Thursday's Best Bet: Gio Maria adjusts to new surroundings
Thursday’s 4th race from Woodbine is a $123,200 maiden special weight event for fillies and mares traveling a mile and a sixteenth on the inner turf course (Post Time 6:32 p.m. EDT).
Click here for Woodbine Entries, Results
No. 1 GIO MARIA (6-1) landed the show in both starts at Laurel Park, and those special weight events were originally scheduled for turf. Her dam Camaria easily graduated second time out in a local all-weather extended sprint in 2016. Her new trainer Michael Doyle is enjoying a productive meet and Kazushi Kimura is a quality turf rider. She shows a trio of local works for this engagement.
No. 6 Swoop to Finish (7-2) adds blinkers and might be able to move forward and graduate in this turf route. She made a sustained run from off the pace to land the place in her local turf sprint bow last summer, and went to the sidelines after a flat 5th as the beaten favorite in an extended sprint on turf second time out. She was probably out for the exercise in her all-weather sprint return April 30, and she drilled a half-mile bullet for this June 10. Dam has produced a turf winner and she is bred to go this far.
No. 5 Grey Society (2-1) completed the trifecta in both all-weather routes and might improve in her second start of the year. Dam has tossed a turf winner.
No. 2 Mystical Journey (10-1) stalked wide from the outside post before fading in her seven panel debut on all-weather ground May 15. The $200k daughter of Curlin is bred to handle two turns and both of her dam’s winners scored on turf.
No. 3 Gav’s Dream Girl (4-1) was competitive in all four synthetic starts and she earned an improved speed rating when landing the place in her local return May 21. She does not have the strongest turf pedigree.
No. 8 Retail Therapist (15-1) did just enough in her three synthetic sprints to deserve a look in this spot. Tourist is a decent turf sire and dam has tossed two turf winners.
No. 4 Buttered Toast (8-1) is 0-for-23 with eight minor awards. She is most effective on all-weather ground.
No. 7 Intro (15-1) leaves herself too much work to do in all her races. She did manage to rally for the show in an all-weather stakes last fall.
Wagers:
No. 1 to Win
Exacta 1-6/1-5-6
Trifecta 1-2-5-6/1-2-3-5-6/8
Recent best-bet winners
June 1 - Nice Ace/Ribbons and Medals/Press Snooze Trifecta ($23.80)
June 3 -Buy Land and See ($2.80)
June 9 - Two of a Kind ($6.50)
June 10 - Loft ($7.40)
June 13 - Easy Day/Appealing Future/Big City Bob Trifecta ($93.80)