Litfin's preview: Test for juvenile fillies

Sunday, July 6, preview

SIX JUVENILE FILLIES CLASH IN LYNBROOK

Harlan’s Honor and Jiggin Witit, recent maiden winners at Monmouth Park and Presque Isle Downs, meet Delaware Park shipper Accelebrate and a trio of first-time starters in Sunday’s $125,000 Lynbrook Stakes for juvenile New York-bred fillies.

Harlan’s Honor, a $165,000 purchase out of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. auction in April, was solidly backed and withstood pace pressure to win her debut June 27. She has been entered back quickly by trainer Cal Lynch, who is winning at better than a 30 percent clip this year.

Jiggin Witit earned a mere 16 Beyer Speed Figure while fading to sixth May 13 but almost tripled that with a 47 to graduate on the lead on Presque Isle’s Tapeta surface second time out. This will be the first dirt start for the filly, who is owned and trained by Wayne Rice, the brother of New York-based conditioner Linda Rice.

You can’t fault the connections of Jessica’s Ride, Saluda, and Wonder Gal for taking a shot with their first-time starters, as they would probably wind up in deeper fields against maidens at Saratoga.

Wonder Gal brought $210,000 – 28 times the stud fee of sire Tiz Wonderful – at the OBS March sale after working an eighth of a mile in 10.20 seconds at the under-tack show. She is the first runner out of a dam who was a multiple stakes winner on turf and appears seriously meant after working a bullet five furlongs from the gate last week for Treadway Racing Stable and Leah Gyarmati. They unveiled dual Grade 1 winner Sweet Reason at the Spa last summer.

TWO-DAY PICK SIX CARRYOVER

After a series of upsets on the inaugural Stars and Stripes program, including Mr Speaker ($49) in the Belmont Derby, Zivo ($29.40) in the Suburban, and Minorette ($14.60) in the Belmont Oaks, there is a double carryover of $177,447 in the pick six.

With a nine-race card on tap, the pick six begins with race 4 at 2:53 p.m. Eastern.

RUDY RODRIGUEZ LOADED FOR BEAR

Rudy Rodriguez will be a busy man Sunday, with five horses entered in the first seven races. All four of R-Rod’s horses are threats in the early pick five, as Love to Score (1st), Send the Limo (2nd), Rontos New York (4th) and Baskets (5th) are at no higher than 7-2 on Eric Donovan’s official morning line.

In race 7, Moe Man is doubled in price after being claimed for $12,500. At 8-1 on the line, he figures as the trainer’s biggest price chance on the penultimate Sunday of the meet.

HORSE TO WATCH

GREEN GRATTO
Trainer: Eduardo Jones
Last race: July 5, 2nd
Finish: 5th by 8
This speed merchant, who won three in a row to start the year, returned from a freshening and chased fast fractions in a tough second-level allowance sprint; likely to move up off that race if given an easier pace matchup.