Handicapping: Toyota Blue Grass, Central Bank Ashland

By Rick Francis —

Race 9) 1&1/16th Mile. Central Bank Ashland S. Grade I. Purse $500,000 FOR FILLIES THREE YEARS OLD.
Post Time: ( 5:45)/ 4:45/ 3:45/ 2:45 ADVANCED FORECAST: Patchy Fog then Partly Sunny, High 74, Low 56.

1) Bizwhacks (O’Neill/Gutierrez); hung 4-wide in Honeybee cost filly out of Fed Biz but she stayed on for third; she can find a board spot again here just not the top spot.

2) Chocolate Kisses (Casse/Gaffalione); solid in her two starts this year, winning two back over the Fair Grounds turf and then rallied past the G3 Honeybee field at Oaklawn; value to be had.

3) Lady Kate (Kenneally/Lanerie); after placing in Tampa Bay’s Suncoast, Bernardini daughter has been burning up the am workouts; can it carry over?

4) Jaywalk (Sevis/Castellano); Juvenile filly champ came up empty as the 1-5 favorite in the Davona Dale, a race she definitely needed; she’ll rebound here but another very short price.

5) Feedback (Brown/Ortiz, I.); on the sidelines for six months, Violence filly battled gamely to win the Grade 3 Forward Gal at Gulfstream; a similar effort in this puts her squarely in the win mix.

6) Restless Rider (McPeek/Hernandez, B.); missed by a nose last out in the G2 Golden Rod, her second straight strong place finish (2nd behind Jaywalk in BC Juve Filly); winner of the G1 Alcibiades here in October.

7) Bell’s the One (Pessin/Geroux); a perfect 4-for-4 but untested at the level; she ran and won where connections placed her; an exotics player.

8) Out for a Spin (Stewart/Lopez); major class test, until now the toughest she’s faced are OC’s.

Selections: 5, 4, 6, 1– Hi-5 add 7

Race 10) 1&1/8th Miles Toyota Blue Grass S. Grade II. Purse $1,000,000 FOR THREE YEAR OLDS

1) Somelikeithotbrown (Maker/Gaffalione); Big Brown colt returns to the dirt after a successful run over the synthetic and turf course around the country; this is the year the surface switch angle has played well.

2) Vekoma (Weaver/Castellano); interesting that this Candy Ride colt didn’t get the “window” respect last out in the Fountain of Youth finishing third; now we’re asked to accept even money; he’ll have to beat me.

3) Signalman (McPeek/Hernandez, B.); finished a weak seventh in the FOY; he wasn’t ready after close to 4-months off, works since suggest he’ll be ready for this.

4) Market King (Lukas/Court); race fans knew his shot of going to the front in the Rebel was his only shot; fires blanks today.

5) Chess Chief (Stewart/Lopez); maiden winner posted a quick work for this, not much else to be said.

6) Dream Maker (Casse/Geroux); Tapit colt never contended in the Tampa Bay Derby, however connections believe his bullet work here a week ago is an indicator he’s ready to roll, I’ve got my doubts.

7) Admire (Romans/Albarado); in his two graded stakes attempts this year he’s failed t fire, make it three.

8) Win Win Win (Trombetta/Ortiz, I.); hit triple-digit speed figures two back in Pasco but that speed didn’t carryover last out in the TB Derby where he finished third as the race fave; don’t see him threatening.

9) Sir Winston (Casse/Leparoux); Awesome Again colt is another who failed to deliver at this level; won’t here.

10) Lucky Lee (Sevis/Landeros); race comments say it all about this Flatter colt’s effort in the G3 Withers “No Impact”.

11) So Alive (Pletcher/Saez); though bumped, Super Saver colt finished double-digits third in the Grade 3 Sam Davis, not the strongest of contests.

12) Parsimony (O’Neill/Gutierrez); maiden is overmatched here.

13) Moonster (Romans/Mckee); puncher’s chance.

14) Aquadini (Stewart/Lanerie); steadily improving; will take a flyer for a board finish.

Selections: 3, 2, 1, 14 — Hi-5 add 6

Keeneland Photos