Litfin's review: Lightning-fast main track

Friday, May 30, review

MAIN TRACK LIGHTNING-FAST

As has been the case over the past week, the main track played exceptionally fast Friday. Four dirt races were rated slightly more than two full seconds faster than par. Three of the winners led throughout; the lone exception was Ruby’s Rocketman (5th, $7.50), who saved ground to midstretch and eased off the inside to run down pacesetter Indian Rain.

Three races on the Widener turf were won from off the pace: the favored dropdown Daddy Loves Gold (2nd, $4.20) rallied from sixth while wide throughout, Happy Fella (6th, $18) came from fourth while dropping from the allowance ranks into a restricted claimer, and Premium (8th, $48) lit up the board in her U.S. and seasonal debut.

With the rails out at 35 feet, both races on the inner turf were run at “about” distances: Saratoga Karaoke (4th, $11.20) came from next-to-last in a 12-horse maiden sprint, and Lord Trondor (9th, $10) wired a maiden special weight route on an easy lead.

CHARGE NOW STAYS PERFECT ON DIRT

Charge Now (3rd, $2.80), who switched from turf to dirt for a maiden win second time out at Gulfstream Park for Bill Mott, had a relatively easy time of it against preliminary allowance rivals and scored by better than three lengths.

Charge Now, a half-brother to 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, dictated slow early fractions, had challengers on both flanks turning for home, and re-broke to widen through a final five-sixteenths of a mile in a sharp 29.50 seconds.

PICK SIX PAYS $186,490

After the pick six wasn’t hit Monday and Thursday, an additional $406,355 was poured into the pool, chasing a $141,367 carryover. Humorus Dilemma (7th, $5.80) and lukewarm choice Lord Trondor were the only winning favorites in a sequence that paid $186,490 to two winners offtrack.

HORSE TO WATCH

ACROSTIC
Trainer: Roy Lerman
Last race: May 30, 4th
Finish: 6th by 6
Beyer: 54
Returned from a layoff of 53 weeks in a six-furlong turf dash, lagged far back to the stretch, and found best stride late, passing five rivals in the last quarter-mile; wants to stretch out a bit.