Gierkink's preview: Live second-timers in spotlight

There are several promising second-time-starting juveniles on this 10-race card of Polytrack races.

Race 3

Responsive (3-1) was favored in her Sept. 27 opener, in which she broke a little slowly before stalking the pace en route to finishing a distant second behind the wide-closing Galina Point. She is trained by Mark Casse, who promptly purchased Galina Point after the race on behalf of Gary Barber.

DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Casse has an impressive 26 percent strike rate with maiden 2-year-old second-timers going back five years, with a return on investment of $2.30.

Hidden to Win (7-2) raced quite wide throughout while closing for second in her five-furlong debut Sept. 27, when she earned a respectable 56 Beyer. The extra eighth of a mile in this maiden special should be to her benefit.

DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Hidden to Win’s hot trainer, Mike DePaulo, has won at a 16 percent clip with maiden 2-year-old second-timers over the past five years ($1.50 ROI).

Race 6

Another Girl had a bit of a tardy start Sept. 27 before mounting a belated wide bid for fourth and galloped out in front after the five-furlong maiden special. She should appreciate more ground to work with in this six-furlong event, and the 12-1 morning-line quote seems like a pipedream.

DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Another Girl’s streaky trainer, Nick Gonzalez, has scored at a 19 percent rate with maiden 2-year-old second-timers over the last five years ($1.73 ROI).

Lady of Moray (3-1) came out on top in a front-end battle before fading to finish just ahead of Another Girl in third that day. The nicely bred daughter of Philanthropist is going on Lasix, and could be much better for the experience.

Ruling Angel Stakes

Cactus Kris (7-2) sticks out in this 6 1/2-furlong overnight stakes for 3-year-old fillies off a wide fourth against older foes in the Grade 2 Presque Isle Masters. She arguably was best here in the July 20 Duchess Stakes, which she lost by a nose to the unbeaten Pirate’s Trove, after awaiting room in the lane.

Hillhouse High (3-1) has performed well on the grass in New York since checking in third in the seven-furlong Duchess. Her high-profile trainer, Chad Brown, has won at just an 8 percent clip at Woodbine over the past five years. Brown won last year’s Ruling Angel with Native Bombshell, who is running in Sunday’s Grade 3 Ontario Fashion Stakes.

Russian Jewel (8-1) was supplemented at a cost of $2,000 and could rebound off a lackluster turf experiment.

Horse to watch

SUNSPOT BABY
New trainer: Nick DeToro
Last race: Oct. 17, 3rd
Finish: 2nd by 1 1/4

Making her first start in the claiming ranks, she dug in late to secure second after a stalking trip in the seven-furlong sprint for $25,000 maidens. The daughter of Mineshaft is eligible to improve next time out off the claim in her second try with Lasix.