Notsosweet dangerous on the lead

Notsosweet looks pretty tasty as the lone speed in Friday’s feature at Northlands Park.

Trained by Craig Smith, Notsosweet could be tough to run down in the six-furlong dash for 3-year-olds and up running for a $17,500 claiming price.
Pick to Click looks like the main threat in the 10-horse field that goes as race 8.

Notsosweet has held clear leads going into the stretch in his last two races at this level going 6 1/2 furlongs. He appears to have enough speed to clear early, and the slightly shorter distance should work in his favor. In six starts going six furlongs Notsosweet has won twice and finished second once. In his latest win he came from off the pace in a 6 1/2-furlong $15,000 conditional claimer July 1.

There are a few ways to look at Pick to Click, who is coming off of a long layoff and will be making his first start for trainer Jim Meyaard. According to DRF’s Formulator, over the past five years Meyaard has a 29-percent strike rate with horses running out of his barn for the first time. He is a modest 13 percent with horses coming off of a layoff of 180 days or more, however. Then again, horses making their first start for him and coming off a long layoff have won 30 percent of the time.

Pick to Click is coming off a ninth place finish coming down the hill at Santa Anita in a $35,000 claiming race Jan. 10.