Daily Racing Funnies,The Rebel & Laurel Selections
Today I proudly unveil my very own “Funnie”, which obviously has a
Maryland theme. This equine drawing masterpiece was a collaborative effort of
yours truly and Marcy “Mel” Leonard of Daily Racing Funnies. The turnaround
time on my order was amazingly quick, her attention to detail is first-rate,
and willingness to let you “have it your way” results in a unique piece of
horse racing memorabilia, one can call your own.
Mel’s work has been featured in many areas of HRN as well as on
her Twitter account @dailyracefunies. Her drawings are timely, especially
during this rapid fire time of year (i.e. Derby Trail), and guaranteed to bring
a smile to all who see them. They are certainly a welcome diversion from the
stress of keeping up with this fast-paced industry, while also being
informative by capturing a major storyline in a single frame drawing. Thanks
Mel for bringing the “funnie” side of horse racing to life.
On the national scene, there is only one Derby prep race this weekend. It’s the
$600,000
G2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park (OP). Thanks to the
new Derby point system format, which will determine the pecking order for
getting into the starting gate for the 139th running of the Kentucky Derby on
May 4th, we should see full fields in the remaining Derby prep races. To give
you an indication of how critical these races are as far as earning Derby
points, there were 131 3-year-olds nominated to the Rebel Stakes.
A field of eleven (11) will break from the starting gate on the Hot Springs, AR
oval, racing 1 1/16th mile, led by 3-2 Morning Line favorite #10 - Super Ninety
Nine, who convincingly won the G3 Southwest Stakes
here at the same distance on Feb. 18th.
A couple Also-Rans from the Southwest Stakes race are back to try to redeem
themselves, #3 - Texas
Bling (30-1) who failed to be a threat (9th) after
posting an impressive 2nd in the Smarty Jones Stakes in January at Oaklawn Park
and #7 - Will
Take Charge (aka WTC; 15-1) was off poorly and was dead
last into the first turn when he customarily is leading the pack early, and
appeared to dislike the sloppy going that day.
Thanks to his victory in the Southwest Stakes, Super Ninety Nine (S99) will be
giving 4 lbs. to his Southwest rivals which still may not be enough to turn the
tables, but well certainly help newcomers like #4 - Delhomme
(7-2), making his 3-year-old debut and will certainly look S99 in the eye
early. In addition to WTC, D. Wayne Lukas sends out #9- Oxbow
(4-1), a game 4th in the Risen Star Stakes at Fairgrounds (LA) on Feb. 23rd.
CA invaders include #6 - Den's Legacy
(8-1) and the late-running #1 - Treasury Bill
(5-1).The latter will get help from entrymate #1A - Title
Contender entered to be a “rabbit“, ensuring quick
early fractions. A newcomer to the Derby Trail... #2 - Carve
(15-1) is a lightly raced son of First
Samurai, is a perfect 2 for 2 and trained by Steve Asmussen
while local runners #5 - Hardrock
Eleven (50-1) and #8 - Stormy Holiday
(30-1) would light up the toteboard with a victory here.
HOW I SEE
IT: Title Contender sets a blistering pace with Oxbow at his
shoulder, while Delhomme, Will Take Charge and Super Ninety Nine settle in
behind those two. As many as six (6) runners could be abreast as the turn for
home, looking more like punch-drunk prize fighters. This would play right into
the hands of Den’s Legacy and Treasury Bill to make their presence known
heading into the stretch. The outcome will depend on how the OP surface is
“playing” on Saturday. Take note of how the early races are being run, and
adjust your wagering strategy accordingly.
Recapping the previously posted selections at Laurel Park from Saturday, Mar. 9th had 8 winners from 11 races (4 Top Selection; pay-offs shown in BOLD type) having $2 WIN pay-offs of $3.00 (1st race), $5.00 (2nd), $3.80 (3rd), $15.60 (4th), $4.00 (5th), $6.80 (8th), $5.60 (10th) and $18.20 (11th).
The LONGSHOT PICK (10 0-0-3) Pool Party (3-1 PT; 6-1 M/L) set a pressured pace along the rail, held on gamely when entering the stretch, but yielded in the final furlong, salvaging SHOW and returning $2.40.
For Saturday races the weather forecast calls for a overcast skies with 70% chance of showers, which makes handicapping this card tricky. It’s guess-work on whether the track will be FAST or SLOPPY at Laurel Park on Saturday Mar. 16th . As of 10am, the track is listed as FAST. Selections for all races posted were handicapped based on making multi-race wagers such as DOUBLE’s, Pick-3’s and Pick-4’s using all three (3) listed for each race in each leg.
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1st race – $5,000 Claiming for F&M 4 y.o.& up – 1 1/16 miles
#5 – Forty Days (7-5)
#4 – My Name Is Ralphie (15-1)
#2 – Angels Concerto (5-1)
2nd race – $7,500 Claiming N3L for F&M 4 y.o.& up – 6 furlongs
#2 – True Chick (9-2)
#4 – She’s Behaving (5-2)
#7 – Time Marches On (20-1)
3rd race – $7,500 Claiming N3L for F&M 4 y.o. & up – 1 1/16 miles
#5 – Trippi’s Wish (8-5)
#1 – Lady Geegee (2-1)
#7 – Skips Prospect (6-1)
4th race – $25,000 Starter Allowance for 3 y.o. fillies – 7 furlongs
#1 – Ek Haseena (8-5)
#4 – Sea Lady (6-1)
#5 – Curly (8-1)
5th race – $50,000 Optional Claiming N1X for 3 y.o.– One mile
#4 – Keep Momma Happy (6-1) $$$ LONGSHOT $$$
#2 – Indian Bucks (3-1)
#6 – Wry Me (10-1)
6th race – $25,000 Optional Claiming N2X for F&M 4 y.o.& up – 6 furlongs
#1 – West Coast Lady (4-1) *** BEST BET ***
#7 – Zero Yield (7-2)
#2 – Grammy Pat (7-2)
7th race – $5,000 Claiming N1Y for 4 y.o.& up – 1 1/8 miles
#8 – Changing Funds (3-1)
#1 – Hurricane Creek (7-2)
#6 – Silent Shot (15-1)
8th race – $125,000 Harrison E. Johnson Memorial Stakes for 3 y.o & up – 1 1/8 miles
#4 – Norman Asbjornson (4-1)
#3 – Koh I Noor (9-5)
#1 – Eighttofasttocatch (9-2)
9th race – $8,000 Maiden Claiming for F&M 3 y.o. & up – 7 furlongs
#6 – Pure Anticipation (7-5)
#7 – Tale of the Dragon (6-1)
#2 – Nashly Love (3-1)
GOOD LUCK!