DRF's Horse Racing Playbook for Sunday, July 12, 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.

12:28 GP 2nd EAST CODE (#1, 8-1) is a DRF Best Bet (Dan Illman).

12:50 MTH 1st BRIDGE TO BROOKLYN (#1, 8-1) has only run on the turf once and it was a deceptively decent effort, as she was against the race flow yet closed some ground in the lane; wouldn’t mind a surface switch, either, as she closed nicely in her latest to get the show in her seasonal debut on the main track. -Kenny Peck

1:03 BEL 2nd COTTON (#4, 3-1) is by a sire who wins with 18% of his juvenile debut runners and he is the first foal from this dam, who is a sister to the fast sprinter Dust and Diamonds; appears to be working well up to his debut and gets an aggressive rider. -Mike Beer

1:28 GP 4th Not concerned with LONG GRAY LINE’s (#3, 8-1) local debut as he was likely in over his head against entry-level optional claimers on turf. Back to his preferred surface for this spot, his race two back would be good enough to contend for win honors. That heat produced two next-out winners including 86-Beyer winner Bumperdoo. There isn’t much pace in this race so it is imperative for the rider to get this gray gelding a bit closer early. -Dan Illman

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1:45 MTH 3rd JUAN PABLO (#10, 7-2) lost any and all chance when forced to check along the rail in the lane when a stricken foe came over on him last time; he’s back in at the same level he was at when he was claimed two back, at Tampa, and he looms a handful here if he’s able to run to his best grass figures. -Kenny Peck

2:46 BEL 5th Hard to believe that LE GENERAL (#9, 9-2) hasn’t won a race since the last two starts of his juvenile campaign, but things haven’t gone according to plan for him and he has shown that he can still run at times along the way; interested to see if Linda can get him back in form off the claim while bringing him back to the grass, where he ran well three times following a layoff late last year. -Mike Beer

3:36 WO 6th MONEY MATTERS (#6, 10-1) put up a big 69 Beyer when beating $10K maidens in his comeback, but he regressed for new interests in a much tougher race most recently. He could rebound on the drop to $15K NW2 company here for the trainer who sent out Desdemona to win on Thursday. -Ron Gierkink

4:07 MTH 8th MISS LIANA (#2, 5-2) is easily forgiven for the failed turf try in her first start off the short rest and her best dirt tries do give her credibility vs. this field; she has proven speed and she meets a relatively paceless group, and that should give her an edge, as jockey Paco Lopez figures to try to exploit that possible tactical advantage. -Kenny Peck

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4:53 BEL 9th PIPPI (#8, 8-1) couldn’t a turf race to go early on but finally got to the grass in her 3yo debut and she ran well there despite having to steady back at the start and then clipping heels into an early stumble on the backstretch; made a game run into that race down past midstretch before flattening out in a deceptively good performance. -Mike Beer

5:01 MTH 10th KILL SWITCH (#7, 4-1) is a DRF Best Bet (Kenny Peck).

5:14 GP 11th LIL BIT DANGEROUS (#4, 10-1) can be forgiven for her most recent race, a dirt sprint in which she chased a fast pace following a 274-day layoff. She’s back to her preferred surface here and seems well-spotted for her local turf debut. The last time she raced on grass, she faced Sedamar, a filly that has returned to go 4-2-1-1 with Beyers ranging from 81 to 89 (now stakes-placed). -Dan Illman

5:42 WO 10th HASTALAVISTABABY (#4, 9-2) seemed poised to become one of the leading 3yo fillies on the grounds in 2019, but she missed the second half of the year after coming up empty in the Woodbine Oaks. She was an explosive maiden breaker the only time she competed on the grass on the main course at 2. -Ron Gierkink

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6:14 WO 11th LINDA LOVES LACE (#7, 8-1) chased a sharp Silent Causeway to the top of the stretch before that rival pulled away June 14, when she salvaged third as the favorite. That should serve as a good tightener for this longer sprint. -Ron Gierkink

6:30 DMR 4th A promising third-place dirt debut by LIL RICHARDS BELLO (#7, 20-1) stamps him the one to beat switching to turf. He appeared uncomfortable early in the race while perhaps disliking the kickback, uncorked a middle move through the turn, and finished willingly to miss by just slightly more than two lengths. Solid effort. The switch to turf should be fine. -Brad Free

8:00 DMR 7th This 2yo Calbred maiden race is a split of race 1. TACOFLAVOREDKISSES (#3, 20-1) worked a bullet :35.20 from the gate one week ago, and should come out firing for trainer Simon Callaghan. Debut progeny of Distorted Humor have won 16 percent of their starts; ‘TACO is the first runner produced by a sprint dam. -Brad Free

9:00 DMR 9th P R RADIO STAR (#4, 12-1) is a DRF Best Bet (Brad Free).

9:00 DMR 9th P R RADIO STAR (#4, 12-1) was claimed by a sharp claiming trainer, gets a most encouraging multiple-level price bump, gets Prat, has worked well and should get a real nice pace set-up for his closing kick. – Michael Hammersly

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