March West could offer value in Monday feature

Potomac is the 5-2 morning-line favorite to cross over to the other shore of his first-level allowance condition in the featured ninth race Monday at Will Rogers. March West, however, could put up a good battle at a more appealing price.

Potomac comes in for owner Clark Brewster and trainer Steve Asmussen from Oaklawn Park, which he didn’t seem to like at all. After a decent race in December at Aqueduct, Potomac got crunched in a pair of Oaklawn first-level allowance routes, the first in February, then again on April 3.

Brewster and Asmussen, who claimed Potomac for $40,000 last summer, aren’t yet willing to offer Potomac for a claiming tag, preferring to try for this lesser allowance purse, and Potomac would be a decent bounce-back bet at a better price than he’ll offer Monday. As it is, he’s likely to take plenty of action, presenting a negative-value proposition and encouraging bettors to look elsewhere.

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March West, a 4-year-old owned and trained by Boyd Caster, has raced only three times in his career and made a late debut in November of his 3-year-old season. He ran all right in a Remington sprint first time out and promptly graduated at second asking when Caster brought him back in a Will Rogers one-mile maiden March 25.

Moved up to this allowance class April 14, March West bid into a strong pace, came close to the front, and faded slightly late to finish third, beaten nearly four lengths by Sugoi, who had shipped from Kentucky in good form. It would only take one further step forward – doable, perhaps, with a more patient trip – for March West to figure strongly Monday, and he’s 8-1 on the line.

The horse that was second in front of him last out, Momma’s Baby Boy, is just 1 for 17 during his career. Also worth considering is Irish Spirit, who has made all six of his starts in California and races for trainer Robertino Diodoro for the first time Monday.