Greenteaze has speed, strong trainer angle going for her

Because horseplayers second-guess their own opinions, a fair amount of personal skepticism must be resolved before wagering Thursday at Del Mar. The card includes a handful of allowance races in which logical contenders face challenges that range from subtle to glaring.

Even the most probable winner on the card, a maiden-claiming 2-year-old in the second race, is far from perfect. The weekday program is the type that could either chalk out or reward longshot bettors who are able to exploit the potential vulnerability of low-odds runners.

Thursday allowance contenders include a distance-challenged filly racing one mile in race 4, a turf sprinter who appears reliable in race 5, and a front-runner who will attempt the challenging maiden-to-allowance class hike in race 7 for filly and mare turf sprinters.

Race 2 on Thursday is a $32,000 maiden-claiming sprint for 2-year-olds, and Greenteaze is likely to lead gate to wire. She drops from maiden special weight and is quick enough to clear. The knock is she is racing outside her division, facing colts and geldings.

Greenteaze chased a blazing pace before she faded and finished next-to-last in her comeback, her first start in four months. She wheels back in 18 days for trainer Doug O’Neill. The past five years, O’Neill is 9 for 15 with juvenile maiden-claiming favorites dropping from special-weight.

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Gender notwithstanding, Greenteaze and jockey Edwin Maldonado should be long gone against first-time gelding comebacker Nurcan and debut third-place finisher Southern Slang.

Race 4 includes a front-runner whose ability to stay a mile is dubious. On the other hand, Liberal Lady benefits from the pace scenario. The entry-level allowance is short on speed; Liberal Lady could be loose. However, she led inside the eighth pole in both recent routes, and lost both. Leonard Powell trains Liberal Lady and her main rival, Trouville.

Last-out runner-up Trouville rarely wins, but she almost always brings home a check. Since her most recent win two years ago, Trouville has finished in the money in 9 of 17 starts, including a runner-up finish last out in which she collared stablemate Liberal Lady.

Race 5, a second-level allowance turf sprint, includes a consistent gelding with no apparent flaw. Third last out in a turf sprint dominated by closers. Standing O was the only front-runner/presser to stick around; he missed by a half-length after racing closer to the lead than usual. If he settles in his customary midpack position Thursday, Standing O can wear them down.

Others in the field include late-runners Unconquerable Keen and Zoffarelli, second and fourth in the Standing O race. Evenerevenworse and Zarak will contest the pace.

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Race 7, an entry-level turf sprint for fillies and mares, is just the third career start for Just Nails. She pressed the fastest turf-sprint fractions of the meet last out – 21.68 seconds and 44.40 – to win a maiden race by a half-length over a rival who won her next start by more than three lengths.

Marty Jones trains front-runner Just Nails, whose rivals include late-runner Hayley Levade, pace rival Demin in Gold, and California-bred allowance winner Organic.

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