Stanton Salter's betting tips and analysis for Saturday's race card at Laurel Park:
Race 1, 1:25 post time
Selections: No. 9 Live in Joy, No. 2 Make My Saturday, No. 3 Private Tutor
Live in Joy is an 8-year-old who has won on the turf 10 times, good for $288,000 in earnings. He runs today for his new barn of trainer Kieron Magee, who wins at a 27 percent clip when getting new horses into his barn. Nine of his 10 grass wins have come going long, however. This turf veteran is 1-for-1 sprinting on the grass. I like his outside post today with Alex Cintron aboard. Make My Saturday's last two races at Parx have been just OK, but he did fire a very sharp effort last summer on the grass at Laurel Park when he was second against a tough upper-level Allowance field. Private Tutor had a couple of solid seconds at Pimlico to next-out winners and will be coming with a late rally today.
Race 2, 1:57 p.m.
Selections: No. 6 Skiing in Russia, No. 5 No More Excuses, No. 2 Peppermint Stick
This race is for the Fegentri Amateur Riders, which explains the higher weight assignments. Skiing in Russia ran decent in her debut at Pimlico, and she gets Lasix for her second start today for trainer Tony Aguirre. Her rider is Taylor Leatherman, who is from Maryland and will be wearing the red, white and blue silks. No More Excuses broke poorly in her most recent start, but was still able to finish the race with interest and was only beaten less than four lengths. Peppermint Stick showed speed as the favorite in her last race, which was last October. She is well-bred for the turf and comes into today's race following a bullet work here at Laurel Park on July 16.
Race 3, 2:29 p.m.
Selections: No. 4 Azorean Connection, No. 2 Futile, No. 3 R J Bentley
Azorean Connection is making his debut today for leading trainer Tim Keefe, who has a positive ROI with his first-timers. He is a Maryland-bred 3-year-old son of Friesan Fire, who is one of the top young stallions in the Mid-Atlantic Region. His dam earned $127,000 and his second-dam earned $146,000, so there is some nice pedigree top and bottom for this gelding. He gets to walk out of his stall today and run for the first time on the track where he trains in the morning, and has posted some nice workouts, including a bullet five-furlong drill back on May 17. Futile is the morning-line favorite and makes his debut today for trainer Arnaud Delacour, who is 22 percent with his first-timers. R J Bentley will have all of College Park cheering for him and is looking for an improvement from his debut last November.
Race 4, 3:02 p.m.
Selections: No. 3 Kremlin, No. 8 Swellelegent, No. 1 Bridge of Luck
Kremlin has been running against better and gets a bit of a class relief today for trainer Tim Keefe. In both of his two wins on the grass last year, he sat just off the early pace setters. With this race not having an abundance of early speed, he might be able to get that same kind of trip today instead of being so far back as he was in his last couple of races. His jockey Taylor Hole wins at a 26 percent clip when riding for this barn. Since being gelded last spring, Swellelegent has turned in four sharp efforts and finds easier company today than his last race. Bridge of Luck has been in fine form since getting back to Maryland last May and is coming into today's race following a sharp win in his most recent start at Laurel Park.
Race 5, 3:35 p.m.
Selections: No. 6 Backseat Lover, No. 4 Hannays, No. 3 No Knock Raid
Backseat Lover is by Not For Love and is getting blinkers today for the first time. He is also making his turf debut today for trainer Rodney Jenkins, who is 22 percent with first-time turf runners. He has shown speed on the dirt, and his sire does well with turf runners. His dam earned almost $200,000 and won her lone start going long on the turf. Jockey Angel Cruz has been having a nice meet and takes the call on this gelding today. Hannays is by Speightstown and is out of a mare who won her first two starts going long on the grass. No Knock Raid had some traffic problems two races ago at this level, but still managed to rally for an encouraging third.
Race 6, 4:08 p.m.
Selections: No. 6 Catcher, No. 5 To Blave, No. 2 Speightshill
Catcher is out of a dam who was a multiple stakes winner and earned $345,000. His debut on the synthetic was OK, considering he had a wide journey that day. He gets Lasix for the first time today for trainer Graham Motion, and gets Jevian Toledo to ride. To Blave is slow early but likes to come with a late rally and just missed at this distance last January. Speightshill has shown some talent in the past, including a second-place effort against better in his most recent start, however. He is still a maiden at 5 years old and runs for a tag today for the first time.
Race 7, 4:41 p.m.
Selections: No. 3 Two Notch Road, No. 6 Chief Exchanger, No. 4 Rocky Policy
Two Notch Road is a very accomplished, well-managed 9-year-old who is a six-time winner on the grass, good for almost $400,000 in earnings. Julian Pimentel has been up for both of his last two wins, so it's great to see him back up today for trainer Glenn Thompson. Out of four starts on the lawn at Laurel Park, this old classy gelding has two wins and a second, and will be tough to beat today. Chief Exchanger just missed last time sprinting on the turf here at Laurel and was claimed by Kieron Magee, who is 25 percent first off the claim. Rocky Policy has been right there in all four of her turf starts and runs today first off the claim for trainer Dale Capuano.
Race 8, 5:16 p.m.
Selections: No. 7 McArthur Parkway, No. 11 Striking Style, No. 2 Debbie's Tude
It looks like there is a lot of early speed in this race, so I'm taking a chance with a 12-1 closer in McArthur Parkway. She had a nice win against Allowance company last August and just missed at this level last November when she was second to Vielsalm, who almost won the Gr. 3 Gallorette on Preakness Weekend. She runs today second off the layoff for trainer Tim Keefe, and her jockey Taylor Hole is very good at timing a late rally. Striking Style is one of the favorites, but might be part of an early contentious pace. Debbie's Tude is very sharp right now and just went coast to coast in The All Brandy at Pimlico, but she too might get caught in an early pace battle.
Race 9, 5:51 p.m.
Selections: No. 7 Freud's Vale, No. 12 Amain, No. 8 Rub the Rock
Freud's Vale has won 14 times, good for $189,000 in earnings. He was running well the last time we saw him at Laurel Park and he kept that sharp form in his two most recent races at Penn National for trainer Dale Capuano. Yomar Ortiz is having a nice meet and takes the call again today on this guy he won on two races ago. Amain has won two of his last three and runs for strong connections. Rub the Rock also runs for strong connections and takes a drop to this level today.
Best bet: Race 7, No. 3 Two Notch Road (3-1)
Day maker: Race 8, No. 7 McArthur Parkway (12-1)
Play of the day: Early Pick 5 starts here (Mandatory pay-out with a 12 percent takeout)
1st: 1, 2, 3, 9
2nd: 2, 5, 6
3rd: 2, 3, 4
4th: 3
5th: 4, 6
Cost: $36