Post time: 1:35 p.m. Best bet: Brokeandbusted (4th race). Best play: 50-cent Pick 4 (1st): 1346/23457/4569/4, $40. 1st race 6 furlongs. 3-year-olds and up. Claiming $10,000. Purse $7,500. (#/Horse, Jockey, Trainer Wt.Odds) 1/Finally Found Out, Goodwin, Rhone1195-1. 2/Northern Buddy, Trimble, Berg1239-2. 3/Gone Digital, Butler, Rengstorf1195-2. 4/Convict Lake, Franco, Silva1195-1. 5/Royal Wish, Luark, Bethke1196-1. 6/Hwy Onetwentyeight, Arroyo, Porter1197-2. 7/Kickin Cactus, Castro, Bravo11915-1. GONE DIGITAL is the lone speed in the race and will try going gate to wire. Has been facing slightly tougher and just missed going longer two back while trying to lead the field the whole way before getting caught. CONVICT LAKE invades from the West Coast for Silva, who's off to a strong start hitting at 30 percent this year. Horse has a slight class advantage over this group and look for the gelding to be closing late. Can improve after some dull outings. HWY ONETWENTYEIGHT cuts back to a sprint after running a decent route effort at Oaklawn Park hitting the board. Should be in the mix but must avoid being hung out wide for this deep closing. FINALLY FOUND OUT is a first timer for Rhone, who has worked well but the rail position is a tough start for newbies. Will need to get out quick. Definite shot to open career with a victory if he can get out fast. 2nd race 6 furlongs. 3-year-olds and up. Claiming $10,000. Purse $9,600.1/Governmentfailure, Trimble, Berg1196-1. 2/Jolly Boat, Luark, Bethke1193-1. 3/Captain Royal, Rivera Jr., Gourneau1198-1. 4/Prairie Appeal, Delorme, Donlin1199-2. 5/Lucky Straw, Riggs, Biehler1195-2. 6/Manlee Spirit, Robletto, Peters12320-1. 7/Downtown Delight, Stevens, Biehler1235-1. 8/The Reconciler, Velazquez, Olesiak11815-1
Wide open race with many question marks in the field. DOWNTOWN DELIGHT will be sent out for his second start with a steady work pattern. Didn't show much in debut here last August but trainer Biehler does much better the second time out. JOLLY BOAT will show early foot and will need to avoid a speed duel with one of the first timers, who could come out firing. Has improved since racing here last year and should run better with this field. LUCKY STRAW ran five races here last season and was no worse than 5th facing tougher rivals. Solid work schedule coming in. PRAIRIE APPEAL is the most appealing first timer of the new shooters.
3rd race 5 1/2 furlongs. 3-year-olds and up. Claiming $10,000. Purse $7,500.
1/Racine Belle, Aguilar, Canchari12312-1 2/Tru Omega, Robletto, Riecken12312-1 3/Barb Wire, Rivera Jr., Brocka1195-1 4/Rosyredepper, Riggs, Hartman1234-1 5/Alphabets Tuff Gal, Butler, Rhone1193-1 6/Threat Assessment, Keith, Hanson1235-1 7/Hang On in There, Franco, Silva1196-1 8/U Know What I Like, Arroyo, Brocka1239-2 9/Blue Ra Ra, Castro, Svendsen12320-1.
ALPHABETS TUFF GAL wheels back after racing 15 days ago in Tampa, where she gave way after leading the field going longer as the favorite. Butler/Rhone combination is tough to beat and has the best current form of the field. BLUE RA RA will not be 20/1 at post time as the M/L has her, but if the filly is, jump on it. She faced much better here last season and won in August setting the pace. Has three decent works coming in. ROSYREDPEEPER hit the board in three of her four races at Turf Paradise in both sprint and route races. Anything close to those efforts makes her a logical threat. Should be sitting off the pace.
4th race 5 1/2 furlongs. 3-year-olds and up. Claiming $5,000. Purse $8,000.
1/Flying by the Pole, Luark, Bethke12015-1 2/Good Luck Shamrock, Velazquez, Scherer1155-1 3/Khukuri, Walker Jr., Corcoran1202-1 4/Brokeandbusted, Goodwin, Brinson1233-1 5/Local Big Shot, Riggs, Biehler1208-1 6/Cash At Night, Rivera, Van Winkle12010-1 7/Jestintime, Trimble, Berg1206-1 8/Root River Kid, Morales, Cheloha12310-1
In what appears to be a two-horse race on paper, I give the slight edge to BROKEANDBUSTED, who looks tough shipping up from Hawthorne, where he has won three of the past four. Has good early and late speed to take over when asked. Should dig the furlong shorter distance today. KHUKURI is the one to beat coming off a 9-month layoff. Racing the first time for Corcoran, whose numbers explode across the board in the racing form with these types of races. Khukuri ran well against better at Arlington Park and Keeneland last year on synthetic track. First career race today on dirt. GOOD LUCK SHAMROCK has an outside chance if the top two try to duel it out to make late run.