Meadowlands: Saturday 7/28 Analysis
Best Bet: MANCHEGO (5th)
Spot Play: MET’S HALL (4th)
Race 3 - $25,000 Guaranteed Pick Five Pool
Race 8 - $50,000 Guaranteed Pick Four Pool
CHAMPIONSHIP MEET STATS: 89 - 250 / $437.10 (-$62.90)
BEST BETS: 15 - 23 / $46.00 (+$0.00)
Race 1
(8) BUCKEYE IN CHARGE has been racing fairly well in his last couple of starts and gets a major driver change to Callahan this week. (4) CINDY’S PARTY BOY raced well on the engine last time and certainly has a shot in here. (2) BLACK HAMMER gets post relief and raced well from an inside assignment three starts back at this level.
Race 2
(5) CELEBRITY RUTH picks up Sears this time to test-drive, as she’ll need a new driver with Miller likely selecting Broadway Donna next week. Four-year-old seems to be as fast as any of these and finds a perfect spot just inside of the main competitors. (6) JL CRUZE rolled down the road and found more late when it looked like he might be done. It looks like this 7-year-old has more in the tank. (7) PINKMAN seems like he could be ready to go on a run, but these outside posts are killing him.
Race 3
(3) VOICE OF TRUTH waited patiently and exploded in the stretch to win going away despite a six-month layoff. Classy 10-year-old should only be better with the start under his belt. (9) EVERY WAY OUT has the ability to handle this field but the outside post and suspect form are issues. (4) OUTCRY has been racing well at this level.
Race 4
(3) MET’S HALL has been brought along slowly but finally has a couple of starts under his belt. He has speed and ability and this looks like a good week to put the pedal down and see what he has to offer. (6) EUROBOND stayed flat last week, which is a step in the right direction. Maybe the fresh set of hands will make the difference. (2) FASHIONWOODCHOPPER has been going the wrong way of late but does have some talent.
Race 5
(7) MANCHEGO went a monster mile in defeat in her last start. She should romp this week and earn an inside post for the Hambletonian Oaks final. (4) HEY BLONDIE took a step in the right direction with a victory against a field she was supposed to beat last Saturday. She isn’t winning this race unless the top one has major issues, but second is very possible. (9) SEVIYORUM showed her ability two starts back then was taken back and did her best to close into slow fractions last time. The ability is there but the post hurts a lot.
Race 6
(2) HIGHALATOR seems likely to be aggressive from the inside post and does some of his best work over this surface. (3) MISO FAST cruised around the track in a solo qualifier last Saturday. He’s a big threat in this spot. (4) BETTOR’S EDGE is another that has done very well here and could step up.
Race 7
(5) PHAETOSIVE could offer a bit of value here with the world record holder (8) PLUNGE BLUE CHIP signed on. For my money Phaetosive is every bit as talented and should give the potential favorite all she can handle. (6) LIVE LAUGH LOVE has yet to finish worse than third in seven starts this year but doesn’t seem to be in the class of the top pair.
Race 8
While all eyes will be on the other Jim Campbell trainee, (4) PATENT LEATHER raced just as well last week and could have an opportunity to steal this race at a healthy price. Uncoupled stable mate (6) CRYSTAL FASHION is a top-5 Hambletonian candidate that looks best but may not be emptying the tank a week before racing for $1,000,000. (5) MISSISSIPPI STORM returned from a few weeks off with a solid effort behind #6. I wouldn’t be shocked if he took a step forward.
Race 9
(2) POINTS NORTH added Lasix last time but had post 8 and we have no idea if it made an impact. I’m willing to roll the dice here on a horse that displayed talent at age 2 but hasn’t shown it yet in 2018. (7) SANTIAGO STYLE finished second behind a ‘couldn’t lose’ winner last week and should be the one to beat in this spot. (9) SAMS TRIPLE CROWN does well here, especially with Callahan at the controls. (1) EXPRESS STRIDE N gets the same class relief as #7 and might actually have some hidden form.
Race 10
(4) BRUCE’S MAGIC wired the field in this class two weeks back and could offer value with McCarthy opting off. (7) FORTY FIVE RED was a bit flat after missing two months prior to his last start. Classy 7-year-old fits well in this field. (9) SHNEONUCRZYDIAMND A has been stuck in outside posts at Yonkers and prior to that was facing tougher foes. This is a winnable spot if she brings her A game.
Race 11
(3) GOOD LIVING ships in from Philly where he wasn’t racing particularly well. He gets a chance of scenery this week and doesn’t exactly face any killers. (1) LIVE ON is clearly the one to beat but isn’t particularly reliable on the win end. (2) ROCKET J scored at big odds last time. This guy is capable of getting on a roll.
Race 12
(6) MAKE A STATEMENT A visits the basement at The Meadowlands with some spotty form, but digging deeper, I see legitimate excuses for his failures. He might just be able to wake up at a price. (1) FRANKANDJOANNE failed on the front last time but that was a sloppy track. Perhaps the class relief here and drier conditions will make a difference. (4) HOWSABOUTAKISS wasn’t going anywhere from post 9 at Pocono. This starting slot is better. (2) POP POP JOE raced well in this condition last time.
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