Grade 1 Ruffian Handicap

Bob Baffert’s champion filly Indian Blessing will be the morning line favorite in this event. She will take another shot at routing after two easy wins sprinting. She has learned to rate with John Velazquez aboard, making her even more lethal than before. Despite how good she is, I am going to look in another direction. My top choice will be the A.P. Indy filly, Little Belle. She is optimal at this 1 1/16 distance,  and is coming off a nice third place finish behind Music Note and Proud Spell. Potential up setters include Stage Luck and Spring Waltz.
1st- Little Belle (8-1)
2nd- Spring Waltz (5-2)
3rd- Indian Blessing (7-5)

Plays:$2 Trifecta (1,4,5/1,3,4,5,7/1,3,4,5,7)

Grade 1 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes

Frost Giant, winner of the Suburban Handicap last out, will be my top selection. He has enough early speed to stay close, and being a son of Giant’s Causeway he wont have a problem with the distance. European invader Quijano will also be tough. He finished only three lengths behind top European runner, Archipenko. Bobby Frankel’s  Champs Elysees could get it done as a long shot.  I expect him to round back into form after two bad races.
1st- Frost Giant
2nd- Quijano
3rd- Champs Elysees

Plays: $2 Trifecta (2,3,4/2,3,4,5,6/2,3,4,5,6,10)

Grade 1 Garden City Stakes
#2 Raw Silk- Alan Garcia decided to give stalking a try last out, and finished third. He has since been replaced by Edgar Prado. You can expect the Peruvian rider to have this filly back on the lead. Her last win came in the Grade 2 Sands Point in which she wired the field. While this is a nice filly, the competition is deep. Use her on the bottom part of trifecta and superfecta tickets.

#3 My Princess Jess- Winner of three in a row from the barn of Barclay Tagg. The regular jock for the barn, Eibar Coa, will be in the irons. Coa should have her moving well late. She wont be contentious for the win, but could hit the board.

#4 Alwajeeha- From the McLaughlin barn with John Velazquez piloting. Yielded late to My Princess Jess last out. Her early speed should put her in contention, but not for long. I’m not wild about the chances of this filly.

#4 Backseat Rhythm- Was the beneficiary of a yielding track in her win last out. She closed from well back, and won going away. I don’t like this filly to begin with, and it doesn’t look like the speed will be there to set up for her. I’m going to throw her out.

#1 Pure Clan- Impressive winner of the American Oaks last out. She was a standout leading up to the Kentucky Oaks, and finished third in that race. She looks to be leaps and bounds better than this field. I will key her first on all of my exotic tickets.

#6 Shaker- European filly is quite a mystery. She doesn’t look overly impressive on paper, but I would hate to get beat by her. I encourage you to use her on the bottom part of my trifectas and superfectas if you like her.

#1A Ariege- Garcia will give up the mount on Raw Silk to ride this Santa Anita Oaks winner. She hasn’t lost in two starts since that win. Robert Frankel as the trainer is always a good sign. Expect her to lay mid pack and come with a ton of run late. She will be Pure Clan’s main rival.

#7 Satan’s Circus- Surprised everyone when finishing second to Pure Clan two back in her US debut. She bounced off that race, finishing fourth as the favorite. You can expect her to come back strong today. Use her in all exacta, trifecta, and superfecta tickets.

#8 Country Star- (Main Track Only)

#9 Senior Rita Lady- (Main Track Only)

1st- Pure Clan
2nd- Ariege
3rd- Raw Silk

Plays:
$2 Exacta (1/ALL)
$2 Trifecta (1/2,3,7/2,3,6,7,)

The $1,000,000 Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby drew a very competitive field of fourteen. Ohio Derby winner Smooth Air has been tabbed as the lukewarm favorite at 7/2. Racing from the 6 hole he is going to be tough to beat. He has plenty of tactical speed, and an affinity for the distance. His main competition will come from California invader, Two Step Salsa.  He looks to be the only speed in the race. Power Game and You And I Forever are viable long shots. Power Game is an undefeated son of Dixie Union and a Claude McGaughey trainee. He won easy first time out, drawing off by eight lengths. Power Game then took a NW2 event by four lengths after racing four wide. The sky is the limit for this colt, and at 20-1 you have to like him. You And I Forever lost to Mambo In Seattle last out, who would go on to finish second by a nose in the Travers. 15-1 is a great price on this son of AP Indy and Bill Mott trainee.

1st- Smooth Air (7/2)
2nd- You And I Forever (15-1)
3rd- Two Step Salsa (9/2)

Plays:

$1 Trifecta (6,7,10,11/4,6,7,10,11/2,4,6,7,10,11,12)

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You can go a number of ways in the $200,000 Grade 2 Hopeful Stakes. Munnings, a son of Speighstown, is the 5/2 morning line favorite. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Munnings broke his maiden in wire to wire fashion first time out at Saratoga. Cribnote has been tabbed at 7/2 after thrashing a maiden field by thirteen lengths. He has fired a 1/51 five furlong move in :59 3/5 H since that race. Grade 2 winner Desert Party has been placed at 6-1. A son of Street Cry, and a Eoin Harty trainee, Desert Party offers the best value in the race.

1st- Cribnote (7/2)
2nd- Desert Party (6-1)
3rd- Vineyard Haven (12-1)

Plays: $2 Trifecta (2,8/2,4,5,8/1,2,4,6,7,8)

Click here to read an in depth analysis of the $200,000 Miller Lite Cradle Stakes!