Dick Powell offers his picks and analysis for the Monday racing card at Presque Isle Downs.
Race One:
1st: (6) TICK ALERT – showed good speed here last season here for about five furlongs in her first two career starts. She came back two weeks ago with an even effort going two turns on the turf at Penn National and now turns back to a sprint.
2nd: (3) SHEER ALICE – still a maiden after 13 tries but she will be the one to catch. Apprentice rider Alice Beckman is off to a great start here by sending horses from the gate and she almost did it two weeks ago against cheaper company.
3rd: (1) ANIPPE – raced evenly here last year against better maidens in fast time but comes off a 320-day layoff today.
Race Two:
1st: (3) FOX ROX – horse for the course was used hard from post one in his first start off the long layoff and should improve from a better draw. This 12-year-old has won 12 times here over the years and gets Antonio Gallardo back aboard.
2nd: (5) BOOMIN GOOSE – another horse for the course that has the benefit of a race over the track two weeks ago. Most of his efforts last year were going two turns but he should be the strong horse in the stretch.
3rd: (1) CHIC N WILBUR – does his best running going two turns but he has some strong sprint efforts in the past.
Race Three:
1st: (5) ODD GAL – raced evenly here last year against this class level going this distance. She was a good third here from post one two weeks ago off the long layoff. She draws much better today and David Delgado rides back.
2nd: (3) EMERALD CITADELLE – horse for the course returns off a 245-day layoff for trainer Ariane Wilson. This 11-year-old daughter of Bustin Stones has the best early speed of this group and she will be the one to catch with Kris Fox.
3rd: (2) CHEWY CHEWY GOOD – looked good here in her seasonal debut when her late rally just fell short.
Race Four:
1st: (4) FALK – began his career here last year with four starts where he usually showed speed. He spent the winter on the Tampa Bay Downs main track and seemed to improve when Lasix was added. Tim Hamm wins 21% with this surface switch.
2nd: (5) RED GUN – moves up in class off the claim by Edgar Bayeh who wins 29% with this move. His previous efforts on the Tapeta at Gulfstream Park were not bad and picks up Addiel Ayala – 18% with his sprint rides this year.
3rd: (2) NIGHT RIDE – began his career in decent form here last year but his three starts on the dirt at Gulfstream Park were not much.
Race Five:
1st: (1) WINGS OF A SONG – finished out of the money in her first six career starts on turf, dirt, and synthetic. This daughter of Mendelssohn dropped down in class last out and won gate-to-wire on the turf at Penn National.
2nd: (3) STRAIGHT MADNESS – horse for the course hasn’t seen the winner’s circle in over two years but some decent efforts against this state-bred allowance foes. The daughter of Weigelia has the benefit of a 5 1/2 furlong sprint here two weeks ago.
3rd: (4) OMIKAMI – has to move up in class but she broke her maiden by 11 lengths on the dirt last out at Penn National.
Race Six:
1st: (7) STRASBOURG – his best races have come against cheaper claimers but his second on the dirt at Gulfstream Park is fast enough to win this. Edgar Bayeh wins 18% with his overall claimers and his last 49 synthetic-track starters show a flat-bet profit.
2nd: (2) T REX – returns off the long layoff so his claiming tag has been waived. He raced evenly against allowance foes two starts back and then won here from post 10 in a wide trip against these. He draws inside, gets Pablo Morales, and is working fast.
3rd: (5) GREG’S HONOR – one-dimensional closer flew home in his last two starts on the Tapeta at Gulfstream Park.
Race Seven:
1st: (3) THE SINNER IS YOU – horse for the course has won nine times here in 17 tries with five other placings. He had a big year here with four straight wins going short and was stakes-placed. Son of Into Mischief chased this group wide last out to get ready.
2nd: (5) LIFE MISSION – returns off the long layoff for Leland Hayes who wins 16% with his overall on synthetic. He’s training bullets for this and should come out running with regular rider Pablo Morales returning.
3rd: (1) CATCH ON EMOTIONAL – made his Tapeta debut a winning one here two weeks ago when he went gate to wire.
Race Eight:
1st: (6) INVESTMENT INCOME – makes her Tapeta debut off some solid turf efforts at Tampa Bay Downs. Daughter of Candy Ride drops down in class for Matt Kintz, who wins 26% first start after being beaten as the favorite.
2nd: (8) LISA MARIE – took her 14 tries to break her maiden, which she did first start off the claim by trainer Ron Potts. She did nothing next out to finish up the year and now returns off a 217-day layoff. Erin Walker picks up the ride.
3rd: (2) STORMIN MELLY – looked good winning on debut here going this distance two weeks ago.