Litfin's preview: 2-year-olds times two

2-YEAR-OLDS TIMES TWO IN PICK FOUR

Early pick four bettors get a little help to gather some further clues about a maiden dash for 2-year-old New York-breds, carded as the opening leg.

But they won’t be able to factor tote action and pre-race appearances into the third leg, when 2-year-old fillies go six furlongs.

Race 2 kicks off the early pick four, with Unauthorized a slight 5-2 favorite on the morning line over Good Luck Gus (3-1). Unauthorized is a half-brother to Ole’s Miss, a 3-year-old filly who has won three minor stakes at Hastings Park, while Good Luck Gus is from the first crop of freshman sire Lookin At Lucky.

Others to keep an eye on include Midnight Nick and Navy Blue, an uncoupled duo from the barn of Gary Contessa, who unveiled the 2-year-old filly Evrybdymstgetstonz for a romping win at 23-1 in Wednesday’s opener.

Contessa is also represented in race 4 by Ozone, a Songandaprayer filly coming off a five-furlong work from the gate last week.

Cavorting, a $360,000 purchase as a weanling by Stonestreet Stables, blew out from the gate last week for Kiaran McLaughlin, and she is the 2-1 choice over Presto Magic, who was bet to odds-on for a runner-up finish at Monmouth Park and is the lone entrant to have run on dirt.

LA VERDAD HEADS DANCIN RENEE

In between the baby races, La Verdad, who has won her last seven starts at six furlongs by a combined 33 lengths, returns to her comfort zone against four rival New York-bred fillies and mares in the $100,000 Dancin Renee Stakes.

Although La Verdad was fully extended to win the one-mile Critical Eye on Big Apple Showcase Day by a half-length over Hot Stones, she was flattered when Hot Stones returned to win the Grade 3 Bed o’ Roses three weeks later.

La Verdad breaks from the rail, which was not a problem for her at Aqueduct two starts ago when she uncorked a huge performance to wire the Grade 2 Distaff for trainer Linda Rice.

Rice is pointing La Verdad to the $200,000 Honorable Miss at Saratoga on July 28, but first, the speedy filly must deal with pace pressure from the Bruce Levine-trained Clear Pasaj, who won two stakes last summer including the Dancin Renee, and then try to hold off Willet, a multiple stakes winner making her first start at age 6 for Jimmy Iselin.

HORSES TO WATCH

ZO ZO
Trainer: Tony Dutrow
Last race: July 2, 1st
Finish: 4th by 14 1/4
Beyer: 20

First-time starter from freshman sire Super Saver was bet to 7-5 off some promising workouts at Fair Hill, and was forced to await running room behind the leaders on the turn before shying out a bit greenly into the lane. Reasonable to expect improvement.