Litfin's preview: Four maiden races kick off pick five

Bettors looking to play Monday’s pick five will have to get through four consecutive maiden races in order to get to the cash-out leg, a $50,000 starter allowance scheduled for 1 1/8 miles on the inner turf.

Alice and Trixie may be a standalone single for many in race 1, despite having been sidelined for seven months. Among the seven $16,000 maiden claiming fillies, she is the only one to have surpassed a 40 Beyer Speed Figure on dirt.

Race 2 is a skull-buster of a special-weight race for 2-year-olds, scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on turf. It’s an unusual situation in which only Arctic King has any experience routing on the grass – and he happens to be the only entrant in for the main track only. Overall, only Thrown of My Own has any turf experience at all in the main body of 12, and he raced greenly in his sprint debut at Saratoga. The first-time starters J C’s Not Brown, Heavenly Sun, and Intelligence all rate a long look pending tote action and pre-race appearance.

Furyofthenorsemen seems best among the three experienced runners in race 3, a maiden special weight at six furlongs. However, the first-time starters – American Soldier, Kennesaw Pride, and Madroos – have posted at least one bullet workout.

Ferzetti and Gabby’s Brown break from the two inside posts and seem like the most logical contenders in race 4, a $50,000 maiden claimer for juvenile filly sprinters.

Double carryover in pick six

Race 4 also is the first leg of the pick six, which was not hit Saturday or Sunday and offers a double carryover of $85,762.

Post time for race 4 is 1:47 p.m. Eastern.

Grand Rapport shoots for 10th win

Grand Rapport, the winner of the Grade 3 Kent Stakes in 2010, rates as the comeback horse of the year on the New York Racing Association circuit, having started off his 7-year-old campaign toiling in the $12,500 claiming ranks back Jan. 2 and winding up beaten less than two lengths in the $100,000 Bowl Game Stakes first time off a claim by Eddie Kenneally three weeks ago.

Grand Rapport has won or placed in 9 of 11 starts this year; another victory in Monday’s fifth race would make him a 40 percent career winner at 10 for 25.

Charge now tries turf

Charge Now, a 3-year-old half-brother to the 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, drops from graded stakes and tries the turf in race 7, a $69,000 optional claimer with second-level allowance conditions scheduled for 1 1/16 miles.

Charge Now was beaten just a head in the Curlin Stakes by V. E. Day but wound up more than 10 lengths behind that rival in the Travers a few weeks later.

Charge Now comes off a fifth-place finish in a 14-horse renewal of the Oklahoma Derby and will have his work cut out against the likes of Arctic North, Blacktype, Ocala Jim, and Storm, who have displayed good form on the grass this season.

Horse to watch

ISN’TLOVEJUSTGRAND
Trainer: Mitch Friedman
Last race: Nov 7, 6th
Finish: 6th by 8
Beyer: 62

Forced the pace and remained a factor to the stretch while along a dead rail in an off-the-turf race at one mile, a distance that is a bit beyond his range. Veteran won on the inner dirt going six furlongs last winter.