of a win in a 5 furlong minor stakes win at Monmouth Park 2 weeks ago. The 8th different jockey this year takes the reins on a colt who has repeatedly failed against the best of his crop. Pat Day won yesterday's sprint stakes on My Trusty Cat by waiting to make his move until well into the long stretch and today takes the mount on inside horse, Classy Migration, who would be well served by a ground saving rail trip. Our favourite sophomore sprinter, Bwana Charlie, got a tuneup in the Carry Back, ran into trouble on the turn and passed some tired horses. Trainer Steven Asmussen immediately shipped the Grade 3 Lafayette winner north to Saratoga for this and he has fired off an impressive bullet work in the interim. Jockey Shane Sellers will have them well placed behind the pace and we like this one to win second off the bench. Bobby Frankel's Mass Media toyed with N2x competition at Belmont Park 6 weeks ago and the lightly raced Touch Gold colt will find the competition a lot tougher today. Impeccably bred, Pomeroy (Boundary - Questress, Seeking the Gold), starting today from an advantageous outside post, has raced below the radar in his sparse career. Looking back, his record begins to shine as we realize he beat Limehouse and The Cliff's Edge as a juvenile, before besting Eddington at Aqueduct in the Grade 3 Gotham in March. Once trainer Patrick Biancone removed the $300k purchase as a 2 year old from the Triple Crown trail he has rediscovered how great a sprinter this one can become. Smokume, the hard working gelded son of Smoke Glacken, tries to jump up in class once again today. While not as spectacular as some of these, the pace scenario works out to his advantage and a spot in the gimmicks is not a stretch. SELECTIONS 4-7-5-1 FINISH 4-7-2-5 Pat Day was unable to keep Classy Migration (8-1) out of a blistering opening half duel with Quick Action (35-1), setting fractions of 21.98 & 44.69. The bettors' choice, Pomeroy (8-5), made a strong 4-wide move on the turn and gained control of the race in the stretch, only to be caught in the final yards by our top choice, Bwana Charlie (7-2), who was brought from last to first, angling out at the top of the stretch to challenge and win in a great time of 1:09.40, just about a quarter of a second off the stakes record set by Distorted Humor in 1996. Weigelia (7-1), who stumbled at the start was playing catch-up the whole way and managed to pass Smokume (9-2) in the stretch for the show prize. The exacta paid $28.80 and the trifecta returned $145.00. Congratulations! August 6, 2004. Six 4 year old fillies and three 5 year old mares square off in this year's running of the Grade 2 Honorable Miss Hdcp., a 6 furlong sprint carded as the 8th at Saratoga. Likely favourite, Ebony Breeze, a Mott/Bailey team member starts from the inside and will be pressured to keep pace with Summer Mis, shipping in from Illinois. Unless the rail is lightning fast and Bailey can give the inside horse a perfect trip, we'll have to back off for today. Summer Mis, another who will be heavily backed, is as eligible for a bounce as any horse we've seen. Her career best performance last out at Praire Meadows off a 6 week vacation was a full seconed faster than her Grade 3 victory last fall at Keeneland. Stalking those two will be Scott Lake's steadily improving filly, Cologny, who tries to make the jump from state-bred stakes races. A remarkable horse who has already earned over $185k in a year in which she was claimed for $25k, we like the way Lake has her ready and the pace scenario works out perfectly for her and rider Robbie Alvarado Jr. Another "big race" team, Asmussen and Sellers, bring out the second place finisher to Summer Mis in that stakes race in Iowa. Savorthetime has made a habit of delivering fast performances all year in New Orleans and Texas after posting some great times last season in Illinois and Kentucky. The Gilded Time mare should be drafting behind the leaders along with Cologny, waiting to pounce. Travelator gave her best and couldn't keep up with Cologny in the $61k Scotzanna last month. The A.P. Jet filly isn't on a par with many of these. Belong to Sea won a Grade 3 contest last year but, stuck starting from the outside post, she will have difficulty staying close to the leaders today. Chronic underachiever, Yell, has never raced this distance although she won a Grade 3 sprint at 7 panels at Keeneland last fall. Top jockey John Velasquez takes the reins for Shug McGaughey aboard this filly who is just a few notches below the best of her vintage. Play at your own risk. My Trusty Cat (Tale of the Cat - Entrusted, Private Account) is bred beautifully for this and cuts back in distance from a flat mile against Mayo on the Side and Miss Fortunate at Ellis Park a month ago. She's improved as a 4 year old and has the running style which often picks up an exacta or trifecta spot. Todd Pletcher sends out his million dollar mare, Smok'n Frolic, for another sprint despite her obvious preference for more distance. A professional race horse if there ever was one, we have to wonder if we're beginning to see the last of this durable Smoke Glacken mare on the track. Of course, we have to use underneath, at least. SELECTIONS 5-3-6-7 FINISH 6-1-7-5 Second choice at the windows, Ebony Breeze (5-2) got the perfect trip from Jerry Bailey, sitting inside close up behind the leaders. Bailey angled her out as frontrunner, Cologny (9-1), started to weaken in the stretch and looked to have the race in hand when our third choice, My Trusty Cat (14-1), exploded out of the pack and was up just in time to nose it out at the wire for a huge upset victory in a time of 1:10.37 under a light rain. Smok'n Frolic (6-1) was up for third. The exacta paid $123.50 and the trifecta returned $686.00. August 5, 2004. A field of familiar 3 year old fillies go 6 furlongs today in the 7th at Monmouth Park, carrying claiming tags of $35k down to $30k. Garrett's Girl, with 5 wins in her career, is the most accomplished of the bunch and is coming off a victory at this level, winning first off the claim for trainer Jason Servis. A front running type, the Master Bill filly was a part of the Michael Gill stable who struggled in New Orleans before finding success at tracks such as Charles Town, Delaware and Monmouth. With Stew Elliot up, the probable favourite is vulnerable as she will be pressured from the start. We've watched Standswithafist plummet from stakes company last year to allowance races at Charles Town to this. She was losing ground in the slop two weeks ago against a comparable bunch to this. Her form is headed the wrong way. Trainer Tim Hills snatched up Seneca Bunny when the allowance winner in Texas was shipped to the claiming ranks at Gulfstream Park in February. On her best, this well-bred filly by Seneca Jones out of Salty Bunny (Salt Lake), can beat this bunch but she has only raced once since April, an uninspiring outside run at this track resulting in a third place finish behind Garrett's Girl. Trainer Peter Walder, who is usually close to 50% on the board with his select runners here, has taken over the conditioning of Maureen Paternoster's Bella Bourie, who showed a lot of promise in the winter over the Aqueduct inner track. Walder is excellent at having horses ready after a layoff and he gave her a strong gate work last Sunday. Still, we'd like to watch and tab for later. Belmont shipper, Stars n' Amber, has only a maiden win to her credit and new owner/trainer, Anthony Pecoraro, goes to apprentice rider, Michael Baze, on the rise in price. We'll be watching the tote board carefully with regard to outside horse, Gulf of Gdansk, racing first off the claim for the Michael Gill stable, under the tutelage of Gamaliel Vasquez. In January, this Langfuhr filly beat some good sophomores at Gulfstream before then-trainer, James Ryerson, put her up against the likes of Madcap Escapade, Smokey Glacken and Valid Move in a couple of tough stakes races. With her confidence shattered she was sent north to try New Jersey allowance company before being dropped to this claiming level and being immediately picked up by Gill. Felix Ortiz, who's been riding well lately, gets the mount and should be able to harness the late speed this filly has to offer. If the price is right, we like her to win. Smoke Glacken filly, Montsmoke, with 6 second place finishes in her young career, is an obvious choice to play underneath in the gimmicks. Time and again, since her maiden win last December at a mile, she has shown good tactical speed but has lacked a closing punch. SELECTIONS scr-4-6-3 FINISH 2-1-4-3 A speed-favouring surface aided Standswithafist (9-1) to a performance which hearkened back to her success as a juvenile, leading the way through fractions of 22.28 & 45.57, before being challenged and overtaken in the stretch by Bella Bourie (5-1), who got a great, ground saving inside ride by Chuck Lopez. The Walder trainee got the distance in 1:10.72, finishing 2 lengths ahead of the pacesetter. Underlay of the day, Garrett's Girl (1-1), couldn't gain the lead and finished a disappointing third. Our top choice, Gulf of Gdansk was scratched. The exacta paid $104.20 and the trifecta returned $274.40. August 4, 2004. Three year old colts and geldings bred in New York state knock heads today in the $250k New York Stallion stakes, the 8th race at Saratoga, to be run at 1 1/8 miles. Trainer Michael Brice plucked Dylans Destiny out of the claiming ranks in June for a mere $18k from the Todd Pletcher barn and proceeded to win with the Tomorrows Cat gelding against 1st level state bred allowance runners. Not particularly well-bred for the distance and unaccomplished beyond 7 panels, it's hard for us to see this one lasting much longer than the backstretch. Half-brother to that one, West Virginia had 3 stakes wins over state-breds going into the $113k Mike Lee at Belmont Park 5 1/2 weeks ago. The Pletcher trainee, shortening after four consecutive routes, was left behind a blistering pace and offerred only a mild rally later on. John Velasquez, a winner twice aboard this one, will be able to control the pace early and cruise home the winner over a suspect field. The lesser horse in the Scott Schwartz entry, Scooty, by Williamstown, out of A Royal Look (Sunny's Halo), has not lived up to his pedigree yet and the inside post is tough as he picks up 5lbs from his last outing. Richard Migliore returns to the irons aboard Rodeo colt, Absolutely Joe, who has not shown much in two routes but closed with panache a month ago to win at 10-1 after starting from the 11 post and breaking slowly. With some of the spirit that he showed as a juvenile in evidence, we're willing to back this one as a bomb in the gimmicks. Chowder's First, one of only 3 winners at the distance, returns from a dismal effort in the $164k New York Derby at Finger Lakes. Trainer Philip Serpe goes back to jockey, Edgar Prado, who was on the mount when he lost to West Virginia in the $150k New York Stallion Times Square stakes in the slop at Belmont. A top effort gets him on the board, despite his outside post. Golden Derek, still a maiden, looks to be well out of his class here. Trainer Tom Bush removes the hood from Heathrow, who got caught up in a speed duel at 7 furlongs in his last outing. The A.P. Jet gelding owns dangerous late speed and Aaron Gryder will have him rated well off the pace early today. Another Rodeo progeny, Icicle Charlie, occasionally comes up with a big race, giving him extra value to the wiseguys in the crowd. His inconsistency is deeply disturbing and we don't generally back this type in a big race. Schwartz's other half, Pay Attention, got very good last fall, winning 3 races in a row on both the Aqueduct inner and main tracks before finishing a game second to West Virginia in the Times Square. But, as quickly as he improved, his form went sour culminating in a last place finish in the New York Derby. Ron Greschner returns after 9 weeks on the bench. SELECTIONS 4-6-9-3 FINISH 9-4-1A-3 Chowder's First (6-1) made it a perfect 2 for 2 at 9 furlongs by attending a sluggish pace set by Icicle Charlie (23-1), allowing favourite, West Virginia (1-2), to take over at the top of the stretch, then pouring it on in the final yards to win by a neck over the top choice in a so-so time of 1:50.99. West Virginia may have cemented his immediate future as a miler with another failure in the late going. Far back for the show prize was Pat Attention (5-1), who didn't show much more than his 7 length loss at the distance at the entry level allowance condition. The exacta paid $27.20 and the trifecta returned $61.50. Congratulations! August 1, 2004. A competitive sprint for two year olds is carded as the 8th at Arlington Park today. The seven juveniles will go 5 1/2 furlongs in the $50k Honest Pleasure stakes. Third leading jockey at the meet, Chris Emigh, sticks with Boundary colt, Straight Line, who pulled off a rather surprising gate to wire win in his debut here against $50k maiden claimers. The Harvey Vanier trainee will have company early, but, based on his sparkling bullet workout Tuesday, improvement can be expected. Menifee colt, Toliver, trained by Tom Amoss, with Eusebio Razo Jr., starts from the outside post and will flash big speed. Purchased by James Stone at auction last September for $75k, he debuted at Churchill Downs last month and held on for the win at 4-1. He is a vulnerable front-runner. Our top choice, Smoke Smoke Smoke, is a real comer, exiting a win in the $40k Canterbury Juvenile stakes 3 weeks ago. A son of Smoke Glacken, trained by Hugh Robertson, this colt will be well placed to fly by the pacesetters in the stretch. After a dull performance in the Grade 3 Bashford Manor stakes at Churchill, Copy My Notes' prospects here are further diminished since Lunarpal and Maximus C both finished well back in the Sanford at Saratoga. Brighton Bull exits a key race at Churchill in which he went 5 and 6 wide after starting from the 12 post. Today, the modestly bred colt must try to find room from the inside under jockey Frank Lovato Jr. Eternal Pass beat Michigan breds at Great Lakes Downs on Independance Day and Kahok wasn't able to beat $35k claimers at Ellis Park a few weeks ago. SELECTIONS 3-7-6-2 FINISH 2-7-3-5 We predicted Boundary colt, Straight Line (7-1), would improve. But, picking up 8 lengths over 5 furlongs is certainly an achievement for a juvenile making just his second career start after facing $50k maiden claimers. The winner, with Chris Emigh aboard, held off the challengers, going gate to wire in 1:04.65. Our top choice, Smoke Smoke Smoke (5-2), made a bid at the half mile but couldn't keep up with the winner going into the stretch and finished 3rd, passed late by the favourite, Toliver (8-5). The exacta paid $62.20 and the trifecta returned $159.20. The superfecta, with longshot Kahok (31-1), delivered $825.20. Congratulations!