Weekend Picks

Sunday Race 8 OC 50K 1 mile Turf
Oyster Cat, once part of the Eoin Harty barn, now is under Sharon Ritter. He ran third to Midshipman and Street Hero in his first maiden on the West Coast, and earned a fat figure sprinting. Moved to Keeneland where he faced speedster Silver City. Finally broke through on the lawn at today's distance. Cool C Note also faced some impressive foes including Giant Oak and Poltergiest. He liked the switch to turf and barn plays the claim game well. African Diamond is sent to the gate by aforementioned Harty. Speed figures far from robust, he's an improving son of Yogunska whose stock went up with son Musket Man, my favorite colt in the Triple Crown.

Oyster Cat
Cool C Note
African Diamond

So, not a bad start an ROI of 70 with WPS bets. Cherokee Queen being the long shot to come in!

Possibly Perfect F/M 50k stakes 1 1/8 off turf

Woke up to the sound of rain in the gutters again. The mercury still afraid to top 60 in the middle of June. So off the turf we go with a small field topped by Communique and Lady Carlock. There is no speed at all in this field, which could affect strategy. E.T. Baird known for his front-end prowess rides morning fave Communique, maybe this will help but the conditions don't favor her. Grahm Motion has an improving filly in here named Cherokee Queen who was the beaten favorite in a modest Allowance last out. She can possibly steal this race. You Go West gets white hot Junior Alvarado in the irons, also not as classy as the others, she has a nice record over the poly and should be near the lead. Lady Carlock is one of the classier entered. She likes a nice pace to close into, which she probably won't get. Nafzger doesn't have a great record here, but this mare should hit the board. It'd be nice if summer rolled into Chicagoland and the rain rolled out.

Cherokee Queen
You Go West
Lady Carlock

Stephen Foster G1 1 1/8 miles dirt Churchill Downs

Einstien vies for the dirty grade one, and has a good shot. The rain is supposed to hold off till the evening to the chagrin of Macho Again who likes this strip sloppy. Asiatic Boy who we saw running second to Curlin in what was prolly the greatest race of his career hits the states under the auspices of the McLaughlin barn. He gets lasix for the first time and has a nice tracking style to get to Einstien and Finallymadeit who should be fighting on the lead. Finallymadeit could falter early; we don't know if he can ship. If that happens then Einstien shouldn't have a problem hitting the wire first. Rounding it out for me is Bullsbay who, while not racing in the upper echelons, has assembled a nice record. Look for him to be closing in.

Asiatic Boy
Einstien
Bullsbay