More questions than answers on Friday card

Pressing one’s luck might not be a good idea on Friday the 13th at Los Alamitos.

Identifying the most likely winners on a weekday program comprising maiden and claiming-caliber races is relatively simple based on traditional handicapping. The challenge is finding horses on which to wager with conviction. Good luck with that.

Three of the four early races are at one mile, a problematic distance for top contenders in races 1 and 3. The distance dilemma also applies to the expected favorite in race 4, a mile race for maiden-claiming juveniles. Mahi Mahi figures to control the pace, but his first four starts were sprints. A mile is uncharted territory.

The five sprints Friday all are 5 1/2 furlongs, which is the most-used distance at Los Alamitos and includes race 5 for statebred maiden juvenile fillies with a $40,000 purse. Ed Freeman plays a key role as trainer, owner, and breeder of first-time starter Jemsek, a Square Eddie filly whose workouts suggest she might be the one to beat.

“She’s bred to go a mile and an eighth on the grass,” Freeman cautioned, but said she has demonstrated enough workout speed to run well at 5 1/2 furlongs. “So far, the signs are she is quick enough, so we’ll see.”

Jemsek is the first foal produced by Lunar Dimension, a one-start maiden Freeman purchased for $15,000 at the Keeneland 2016 January sale.

“I wanted to buy a mare with some stamina to breed to Square Eddie,” Freeman said. “I think [Jemsek] is all right.”

Lunar Dimension, fifth in her only start, is by Malibu Moon and produced by a sibling to multiple Grade 1 winner Golden Apples.

Jorge Velez rides Jemsek, Mario Gutierrez rides first-time starter Miss Carousel, a Square Eddie filly Freeman trains and co-owns with J. Paul Reddam. Miss Carousel’s workouts are slower than her stablemate, with corresponding expectations.

Freeman said Miss Carousel “will probably improve from the race.”

“I think she’s going to want to run on the grass,” he said.

As for the dubious contenders in the early route races, Flying Blue figures prominently in race 1 despite an odds-on third last out after setting slow fractions. Race 3 is an $8,000 claiming mile with another distance-challenged front-runner. Autumn Day, runner-up last out, is expected to set the pace again Friday.

Mahi Mahi may or may not stay one mile in race 4, but the Jonathon Wong trainee could be loose on the lead. In his recent sprint against better, he dueled on a fast pace and finished third. Mahi Mahi and Velez might be long gone as the most probable winner on the Friday card.