Post time: 1:45 p.m. Best bet: Grand Marais (9th race). Best play: 50 cent Pick 4 (2nd): 1,3,5,7/1,2,3,6/2,3,5/5,7, $48
1 5½ furlongs. 3-year-olds and up. Maiden special weight. Purse $28,000..
#/Horse, Jockey, Trainer Wt.Odds
1: Tequila Lay (Ramgeet, Lund)11910-1
2: Spur (Lindsay, Diodoro)1193-1
3: Snoose Sasa (Canchari, Robertson)1245-2
4: Typha (Keith, Biehler)1248-1
5: Cape Rosso (Mojica, Heitzmann)1245-1
6: Super Touch (Acosta, Diodoro)1242-1
SUPER TOUCH gets a ideal outside draw to prowl the inside speed for the Diodoro barn. Concern with 0-13 in career starts, but has been facing much tougher out of state. Stablemate SPUR, will sacrifice himself on the lead and attempt to lead the field to the wire. Failed as the favorite on opening weekend as the early pace setter. SNOOSE SASA will be unveiled today for trainer Mac Robertson with a strong series of works. Doesn't hurt to get top jockey Alex Canchari as the pilot.
2 5 furlongs. Fillies and mares. 3-year olds and up. Claiming $4,000. Purse $10,000.
#/Horse, Jockey, Trainer Wt.Odds
1: Gold Cup Skier (Mojica, Bravo)1245-2
2: Nelyn's Flyer (Hernandez, Bends)12410-1
3: Sienna Ridge (Lindsay, Bethke)1248-1
4: Lets Tango (Delorme, Riecken)1245-1
5: Wonder About Lola (Canchari, Fields)1242-1
6: Funny Smoke (Evans, Padilla)1245-1
7: Rosebud's Tiger (Butler, Rhone)1248-1
GOLD CUP SKIER will be tough to beat if she regains her sprinting form from last season. Would have liked to see more than two works on her training schedule, but not facing the strongest group for return race. WONDER ABOUT LOLA will need a speed-favoring pace to get the victory, and looms the late-closing threat at a decent price. A change of scenery might be what ROSEBUD'S TIGER needs to get back to last summer's speed numbers. Expect to see jockey Butler gun it to the lead with the 4-year-old filly in effort to run out the clock to the finish.
3 10,000 Lakes Stakes. 6 furlongs. State bred. 3-year olds and up. Purse $50,000.
#/Horse, Jockey, Trainer Wt.Odds
1: Hold for More (Mojica, Bravo)1173-1
2: Smooth Chiraz (Butler, Bravo)1197-2
3: Cupid's Delight (Loveberry, Scherer)117 8-1
4: A P Is Loose (Velazquez, Robertson)1179-2
5: Let Da Cowboy Rock (Delorme, Donlin)11710-1
6: Bourbon County (Canchari, Robertson)1179-5
SMOOTH CHIRAZ ran away from the field in his Canterbury return as the favorite, and in my eyes, the most impressive performance by any runner this meet. BOURBON COUNTY is a true-and-tried local favorite out of the Rake Farms, and is the major threat to the top pick if set to fire off the 9-month layoff. Merits respect defending his 10,000 Lakes Stakes title. HOLD FOR MORE ran second to Bourbon County in last year's race and seeks to rebound after finishing off the board in the Paul Bunyon Stakes.
4 Lady Slipper Stakes. 6 furlongs. State bred. Fillies and mares. 3-year olds and up. Purse $50,000.
#/Horse, Jockey, Trainer Wt.Odds
1: Dakota Peach Pie (Shepherd, Rickert)11715-1
2: Sioux Appeal (Butler, Robertson)1178-1
3: Honey's Sox Appeal (Canchari, Robertson)1179-5
4: La Petite Cheri (Sanchez, Rengstorf)11710-1
5: Rockin the Bleu's (Mojica, Biehler)1236-5
6: Thunder and Honey (Escobar, Robertson)1176-1
ROCKIN THE BLEU'S enters with consecutive wins and won't spend much time in the gate with her early speed. Not a very deep field for the Lady Slipper Stakes, so expect her to be a major factor with HONEY'S SOX APPEAL on the front end, and hopefully edging ahead for third straight. Honey's Sox Appeal is the logical threat for the Robertson/Canchari duo and strictly the one to catch to get the win. Training smartly off the long layoff. Stablemate SIOUX APPEAL will be my deep-closing threat with Butler aboard if things move too swiftly up front.
5 About 1 mile. Open. 3-year olds and up. Claiming $20,000. Purse $19,000.
#/Horse, Jockey, Trainer Wt.Odds
1: Myperfectsoulmate (Hernandez, Wstrmnn)12420-1
2: Beer Sheriff (Shepherd, Holder)12410-1
3: Cindy Sails Away (Canchari, Anderson)12412-1
4: Honor Earned (Sanchez, Padilla)1244-1
5: Smarty Party Papa (Velazquez, Berndt)1242-1
6: Tahkodha Royale (Mawing, Sheehan)12415-1
7: Paschal (Goodwin, McFarlane)1244-1
8: Hatties Jewel (Mojica, Bethke)1248-1
9: Cedar Sage (Butler, Bravo)1186-1
10: Tappin Vegas (Acosta, Diodoro)1245-1
11: Wildcard (Delorme, Riecken)12415-1
If race ends up off the turf, SMARTY PARTY PAPA has the speed while stretching out to two turns for the first time and sneaking away from the field. Class edge over his rivals only adds to the appeal of making him my top pick. PASCHAL puts the blinkers on, and trainer Dan McFarlane is hitting at 36 percent with this angle. Speed figures match up extremely well with opponents and is a major player with switch of surface. If race happens to stay on the lawn, HONOR EARNED will be my top choice shipping up from Tampa Bay. Lone runner to race on the turf this year and is main threat in present form.
6 6 furlongs. State bred. Fillies and mares. 3-year olds and up. Allowance. Purse $33,000.
#/Horse, Jockey, Trainer Wt.Odds
1: Ari Gia (Shepherd, Miller)11915-1
2: Seynatawnee (Butler, Bravo)1196-1
3: Dusty Princess (Delorme, Turco)1198-1
4: Mirabelle Magic (Canchari, Robertson)1195-2
5: Some Say So (Mojica, Becker)12410-1
6: Elli Mae Win (Sanchez, Rengstorf)1247-1
7: Pinup Girl (Loveberry, Sweere)1194-1
8: Blossom Dearie (Goodwin, Scherer)1196-1
Evenly matched field with a plethora of price horses. DUSTY PRINCESS has some decent numbers and hit the board in all four starts sprinting here last season, including a win coming from off the pace. SEYNATAWNEE failed in the late kick category last out after having perfect position to pounce. Should improve second off the bench. MIRABELLE MAGIC broke slowly in lone start last fall but made a strong late bid to get the victory. Eye-popping bullet drill last work.
7 About 7½ furlongs. Open. 3-year olds and up. Waiver claiming $20,000. Purse $25,000.
#/Horse, Jockey, Trainer Wt.Odds
1: Towpath (Delorme, Rarick)1209-2
2: High Side (Sanchez, Rhone)1205-2
3: Pennant Fever (Joubert, Hanson)12010-1
4: Lil' Apollo (Butler, Bolinger)12012-1
5: Sweet Stuff (Delorme, Donlin Jr.)12015-1
6: Vanderbilt Beach (Loveberry, Rengstorf)1205-1
7: Jam N Addy (Ramgeet, Diodoro)1203-1
8: Why Frank (Mojica, Oliver)1208-1
9: Born Force (Canchari, Donlin)12010-1
10: Heisenberg (Velazquez, Applegate)1208-1
11: Vino Limbo Tango (Velazquez, Becker)1206-1
TOWPATH is entered for the main track only and will be your probable post time favorite if taken off the lawn. Consistent money maker, will roll from mid-pack with his late turn of foot as the main threat flying down the stretch. VINO LIMBO TANGO is a major player if off the AE list. Most likely winner of the first half-mile but will have to hold off his pursuers when things get engaging. VANDERBILT BEACH takes a sharp drop in class on the stretch-out, and the versatile gelding can run on either surface.
8 5½ furlongs. Open. 3-year olds and up. Maiden claiming $6,250. Purse $10,500.
#/Horse, Jockey, Trainer Wt.Odds
1: He Gotta Go (Loveberry, Hornsby)1247-2
2: Kilroy (Canchari, Litfin)1246-1
3: So Random (Goodwin, Brinson)11915-1
4: The Checotah Kid (Mawing, Riecken)1248-1
5: Act Your Wage (Delgado, Silva)1245-1
6: Carson's Storm (Canchari, Canchari)1243-1
7: Gumshoe (Sanchez, Rengstorf)1245-2
Look for GUMSHOE to try to steal the race on the lead with a group full of tailgaters and play catch me if you can to the finish line. CARSON'S STORM narrowly missed last out with with a top new speed figure. Appears to be developing nicely for trainer Luis Canchari. ACT YOUR WAGE cuts back to sprinting for the first time in his brief career. Will have to start quickly and hang near the main body of runners to have a shot.
9 1 mile, 70 yards. State bred. Open. 3-year olds and up. Maiden special weight. Purse $32,000..
#/Horse, Jockey, Trainer Wt.Odds
1: Bye Bye Bennie (Mawing, Sheehan)1248-1
2: Benson Hillbilly (Delorme, Sheere)1246-1
3: Divine Mandate (Hernandez, Silva)1185-1
4: Grand Marais (Velazquez, Sherer)1181-1
5: Dixie Native Ruler (Delgado, Silva)11812-1
6: Regal Rival (Canchari, Anderson)12415-1
7: Mr Shiver (Joubert, Hanson)1245-1
GRAND MARAIS is clearly the day's best and strictly the one to beat. Speed numbers tower the field and it's hard to find a way for him to lose the nightcap. BENSON HILLBILLY and MR SHIVER are lone rivals with a fighting chance to pull off the upset if the heavily-bet favorite fails to run his game.
Diggins, of Afton, was injured in a fall during her opening race Saturday at the Milan Cortina Games, and it limited her ability to put in a strong finish in the sprint classic on Tuesday.
