Litfin’s review: Winds boost early fractions

Winds of change

After two days of a stiff headwind late on the backstretch and into the far turn, there was a complete about-face on the final Friday of the meet. A backstretch tailwind provided a turbo-boost to early fractions – Smashing (race 6, $5.50) rolled through a half-mile in 44.83 seconds – and final times clocked in significantly faster than par as well.

Smashing was a romping maiden winner by nearly seven lengths for the ultra-live barn of Jimmy Jerkens, earning an 88 Beyer Speed Figure after running six furlongs in 1:09.09 seconds.

Smashing was the first of two front-running winners on the card for apprentice Taylor Rice, who also had a rocking-chair ride on Aussi Austin (race 8, $11.20), cutting a six-furlong pace of 1:09.60 en route to a four-length win against high-end optional claimers in 1:34.59. Aussi Austin, who was vanned off afterward, added to David Jacobson’s already-profitable five-year Formulator numbers with new acquisitions (27 for 97, $2.47 R.O.I.).

Theft in broad daylight

Three turf races all went to horses either on or near the early lead, beginning with Camden Street (race 5, $6.70), who was put on the lead by Joe Bravo while everyone else was put under a sleeper hold.

On a firm course, Camden Street was allowed to lope along in splits of 26.58, 52.95, and 1:17.63, sprinted the fourth quarter in 23.79 on fresh legs, and finished off the heist with a final sixteenth in 6.11 seconds.

Five o’clock lightning

The stealth bomber trainer-jockey combination of Rodrigo Ubillo and Angel Arroyo teamed up with This Hard Land ($151.00) on Wood Memorial Day, and the dynamic duo struck again in Friday’s finale when Willow U ($57.00) slipped through on the rail to some avail.

Willow U’s best race as a 2-year-old last fall had been a fourth on the Big A turf. She clearly relished getting back on the grass and got a perfect ground-saving trip to get the jump on runner-up Eddy’s Time turning for home.

Horses to watch

MISTER POPSICLE
Trainer: Gary Contessa
Last race: April 25, race 5
Finish: fourth by 2 3/4
Beyer:

Last-out claim stretched out on the grass and was very rank while under a stranglehold through the early stages. Meanwhile, the early pacesetter was allowed to coast through absurdly slow fractions by everyone else, too, and led them on a merry chase.