True Thought will show speed in claiming sprint

True Thought will try to make amends when he runs in a $25,000 optional-claiming race Friday at Northlands Park. The 6 1/2-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up drew 11 horses, but only 10 will start.

Full and competitive fields make up most of the eight-race card that begins at 6:30 p.m. Mountain. Once you get past the second race, the shortest field is eight horses, with 56 possible starters running in the last six races.

True Thought was taking a substantial jump in class when he finished fifth as the 5-2 favorite in a $35,000 optional-claiming race May 23. He was coming off an easy win in a $12,500 claiming race going six furlongs May 8 for trainer Greg Tracy and was claimed out of that race by trainer Ernie Keller.

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In his four-length win May 8, True Thought broke on top and never looked back. In his loss as the chalk, he also broke sharply, but he was leaving from the outside post, and on a track that was favoring inside speed, he was pretty much done when he got hung out three wide on the first turn.

He drew post 2 Friday, and Tony Maragh undoubtedly will ask him to use his substantial speed right from the start.

Tigger Town could end up being the favorite.

Trained by Tracy, Tigger Town also has good speed, but he had a hard time keeping up in the $53,404 Journal Handicap won by Killin Me Smalls on May 18. Last year, Tigger Town earned a 99 Beyer Speed Figure for his win in a $35,000 optional-claiming race. It is the highest Beyer at Northlands this century.

No stranger to lofty Beyers, Ready Racer was given a 98 for his nine-length romp in the 2012 Sun Sprint Championship Handicap. He has lost a few steps since then, but the deep closer, trained by Dale Saunders, could pick up the pieces if True Thought and Tigger Town get carried away up front.

KEY CONTENDERS

True Thought (Last 3 Beyers: 55-78-59)

◗ Making his first start after being claimed by Keller, he lost any chance he had when he couldn’t make the lead and ended up going wide around the first turn.

DRF FORMULATOR FACT: He is the inside speed Friday, and over the past five years, Keller has a 29 percent strike rate with horses making their second start after being claimed.

Tigger Town (Last 3 Beyers: 59-74-56)

◗ Overmatched in the Journal, he could be gone if he can get the jump on True Thought coming out of the gate.