It’s Monday and Garrity is picking the horses at Fonner Park and Will Rogers Downs
If it’s Monday, it must be Fonner Park and Will Rogers Downs, in Nebraska and Oklahoma, respectively. We expect fast dirt in both places and have a pair of plays at each track. Let’s go.
Fonner Park, Race 1, 5:00 pm ET
Maiden Special Weight, 6 furlongs, Dirt, 3-Year Old Fillies
This maiden race drew a field of eight. We like the filly on the rail, 1-Goodness Cat. She last ran on March 30, at Fonner, when she threw the jockey at the start. That was an obvious disaster, but we think she is poised for a rebound. There are two pluses in her past performances: one is that she is conditioned by David Anderson, a high-percentage trainer; the other is that she will not need to run all that fast to beat this very modest group. We will bet her to win at 6-1. The bet: Fonner Park, Race 1, $30 to win on 1-Goodness Cat.
Will Rogers Downs, Race 7, 5:15 pm ET
Maiden Special Weight, 6 furlongs, Dirt, 3-Year-Olds
This sprint for 3-year-old maidens drew a field of eleven. We like another horse with an inside post position, 1-Paul With All, who starts for Steve Asmussen. He looked poised to break his maiden at Sam Houston on March 20, when he was sent off at 5/2, but the track came up sloppy, and it appears as though running in the slop is not his thing. He’ll get fast dirt this afternoon, and the one time he ran on a fast track, he actually won: he finished first in a Sam Houston maiden race on February 12 but was disqualified and placed second. A repeat of that effort will likely win this race by aa wide margin. We will bet him to win at 7/2. The bet: Will Rogers Downs, Race 7, $40 to win on 1-Paul With All.
Will Rogers Downs, Race 9, 6:15pm ET
Allowance, 5 ½ furlongs, Dirt, Fillies & Mares 3 & Up
Eleven females go to the post in this first-level allowance at 5 ½ furlongs on the dirt. 2-Tulle is something that doesn’t come along very often: a speed figure standout who’s a very square price. Her last two Beyer Speed Figures are 74 and 72, better numbers than any other runner has earned recently, and we would normally expect even money or less on a horse with this kind of speed figure edge. But because those figs were earned in a claiming race, and the race this afternoon is an allowance, she’s 7/2 on the morning line. Speed figures don’t lie, and we will consequently back Tulle at the window; we will bet her to win. The bet: Will Rogers Downs, Race 9, $40 to win on 2-Tulle.
Fonner Park, Race 4, 6:21 pm ET
Allowance/Optional Claiming, 6 furlongs, Dirt, Nebraska-bred Fillies & Mares 3 & Up
Eight go to the post in this, a second-level allowance for state-bred females. 2-Possibly in Love is a solid, if obvious, pick: she’s a 4-year-old who has run through her conditions nicely, winning a maiden race two back, winning a first-level allowance in her last start, and taking the next step to this level today. We don’t see another entrant who can run with her, with a speedy running style and an inside post, she should get a good trip. We will bet her to win at 5/2. The bet: Fonner Park, Race 9, $40 to win on 2-Possibly in Love.
That’s all for today. Enjoy the racing, stay safe, and, as always, good luck at the windows.