DRF's Horse Racing Playbook for Friday, November 29, 2024
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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.
1:10 WO 1st YOU'RE SO LUCKY (#5, 6-1) worked well from the gate in company Nov. 3 and might be good enough to wire this field at first asking with blinkers on. The gelding is the first starter for American Guru, an allowance-winning sprinter/miler on turf who notched his debut at 3 in a maiden special at Gulfstream. – Ron Gierkink
1:39 AQU 4th MESSI THE MAGICIAN (#4, 6-1) went wire-to-wire breaking his maiden early on then ran a fast race while part of the pace over a fast, harrowed track a few starts later; had an excuse two back when off the layoff at this level, then got in way over his head off the claim last time; drops back down and is fast enough to make the lead if Maragh gets aggressive in this spot. – Mike Beer
2:32 GP 5th FLASHY MOTOR (#4, 12-1) trained well then got in a good deal of early trouble when debuting at a mile now turns back in distance and likely to improve with one under her belt. Kin to multiple graded turf stakes winner Our Flash Drive. – Mike Welsch
2:38 AQU 6th CREEK (#5, 8-1) rates the benefit of the doubt for the lone dirt start to date, which came in perhaps the strongest 2yo MSW field on dirt at the 2023 Saratoga meet; has raced exclusively on turf since then, but he is from a strong Phipps female family and had plenty of dirt in his pedigree; drops for the return to the main track while third off the layoff. – Mike Beer
3:34 GP 7th ART FAIR (#7, 8-1) one of a number of options in wide open Tapeta sprint. The most experienced member of the field, he held own with some good company over the turf during the summer in Kentucky and was competitive in a key race last time which produced pair of next out grads, at Churchill Downs and Presque Isles, from among the also-rans. Seems to be training well enough off the recent freshening. – Mike Welsch
3:38 AQU 8th PATTY BROWN EYES (#2, 8-1) is a DRF Best bet (Mike Beer).
4:25 WO 7th STORMIN DAVE (#10, 4-1) tracked the pace and then made the lead on the far turn before flattening out to fourth when changing surfaces while cheapening up Nov. 16. He's continuing his slide down the value ladder while turning back to seven-eighths and may have found a NW3 field that he can beat. – Ron Gierkink