Thoroughbreds: Hot McMudder sees fast, fair tracks on Sunday

Two things to be learned from Saturday’s racing. Spring is here. The winds that blew the rains out have turned warm and the racing up and down the East Coast is heating up. One of the exciting developments that many tracks have embraced is the creation of Starters series for horses that have met some claiming level qualifiers. This week shows that the tracks are using these Starters as a way to increase race quality as the seasons change. The second observation is that the tracks have become uniformly fair following the recent rains. Saturday saw horses winning from everywhere, front, back, stalking, with the best horse finding the wire first. Even in the Cicada at Aqueduct with a big upset, the winner ran a cracker to get up in time and make for a big payoff. The best filly won no matter what the tote going in indicated.

Picks for March 24, 2019:

More breezy and pleasant conditions. May get a few sprinkles. Turf season should be getting close!

Aqueduct Race 2
$40K claimers for older boys at 6 ½f. A race full of similarly talented boys with one real headscratcher. 3-Bootlegger is 5-year-old French bred (by Bill Mott, no less) that has discovered newfound ability since being switched to the dirt two back. After spending his first 16 races on turf, his move to dirt may not have been the greatest benefit. It may be the reduction in distance that corresponded to the surface change. Luckily, he gets the same distance as last out today. 6-Take Your Place is challenged for distance as is 5-Mad Munnys. So how about a long shot? 4-Mohican is first off the claim and has gotten a break since the December claim. With that layoff, he could be brought back at a lower level but the connections have him here. This horse has shown the ability to close, although he closes better on turf. Look for big odds to justify the gamble.
$10 W/P/S 4-Mohican

Aqueduct Race 5
Optional claimer for 3-year-old fillies at 6f. This is race for the fillies that couldn’t go in yesterday’s Cicada Stakes. 5-Nancysaidso makes her first start for trainer Jason Servis after running last year in Florida for a regional trainer. The works are solid and anywhere near her early two-year-old numbers makes her competitive. 2-Takecharge Mirella has run well at this level previously but has yet to get into the top two since breaking her maiden. 4-Countable is the lightest raced filly in the field and the last race can get thrown out if the distance was simply too far. Her maiden breaker was good but she didn’t beat much that day. Mick thinks these three are better than the rest but can’t find any reason to put any one on top. So its time for the exotics.
$2 Exacta box 2,4,5
$0.50 Trifecta box 2,4,5

Laurel Race 1
Maiden for 3-year-old fillies at 6f. Some nice fillies here but 6-Jump for Sally looks to be the class in here. Throwing out the slop attempt last out and returning to a fast track should move this one up. Her race from 2 back is what she needs to repeat, although with these, a step slower may be good enough. 2-Keep Your Thoughts is a well respected firster but these connections do not excel with firsters. She should appear underneath as should the entry.
$10 W/P/S 6-Jump for Sally
$1 Exacta box 1,2,6
$0.50 Trifecta box 1,2,6

Laurel Race 7
Allowance for older boys at 8 ½f. 1-Halite/1A-O’Kram would look good here independently but look even better together. When Marcos Zulueta hits the road, he wins at 23% but only at 7% at Laurel, the lowest number he has at any venue. As a result, a look elsewhere is in order. 3-Jump Jive an Wail has hit the board six consecutive times at this level but loses regular pilot Trevor McCarthy to 6-Tolalitario, a gelding only four races removed from breaking his maiden for $10K. He appears to be another super savvy claim by trainer Kieron Magee. Another race to just circle the probables and go exotic unless the entry remains at or above the M/L.
$20 W/P/S 1-Halite/1A-O’Kram
$2 Exacta box 1,3,6
$0.50 Trifecta box 1,3,6

And now for some quickies. . . .

Aqueduct Race 5
NY bred allowance for older boys at 7f. 5-Shamrock Kid ran a stunner last out and would have won had he not been bumped hard late. That was at this distance but in the slop. Does the form hold? Bet on it.

Laurel Race 8
Optional for 3-year-old boys at 8f. Lots of similar runners in here including a couple of triple crown nominees that need to pick up the pace to make the big races. 2-Marco Island appears to be the best combination of ability and price. He is progressive having moved up speed figs in each race for current connections and he has won going the one turn mile at Laurel, a distance that does not work for all young runners.