Ron Gierkink's Woodbine Horses to Watch for April 13
Ron Gierkink's Woodbine Horses to Watch
Ron GierkinkApr 13, 2015
Ron Gierkink's Woodbine Horses to Watch
Brad Free's Santa Anita Horses to Watch
Trip Notes for April 11-12: Lexington, Oaklawn Handicap, Arkansas Derby, and more by Michael Hammersly.
ELIMINATION ROUND (#2, 15-1) dueled on a quick pace debuting on dirt in an MSW. Drop to $50K seems like a strongly positive sign given published $8K purchase price. Quietly solid pedigree for move to grass.
Trainer Chad Brown saddles Delightful Joy in Sunday's Grade 3 Appalachian Stakes, a one-mile race ran on Keeneland's turf. Brown is winning 54 percent of his starts when switching from route to sprint, for a return on investment of $4.32.
Om makes his much-anticipated return in Sunday's San Pedro Stakes at Santa Anita after winning by 7 1/4 lengths in a maiden race on Aug. 9 at Del Mar. The fifth- and sixth-place finishers – American Pharoah and Daddy D T – from that race came back to win their next starts.
Download DRF Plus handicapping reports for Sunday's races, including DRF Bets GamePlan, the Positive ROI Report, and Key Race Report.
BOLD CONQUEST (#5, 20-1) has trained quite forwardly for the Arkansas Derby and appears to be a horse sitting on a big race. He might be one to use right underneath horse-to-beat AMERICAN PHAROAH (#6, 1-2).
The goal in a pick-four play Sunday at Santa Anita is to stay live to a single in the final race. The 50-cent pick four covers races 6-9; the cost of the wager is $20.
Masochistic makes his second start off a layoff in Saturday's Grade 2 Kona Gold Stakes at Santa Anita. Trainer Ron Ellis is winning at a 40 percent clip with horses making their second start off a 45- to 180-day layoff, for a return on investment of $3.83.