DRF's Horse Racing Playbook for Sunday, August 9, 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 4th STRONG HEADED (#5, 5-1) had a brutal trip when favored in his latest at this level and could make amends if he runs back to his race two back. He was acting up in the gate, got bounced around soon after leaving the start, and it didn’t get any better from there. – Randy Goulding

1:00 WO 1st CASH ADVANCE (#1, 6-1) is switching from turf to the Tapeta off a good comeback race, while moving out to a two-turn distance that he can handle. Hoyte and trainer Peter Berringer recently scored with a horse competing second-time off a long layoff. – Ron Gierkink

1:15 MTH 2nd GROOVY TALE (#5, 4-1) needed a couple of starts before reaching the winners’ circle here last year and will attempt to repeat that pattern in third start of the form cycle with good early speed. No real excuse last time out, as he controlled a moderate pace, but have a feeling the winner of that race, Delaware invader Smithwicks Spice, is a promising New Jersey-bred. Shouldn’t be too far away when the real racing begins. – Dan Illman

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2:02 GP 5th JUST A BIT SASSY (#1, 5-1) won her debut on turf, so she should be okay with the surface switch following her blowout win over easier. She was haltered by a trainer who has strong numbers with claimed horses running back the first time, and he has enough speed to take advantage of her inside post. – Randy Goulding

3:50 WO 6th TOOK A WRONG TURN (#7, 12-1) worked quickly from the gate last weekend for a trainer who’s better at first asking than her recent stats would suggest. The January foal by the good 13% debut sir Souper Speedy is a half-brother to the juvenile winner Lakeside Park ($40K). – Ron Gierkink

4:23 WO 7th CONSTANTINO (#3, 9-2) bounced off his gutsy comeback triumph at this level on the inner turf most recently in a $25K claimer on the Tapeta. The 16-time winner has been successful on the main turf and figures to rebound for the meet’s leading grass trainer, Drexler. – Ron Gierkink

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4:41 MTH 9th SYNCHRONY (#3, 3-1) won this in 2018 and enters the 2020 Oceanport following a good try in a solid edition of the Grade 2 Fort Marcy Stakes. That race has produced four next-out winners with three of them (Instilled Regard, Somelikeithotbrown and Social Paranoia) returning to earn triple-digit Beyers in graded stakes races. He runs well fresh, is firing bullets at Fair Hill and will be charging late given a fair pace up front. – Dan Illman

5:21 GP 11th DRINKS ON ME (#6, 8-1) is coming off a solid third behind Lovely Luvy, and we can get a better feel for how that race stacks up when we watch Luvy run in the Dayatthespa in Race 10. DRINKS ON ME also ran a big race two back and being a 7-time winner, she knows where the wire is. – Randy Goudling

6:06 MTH 12th DO WHAT IT TAKES (#5, 6-1) must prove recent 69 Beyer wasn’t an aberration, but she beat three next-out winners in that Tampa start and is interesting stretching back out in distance in a race lacking much pace. She has a half-sister that won at this mile distance and might try to utilize that stretch-out speed with a pace-prompting journey. – Dan Illman

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