DRF's Horse Racing Playbook for Saturday, July 18, 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.

12:00 MTH 1st Affluential (#3, 8-1) couldn’t catch up with the top finishers, but he was moving well through the lane after getting free of traffic prior to the stretch run; has back figures that fit very well, and with a clean trip, he may be able to make the last run in a competitive Haskell Day opener. – Kenny Peck

12:58 GP 3rd Expecting the 7-pound bug to go right ahead and send POSEIDONS PRINCESS (#3, 9-2) as soon as he hears that bell sound. Filly has shown speed in all three priors and exits a shorter turf race when being spotted for a life’s-low tag; will be taking no prisoners. – Marty McGee

1:00 WO 1st IMA BEAST (#2, 6-1) wired N1X 3yos with an 80 Beyer last time on the Tapeta. She could strike again in this five-furlong turf dash vs. a seemingly weak group of older N2X rivals. – Ron Gierkink

1:58 MTH 5th CODRINGTON (#5, 6-1) was behind Zabava in their last meeting, but she may have been moving best of all through the lane, and she figures to be aided by today’s added distance; note the trouble line in her previous try, when a slow start cost her early position. - Kenny Peck

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2:46 ELP 3rd LADY EDITH (#5, 10-1) has above-par looking drills for a trainer with a boxcar firsttimer strike rate, and huge fan here of Street Boss offspring in turf sprints. – Marcus Hersh

2:51 SAR 4th JUMP FOR JOY (#6, 10-1) improved off the claim for this trainer early last year and posted an easy win over this track at the end of August, before starting to show signs of fatigue in subsequent races; got a freshening with the break in racing due to the pandemic and returned with an improved effort last time to just miss a head bob on the wire; versatile in a race that has speed-types inside and out. – Mike Beer

3:24 SAR 5th PATRIOT GAME (#7, 15-1) has some pedigree being a half-brother to Derby winner Ord but he was totally dismissed in his debut at Belmont going off at 50-1; never got involved that day after getting outrun to last early, but he was racing on to the end and continued past the wire with some good energy; appeared to really need that run and puts blinkers on for the second start. – Mike Beer

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3:40 GP 8th Rousing bottom-level mdn. Score by DISTURBIN BOURBON (#9, 4-1) sure would seem to make him a prime win-back candidate for Ralph, who assumed his training once the Hennig barn left town; loads-n-goes when getting plenty of calls from Announcer Pete. – Marty McGee

3:47 WO 6th LET’S HAVE FUN (#8, 7-2) rallied for second last time in her first attempt at this NW2 OS/$40K class. Thaw was on the Tapeta, and she could prevail in this inner turf dash with blinkers on. – Ron Gierkink

3:57 SAR 6th NAUTILUS (#3, 7-2) owns valuable experience in this field, which is full of interesting time-first starters and, he has shown flashes in each of his first two starts - first when getting outpaced a bit behind the impressive 2yo Cazadero and, last time when winding up in an uncomfortable spot on the inside and looking green in the stretch has; the pedigree to handle this surface switch and Cox excels with horses like this – past 5 years, maiden, non-first time starter, first time turf, 24 for 73, 33%, $2.33 ROI, 9 for 27 going sprint to route in that sample, $2.92 ROI. – Mike Beer

4:06 MTH 9th The first of six straight stakes to wrap up the Haskell Day card Is the Matchmaker, which may be a very good spot for FEEL GLORIOUS (#2, 6-1). She comes off a deceptively good try in the Grade 2 New York Stakes, where she ran deceptively well to get the show behind the streaking Mean Mary, who controlled the pace from the start; she will need to stay close from the start today, as this is another race that’s relatively light on pace, but if she can do that, she should be able to run down expected pacesetter, Valedictorian. – Kenny Peck

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4:55 WO 8th SOUPER ESCAPE (#1, 10-1) won the La Lorgnette Stakes comfortably here last September the only time she competed on synthetics. She’s moving out to the distance of that event off a pair of turf sprints, and should be prominent with her tactical speed. – Ron Gierkink

5:43 SAR 9th SET PIECE (#6, 8-5) ran his final half-mile in about 46 seconds and looked like a soon-to-be graded-stakes middle-distance horse winning at Churchill in his US debut. Presence of Digital Age helps the win price. – Marcus Hersh

5:54 GP 12th Looking for the Hall of Fame jock aboard THE QUEENS JULES (#11, 7-2) to work out a nice stalking trip from an outer post before quick fractions take their toll on the quicker ones; saving the day’s best for last in what seems to be a competitive Saturday finale. – Marty McGee

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