DRF's Horse Racing Playbook for Saturday, September 5, 2020
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.
12:58 GP 3rd J’S INDIAN CHARM (#4, 7-2) is just best at a shortened sprint on the dirt. She caught a sloppy Joe track two back and then tried the turf in her most recent. Her best comes now and she does have some back class. -Scott Ehlers
1:10 LRL 3rd SIPPING CHAMPAGNE (#11, 8-1) may not be the most reliable type as a turf “maiden” with a 1 for 29 lifetime record, but she was claimed out of her last race by Claudio Gonzalez and has shown some ability on the turf in the past. This will be her third start of the form cycle after a poor effort on dirt (willing to draw a line through that race) and she ran okay while chasing a slow pace three-to-five wide around two turns two back against Three Quarter Time (returned to finish second with a 70 Beyer in a $25,000 starter allowance at Delaware. -Dan Illman
2:22 WO 4th NEWS FLASH (#3, 10-1) dueled up front with the imposing Red Hierarchy before folding in the stretch when returning to the local scene against OS/$40K rivals July 25. His speed should be more effective in this easier NW2 tilt for $25K claimers. -Ron Gierkink
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3:01 GP 7th POWER WALKER (#9, 15-1) drops in class and draws outside but that isn’t what most H-cappers will be speculating on. He tries six furlongs on the dirt for the first time and we’re surmising that a lot of bettors won’t like that. Why not? His dirt fast tab is 9-2- 2-0 and he ran OK on this dirt going seven furlongs in May of last year. We love that Vasquez gets a leg up (23% with McGoey). -Scott Ehlers
3:30 WO 6th CHARMAINE’S MIA (#1, 10-1) is tagged for $62.5K in this optional claimer, after running competitively in several graded stakes. She was beaten under four lengths by the unstoppable Jean Elizabeth three back when fourth in the G3 Whimsical. -Ron Gierkink
4:10 MTH 8th MAN WITH A PLAN (#4, 3-1) could be the deceptive clear speed in this abbreviated sprint, as long as he gets away cleanly, something that didn’t happen in his latest, when he was fractious pre-start and then bumped after the break; she was a beaten favorite there but she can make amends today with a clean getaway. -Kenny Peck
4:40 MTH 9th MAKE A STAND (#7, 4-1) was caught behind a slow pace in his local debut after a slow start left him with a lot to do, and he was unable to run to his solid New York figures; given a clean start and an improved race flow he can be expected to run to those prior Beyers, which will make tough indeed. -Kenny Peck
5:10 LRL 11th RIBBON WINNER (#12, 7-2) is a DRF Best Bet (Dan Illman).
5:21 GP 11th WEISSER (#1, 12-1) should be the biggest price on the board. The long layoff is part of it but more so this being a sprint. We say that he was getting good before the layoff and that he is working quite well. There isn’t much pace in this race so he won’t be that far off whomever guns. Arindel homebred has two sibs that earned 586K and 464K. Bullet work is icing on long shot cake. -Scott Ehlers
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5:40 MTH 11th HERE COMES JACKIE (#4, 6-1) has surely had her chances but she seems like a new and improved horse in 2020, as she has run some very solid races in defeat at this meet, including the race two back when at this same level; she was stuck inside in each of her last two, which she may not necessarily appreciate, and she was against the race flow in her prior pair. -Kenny Peck
5:56 GP 12th DUKE OF MONROE (#2, 30-1) didn’t fire last out but he was returning off a layoff. He has won on this sod before, draws fine, has some speed, and could be a price. -Scott Ehlers
6:10 MTH 12th THREE PHASE (#1, 9-2) gets back to six furlongs and this may be his best game; he was no threat in his latest but that was against better, as was the race two back when he tried seven furlongs, and given a clean trip and an honest pace perhaps he can make the last run. -Kenny Peck
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