DRF's Horse Racing Playbook for Friday, May 15, 2020

With most other North American sports being shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, we hope the sport of horse racing can entertain you during these trying times. Daily Racing Form has served as the most trusted source of news and information about the sport since 1894, and moving forward we have decided to provide a free daily playbook – something that both hardcore horseplayers and casual observers can reference to get informed of each day’s action.

12:25 TAM 1st SAMMY’S MINESHAFT (#8, 3-1) is down in class and price since his last race in early March; last couple of efforts and figures at this distance make him easy to like against this group, as does the fact that he’s capable of racing on the lead or coming from off the pace. -Kenny Peck

1:55 TAM 4th POSITIVE IMPACT (#1, 8-1) is out of a dam who posted her lone career win on the grass, and trainer Eoin Harty has decent stats with horses making this surface switch; the barn also excels with horses dropping from Maiden Special Weight to maiden claimers, and this gelding as every right to improve against this modest bunch. -Kenny Peck

3:13 GP 5th THE GOSPEL OF JOHN (#3, 10-1) broke about 5 lengths behind the field, rushed up the rail to clear lead, gave way readily on the turn and was not abused late stages when tagged for first time three weeks earlier. Plunges several more rungs down class ladder and while obviously a big question mark off latest, gets one more chance to lead these merry chase if able to leave with the others. -Mike Welsch

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3:30 SA 1st SHE’S SO SPECIAL (#6, 5-1), a filly vs. boys, is relatively solid returning to her preferred sprint distance. She won on this course in January, she won this N1X condition in March and returns at the same class level while entered for the optional $80k claim tag. She has tactical speed, and a finishing kick. -Brad Free

3:30 TAM 7th DRAFTABLE (#1, 20-1) pressed the pace before tiring going seven furlongs in his latest but he figures to appreciate the cut back in distance today; addition of blinkers also seems to agree with him, as that work on April 26th was solid. -Kenny Peck

4:02 TAM 8th GEOGRAPHY (#10, 6-1) makes his first start off the claimer for trainer Jose Delgado, who shows a 20% win rate with such runners, but the long-term stats are much better than that; sharp in two starts over this course, and those solid works since his latest indicate he retains his edge. -Kenny Peck

4:14 GG 3rd ILLAPAWNIE (#7, 3-1) looks like a candidate to wire the field as she appears to have more natural speed than most of these. She’s stretching out to a mile off a pacesetting effort at five and a half panels. Illapawnie also has an age edge on most of these as she is 4. -Mary Rampellini

4:17 GP 7th TIME TO TWO STEP (#10, 2-1) is a DRF Best Bet (Mike Welsch).

5:30 SA 5th Well-bred, lightly raced, highly regarded HOLLYWOOD GIRL (#5, 6-1) can win first start back in this N1X turf mile. She won her career debut in stylish fashion last summer, then missed the break her next two starts and was sidelined. Produced by multiple graded winner Hollywood Story, therefore a sibling to top 3-yar-old Honor A.P., ‘GIRL can sit, wait and blast home. -Brad Free

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6:00 SA 6th OH MARVELOUS ME (#8, 5-1) didn’t fare too well in 2 tries at GG this winter but not only were those vs. tougher, they came on synthetic which may not be his preferred footing. He returns to dirt, has worked well and drops. – Michael Hammersly

6:19 GP 11th THE BIG JOKER (#5, 6-1) has been away a long time but nicely spotted should this one come off the turf as one of two main track only entrants in the lineup. First time gelding has enough speed to take these wire to wire returning for this tag. -Mike Welsch

6:30 SA 7th KAYLA’S COWGIRL (#4, 4-1) and CIVIL SUIT are tough to separate in this maiden-20 split of the fourth race. ‘COWGIRL drops in for a tag for the first time, and switches to dirt for the first time. She faced decent company in special-weight races on synthetic and turf her first five starts, recent works over the Santa Anita dirt suggest she likes the surface. -Brad Free

8:46 CT 5th BRAHMA MOMMA (#3, 4-1) makes the move to two turns and gets good pedigree support for the added ground as a daughter of Brahms. She also owns one of the field’s best last-race Beyer Speed Figures. -Mary Rampellini

10:04 CT 8th AMELIA BEDELIA (#2, 7-2) has recency on chief rival Parisian Diva, who is making her first start since October. Amelia Bedelia also could get an ideal tracking trip off that one, a fresh speed horse who breaks from the rail. -Mary Rampellini

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