A look at Thursday's card at the Shakopee track:
Post time: 6:30 p.m.
Best bet: Flyin Lizard (1st). Best play: 50-cent Pick 4 (6th): 2,3,5/5,6,7,8/1,2,11/1,9,11, $54.00.
Race 1: 250 yards. 2-year-olds. Maiden claiming $12,500. Purse: $9,000.
#/Horse, Jockey, TrainerWt./Odds
1: Flyin Lizard (Vazquez, Hardy)122/6-5
2: Fantastic Attitude (Swiontek, Goodsell)122/12-1
3: Jam N Four Speed (Frink, Miller)122/10-1
4: Cierra Jade (Torres, Hop)122/4-1
5: Cartels Secret (Suarez Ricardo, Hanson)122/8-1
6: Fightin White (Smith, Hunt)122/12-1
7: Sweet Corona Jr. (Olesiak, Johnson)122/5-1
8: Super Cleat (Martinez, Miller)122/15-1
FLYIN LIZARD appears to be best on paper, with speed numbers towering over field. CIERRA JADE could improve with more relaxed effort. JAM N FOUR SPEED is the lone first-time starter in field.
Race 2: 6 furlongs. 3-year-olds and up. Maiden claiming $20,000. Purse: $14,500.
#/Horse, Jockey, TrainerWt./Odds
1: Hold the Wire (Eikleberry, Diodoro)123/9-5
2: Miswaski's Pac (Shepherd, Oberlander)119/10-1
3: Erin Prairie (Hamilton, Berndt)123/5-2
4: Sense of Duty (Rivera, Van Winkle)119/6-1
5: A. K. Echo (A. Canchari, Hop)119/3-1
6: Friarcracker (Butler, Bravo)119/8-1
HOLD THE WIRE drops in from maiden special weight with good early foot starting off the rail. Doesn't need the lead but will be right up there. A.K. ECHO will come out firing stepping up in class after narrowly missing last two out. ERIN PRAIRIE could prove tough if adjusts to footing on the dirt after transferring from the synthetic track at Arlington Park.
Race 3: 7½ furlongs. Turf. Fillies and mares. 3-year-olds and up. Claiming $7,500. Purse: $14,500.
#/Horse, Jockey, TrainerWt./Odds
1: Number One Gal (Martin, House)121/8-1
2: Acarpian (Stevens, Diodoro)121/8-5
3: Grayrock (A. Canchari, Turco)121/8-1
4: Wild Luna (Shepherd, Turco)123/5-1
5: Western Wonder (Hamilton, Offolter)121/3-1
6: Ciao Valentina (Dieguez, Pfeifer)121/12-1
7: Three Cuties (P. Canchari, Holder)121/12-1
8: Laura Beasley (Ordaz, McFarlane)121/12-1
WESTERN WONDER is likely pace-setter who will try to pull the mild upset with jockey Hamilton aboard in gate-to-wire fashion. Favorite ACARPIAN is the one to beat and fend off with late closing kick. GRAYROCK gets class relief dropping in from allowance races and now gets Alex Canchari as the pilot.
Race 4: 1 mile, 70 yards. Turf. 3-year-olds and up. Maiden special weight. Purse: $27,000.
#/Horse, Jockey, TrainerWt./Odds
1: Figtown Rambler (Butler, Robertson)118/6-1
2: Schindlers Risk (A. Canchari, Scott)123/30-1
3: G Road (Delorme, Kirby)118/20-1
4: Vanderboom Ridge (Rivera, Bravo)118/6-1
5: Sweet Stuff (Olesiak, Donlin)123/12-1
6: Tundra Leap (Ordaz, Silva)118/5-1
7: Trouble'smyname (Olesiak, Turco)118/6-1
8: Rock of Faith (Eikleberry, Lund)118/12-1
9: Blue Star Cat (Keith, Biehler)118/8-1
10: Bluffs Edge (Goodwin, Donlin)118/15-1
11: Stealthy Traveler (Martin, Peters)118/9-2
12: Castlederg (Velazquez, Scherer)118/10-1
13: Deliberate Haste (Olesiak, Peters)123/20-1
14: Kite (Stevens, Harty)118/4-1
VANDERBOOM RIDGE ran a well-meant effort in lone career start last out at Ellis Park and now gets new trainer Bravo, who does well sending out his new acquisitions. TUNDRA LEAP will be the late closing threat leaving after just missing last out. TROUBLE'SMYNAME showed brief early speed before fading in lone turf start. Could find himself on the lead at a big price in this wide-open affair.
Race 5: 6 furlongs. 3-year-olds and up. Claiming $10,000. Purse: $17,000.
#/Horse, Jockey, TrainerWt./Odds
1: Pendulum (Martinez, Padilla)121/7-2
2: Talk the Walk (Eikleberry, Lund)119/3-1
3: Get Back Man (A. Canchari, Scott)123/5-2
4: Paradise Rock (Martin, Wolochuk)119/4-1
5: Outoftheclouds (Olesiak, Bolinger)119/5-1
6: Hi Prim (Keith, Hawley)119/8-1
GET BACK MAN will be shooting for his fourth consecutive win even after dumping and injuring his rider before the start last out. Jockey Alex Canchari came in for relief for the hard-fought win. TALK THE WALK could prove tough opponent coming off a victory wearing down his rivals in stretch run. PARADISE ROCK and PENDULUM finished right behind top choice last out for the minor awards.
Race 6: 6 furlongs. 3-year-olds and up. Claiming $12,500. Purse: $14,500.
#/Horse, Jockey, TrainerWt./Odds
1: My Rochester (Olesiak, Westermann)119/9-2
2: Command the Land (Franco, Domenosky)123/5-1
3: W W Concerto (A. Canchari, Lund)119/4-1
4: Finishline Fever (Escobar, Brinson)119/9-2
5: Ella's Kitten (Eikleberry, Biehler)123/3-1
6: Let Da Cowboy Rock (Carreno, Donlin)123/6-1
7: Box Office Appeal (Butler, Riecken)118/6-1
ELLA'S KITTEN should appreciate the step down in class from allowance with possible front-running effort on his mind with Eikleberry aboard. W W CONCERTO also plunges in class after getting outclassed against much tougher last out. Draw a line through that race and expect much better performance here. COMMAND THE LAND improved last out at Arlington Park and wheels right back after seven days.
Race 7: 6½ furlongs. 3-year-olds and up. Allowance optional claiming $25,000. Purse: $30,000.
#/Horse, Jockey, TrainerWt./Odds
1: National (Martin, Rarick)119/6-1
2: Tribal Dreams (Olesiak, Walker)119/8-1
3: Captains Cat (Eikleberry, Rarick)119/10-1
4: At My Discretion (Stevens, Lund)115/6-1
5: Jamaican Memories (Rivera, Van Winkle)121/5-1
6: Caribbean Storm (Butler, Robertson)123/7-2
7: Sneaky Blowout (A. Canchari, Scherer)123/4-1
8: Doinmysongndance (Martinez, Padilla)119/9-2
CARIBBEAN STORM thrashed the field for career best when race was taken off the turf last out, clearing the group by nine lengths. SNEAKY BLOWOUT came off the pace splitting runners for large margin victory while getting better with each race. DOINMYSONGNDANCE has settled for show money after setting pace last two out.
Race 8: 5½ furlongs. 3-year-olds and up. Claiming $6,250. Purse: $11,500.
#/Horse, Jockey, TrainerWt./Odds
1: Orange Thunder (A. Canchari, Robertson)119/5-1
2: Geldautomat (Carreno, Diodoro)119/7-2
3: Know No Somerset (Eikleberry, Donlin)123/20-1
4: Supremo Struckgold (Goodwin, Scherer)123/6-1
5: Total Package (Escobar, Berndt)123/10-1
6: Spirit of Lindy (Ordaz, Silva)123/20-1
7: Francies Chromee (P. Canchari, Weir)123/40-1
8: Maggie's Guy (Martin, Lund)119/6-1
9: Mojave Secret (Hamilton, Hartman)123/10-1
10: Scotts Gap (Swiontek, Livingston)118/20-1
11: Sugar Business (Martinez, Rengstorf)123/9-2
12: Go Gold (Olesiak, Westermann)123/15-1
13: August Day (Eikleberry, Scherbenske)123/15-1
GELDAUTOMAT is all speed and most likely will set punishing fractions with others in close pursuit. Enters with two sharp bullet drills. ORANGE THUNDER drops a notch in class and too has a knack for early speed. Exits win as the favorite while setting the pace and holding on for dear life. SUGAR BUSINESS and MAGGIE'S GUY loom late closing threats if meltdown occurs.
Race 9: 6½ furlongs. State-bred. Maiden claiming $10,000. Purse: $12,000.
#/Horse, Jockey, TrainerWt./Odds
1: Prairie Crusader (Dieguez, Hanson)119/12-1
2: Awma's Diamonds (Rivera, Porter)123/5-1
3: Gloriousdemmi (Canchari, Flores)123/20-1
4: Lindies Wish (Swiontek, Silva)123/20-1
5: Jacks to Open (Martinez, Rengstorf)119/4-1
6: Demis Lil' Star (Velazquez, Flores)123/6-1
7: Ghazi's Patch Work (Arroyo, Litfin)123/20-1
8: Archarchmonarch (Olesiak, Bolinger)119/15-1
9: Hrishi Suprem (Martin, Bethke)119/5-2
10: Spring to the Wire (Olesiak, Gaede)119/10-1
11: Heir to the Castle (Escobar, Rhone)123/12-1
HRISHI SUPREM will try to break his maiden on the cutback wheeling back after seven days. PRAIRIE CRUSADER has shown some ability in early part of his races and could bring that ability to later stages with drop in class. HEIR TO THE CASTLE was never a factor after slow start in debut as the favorite. Expect better tonight.
For more on Love's picks follow him on Twitter @StribLove.
Moltzan claimed the first medal for Minnesota’s Olympians at the Milan Cortina Games on Tuesday, when Korey Dropkin and Cory Thiesse of Duluth will go for the gold medal in mixed doubles curling.
