| By Byron King |
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| BEST BET: Sunny Gal (5th race) |
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| 1. Queen Trigger | 2. Fiesty Jones | 3. Callsports |
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QUEEN TRIGGER is aggressively dropped from a $16,000 N2L claimer into this $10,000 claimer for 3-year-old fillies. Class edge. FIESTY JONES was jammed into a dime claimer earlier this meet, and was taken by trainer Dale Romans and owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey. She won the day she was claimed, and remains at the same level for a stable that wins at a high percentage off the claim. CALLSPORTS rallied for second behind FIESTY JONES when they last met. She likely needs the top two to go off form to have a shot at scoring an upset.
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| 1. Actalittle | 2. Getyourgunsannie | 3. Fly Me Nina |
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ACTALITTLE benefits from catching an inexperience field with little positive form. She, on the other hand, has made steady progress with each start and comes off a close third-place finish. GETYOURGUNSANNIE has trained swiftly up to her debut for a good first-out stable. She has twice worked 49 seconds and change from the gate at Calder. FLY ME NINA can challenge for a share if able to draw in from the also eligible list. She has been on the board in six of 11 races.
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| 1. Tis Me | 2. Carly Pooh | 3. Gimme the Willys |
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TIS ME has been untouchable in the low-end claiming ranks here. Poised for her fourth straight victory. CARLY POOH finished second recently to the top choice. She benefits from a post that should allow her to save ground for at least a portion of the race. GIMME THE WILLYS joins a high-percentage claiming stable after a useful third-place finish Jan. 14. She should be respected, despite not having won since 1992.
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| 1. Boltin' Brian | 2. Don't Tread On Me | 3. Charmer Jim |
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BOLTIN' BRIAN debuts in a weak maiden field for a trainer that excels with first-out runners. He is bred to be at his best around two turns, being by Broad Brush and coming from a family of routers. Related to minor stakes winner Young Star (earnings 169K) and two other stakes-placed runners. DON'T TREAD ON ME has shown little in three starts against better. He may come alive with a class drop for winning connections. CHARMER JIM finished fifth of seven in a turf MSW when experiencing a wide trip. He should improve following that experience.
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| 1. Sunny Gal | 2. Grand Piano | 3. Heavenly Powder |
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SUNNY GAL finished third in a nine-horse $40,000 claimer Jan. 25 and appears to possess a class edge in this $32,000 claimer. She makes her third start off the bench and appears ready for a top effort. GRAND PIANO has been finely tuned by trainer Peter Walder. Walder won a $20,000 claimer with her one race after claiming her for $16,000. She looms a major factor. HEAVENLY POWDER has not been worse than fourth in her last six main-track starts. Fits for this claiming tag.
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| 1. Marco's Word | 2. Spring Street | 3. Buckle Down Ben |
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MARCO'S WORD is a class standout if he gets an opportunity to start. He is stuck on the also-eligible list and is listed on the overnight as a main-track only entrant. SPRING STREET appears the best of those in the body of the race. He is in good form and hails from the hot Walder barn. BUCKLE DOWN BEN, another main-track only entrant, was recently claimed for $18,00 at Hawthorne - a race he won easily. He has loads of back class, having won the Grade 3 Laurel Futurity as a 2-year-old.
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| 1. Kernal K | 2. Alumni | 3. Crowded Meadow |
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KERNAL K made over 125K last year and can boost his 2004 bankroll in this $25,000 claimer. He was third in a 10-horse $32,000 claiming race late last month, suggesting he is the class of the field. ALUMNI just won at this level, although it came against merely five opponents. Trainer John Zimmerman is 4 for his last 19 ($3.88 ROI) with first-after-claim runners. CROWDED MEADOW enters this race in peak form, having won three of his last four starts. He was claimed from his last race and goes from Scott Lake to Timothy Ritvo.
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| 1. Horse Hill | 2. Silver Albertson | 3. Soy Famoso |
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HORSE HILL finished second after dueling for the lead when matched against similar Jan. 30. That was his first start in nearly a year - he should be fitter for this race. SILVER ALBERTSON finished fourth, a little over two lengths behind Horse Hill, when experiencing trouble into the first turn Jan. 30. SOY FAMOSO splits the top two choices when third in that same race. That was the only on-the-board finish of his five-race career.
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| 1. It's a Monster | 2. Ajedrez | 3. Vinemeister |
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A number of comebacking runners in this race make this optional claiming race a puzzler. Multiple stakes winner IT'S A MONSTER is the top choice on the basis of his strong form and seven-for-12 record. He must shake off the rust from a layoff dating back to August. AJEDREZ was a striking winner of three allowances in Chicago last summer before going off form in the Grade 1 Vosburgh. He is a talented horse. VINEMEISTER wins infrequently but is capable of a powerful race every now and then. He has a fitness edge over many of these rivals, having run twice in stakes this year without success.
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| 1. Break Out | 2. Jules Halo | 3. Not So Slow Joe |
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BREAK OUT was a game runner-up Jan. 23 when matched against a comparable group of maiden $25,000 claimers. Narrow edge in a closely matched field. MSW dropper JULES HALO may show significant improvement with the move into easier company. He flashed speed before fading to finish sixth of seven in a Feb. 4 maiden race on turf. NOT SO SLOW JOE shows a series of moderate works for trainer Hugh Robertson, who sends out his first timers ready. May challenge in his debut.
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