5/15/15 Pimlico All-Stakes Pick Four - Preview

It's Black-Eyed Susan Day at Pimlico, a.k.a. Preakness Eve, and they've put together an excellent card, with a wide variety of wagering options.  I originally planned to take a shot at today's ten cent Rainbow Pick Six, or perhaps the low takeout Pick Five; but I found the two Allowance Races starting the Pick Six sequence (Races 6 and 7) pretty inscrutable, and figured that I would have to go at least four deep in each.  Since I couldn't find a suitable single in the subsequent stakes races, I concluded that playing either the Pick Six or the Pick Five would be too much of a budget buster; so I decided instead to focus my attention of the All-Stakes Pick Four.

RACE 8 - (F) The Miss Preakness (Grade 3) - Six Furlongs Dirt

A’s

# 9 Irish Jasper (Morning Line 8-1)

B's

# 6 Divine Dawn (ML 5-1)

# 11 Huasca (ML 8-1)

# 1 Enchanting Lady (ML 3-1); # 3 Miss Ella (ML 4-1); and # 5 Regina Christina (ML 30-1) have all been scratched.

Irish Jasper, a two time stakes winner, should get a nice press-and-pounce trip from the outside.  Divine Dawn, trained by Larry Jones, took the Place last time out in the Grade 2 Beaumont.  Divine Dawn should appreciate the turn back in distance today.  Huasca has the best last-out Beyer Speed Figure in this field.

RACE 9 - The Jim McKay Turf Sprint $100k - Five Furlongs Turf

A’s

# 9 Amelia's Wild Ride (ML 4-1)

B's

# 3 Ben's Cat (ML 2-1)

# 7 Bold Thunder (ML 7-2)

Amelia's Wild Ride, winner of the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint back in February, should appreciate the return to a firm turf surface today.  Ben's Cat won the running of this event last year; albeit when it was taken off the grass.  Look for Ben's Cat to be doing his best running late, while Bold Thunder could be the one leading the field early, and possibly all the way to the wire.

RACE 10 - (F) The DuPont Distaff (Grade 3) - Nine Furlongs Dirt

A’s

# 2 Stopchargingmaria (ML 9-5)

B's

# 5 Fortune Pearl (ML 8-1)

# 10 Yahilwa (ML 9-2)

# 7 Before You Know It (ML 10-1) has been scratched.

Stopchargingmaria is that class of this field, and she'll be getting some class relief today after taking the Place in the Grade 1 Madison last time out.  Fortune Pearl, trained by Graham Motion, could be cycling up to a big number.  Yahilwa, winner of the Grade 3 Sixty Sails last time out, shares with Stopchargingmaria the honor of having the best last out Beyer Speed Figure.

RACE 11 - (F) The Black-Eyed Susan (Grade 2) - Nine Furlongs Dirt

A’s

# 5 Include Betty (ML 5-1)

# 8 Luminance (ML 9-5)

B's

# 1 Danessa Deluxe (ML 9-2)

# 3 Ahh Chocolate (ML 6-1)

Include Betty, trained by Tom Proctor and ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, took the Grade 3 Fantasy two starts back.  Luminance, trained by Bob Baffert, took the Place in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks last time out.  

Danessa Deluxe shares with Luminance the honor of having the best last out Beer Speed Figure.  Look for Danessa Deluxe and Ahh Chocolate to be doing their best running late.

OK, that's the analysis.  Playing our tickets in the abbreviated Crist fashion, we get:

All A Entries

$0.50 P4: 9 with 9 with 2 with 5,8 $1.00

All A Entries with All B Entries

$0.50 P4: 6,9,11 with 3,7,9 with 2,5,10 with 1,3,5,8 $54.00

Total: $55.00

Post Time for Race 8 is 3:23 EDT / 12.23 PDT.  Good luck to all.

Peace and Love,

Jimbo