Give Shot for Grandma a slight edge

Shot for Grandma figures to be a slight favorite over a fresh Hello Haley in Friday's featured seventh race at Northlands Park. The six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares running for a $22,000 claiming tag drew five horses.

Trained by leading trainer Robertino Diodoro, Shot for Grandma is coming off a tough loss to Minumus in a similar race on June 9. The horse Shot for Grandma edged for second came back to win a $17,500 claiming race June 26. It was Shot for Grandma's first start at Northlands this year. She spent the winter and spring at Turf Paradise, where she compiled a solid record of 1-2-1 from 5 starts. She won a $10,000 conditional claiming race April 6 and prior to shipping to Northlands she lost by a head in a first-level allowance race going six furlongs.

Shot for Grandma has tactical speed and will likely be involved right from the start. Anthony Salgado, who is tied with Quincy Welch with 29 wins atop the jockey standings, rides Shot for Grandma.

Welch rides Hello Haley for trainer Floyd Arthur and she could be live in her first start since she just missed in a second-level allowance race last August. Arthur, who has won 907 races in his career, is very adept at having a horse ready to go coming off of a long layoff. According to DRF's Formulator, over the past five-years Arthur has won with 25 percent of the horses he has brought back from a layoff of 180 days or more.

Hello Haley began her career at Fair Grounds in 2007 with Woodbine-based trainer Josie Carroll. In her second start, Hello Haley won a maiden special weight race over the Polytrack at Woodbine and was sent west following a couple of dull races. In her first start for Arthur in 2008, she won a first-level allowance race after being off for more than a 10 months. She didn't win in 2009 but did hit the board in three of her four starts.

Hello Haley also has decent speed, and if an early duel develops the race could set up for Desperate Dancer. Trained by Dale Schaffrick, Desperate Dancer is coming off of a second-place finish from a stalking position in a similar race June 18. She has won the most races, 13, and is the top money earner in the field with $128,649.

Hansel's Lady and In Formation round out the field.