Baltas tries to cash on claim with Horizontalyspeakin
Before Horizontalyspeakin was claimed for $40,000 at Santa Anita on Sept. 27, the gelding had drawn the attention of trainer Richard Baltas.
“He seems like he’s learned to come from off the pace a bit more,” Baltas said. “He’d been going to the lead.”
The new style led Baltas to claim Horizontalyspeakin on Sept. 27 with the hope for a quick return on his investment in a second-level optional $62,500 claimer at Del Mar on Friday. Horizontalyspeakin is part of a field of 10 racing 1 1/8 miles on turf.
Friday’s seventh race drew a solid field and could produce a few runners for the $250,000 Seabiscuit Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on turf Nov. 27.
Race 7
KEY CONTENDERS
Horizontalylspeakin (Last 3 Beyers: 88-87-41)
◗ Horizontalyspeakin was fourth in the Grade 1 Eddie Read Stakes at Del Mar in July 2014. Earlier this year, the 5-year-old began running in claiming races, winning for $50,000 at Santa Anita in February and $40,000 at Del Mar in August before he was claimed from a win for $40,000 by Baltas on Sept. 27.
“He’s always been a hard-knocking horse,” Baltas said. “He’s not hard to train. He works fast, but you can slow him down. I don’t think he’s going backward.”
◗ Baltas co-owns Horizontalyspeakin with the Little Red Feather Racing partnership. Horizontalyspeakin drew the outside post, which Baltas said is a slight concern. Rafael Bejarano has the mount and is likely to save ground in an attempt to replicate Horizontalyspeakin’s running style from recent starts.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 10 Horizontalyspeakin. Trainer Richard Baltas is 32-13-4-1 with a $3.04 ROI over the past year in turf routes with Rafael Bejarano aboard. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Poshsky (Last 3 Beyers: 94-94-91)
◗ Poshsky is winless in eight starts since taking an optional claimer at Del Mar in July 2014. Since then, he has run in five stakes, including a third in the California Dreamin’ Handicap for California-breds at Del Mar in July and a fifth in the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile at Santa Anita on Sept. 27.
“He gets good class relief for what he’s been running with,” trainer Peter Miller said. “That should do the trick.”
◗ Miller said the Seabiscuit Handicap is in his thoughts, but Poshsky must run well Friday.
“I think he’d have to win the race for us to consider that,” he said.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 4 Poshsky. Trainer Peter Miller is 20-1-6-2 with a $0.96 ROI over the past five years with James Graham aboard. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
King of Jazz (Last 3 Beyers: 86-87-87)
◗ King of Jazz could set the pace. Trained by Hector Palma, the 5-year-old son of Giant’s Causeway was near the lead throughout his last race, a win in an optional claimer at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Santa Anita on Oct. 2. Earlier this year, King of Jazz led throughout a maiden race at a mile at Santa Anita.
◗ King of Jazz was winless in three starts at Del Mar during the summer, including a game second in an allowance race at a mile.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 Chiropractor. Trainer Tom Proctor is 83-4-14-13 with a $0.37 ROI over the past five years in turf routes in Southern California with Drayden Van Dyke aboard. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 3 Jules Journey. Trainer James Cassidy is 34-1-3-3 with a $0.47 ROI over the past five years when adding blinkers. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan