Gabby Gaudet's analysis and betting tips for Sunday's race card at Laurel Park:
Race 1, 1:25 p.m. post time
Selections: No. 8 Justcallme K L, No. 6 Sensational Notion, No. 3 Tricky Citizen
Justcallme K L holds arguably the most consistent and legitimate turf form in the field and that might just give him the edge here. There are several with suspect speed including I'm a Prankster, which will help guide his closing, running style. Sensational Notion took interesting money when making his turf debut. Curious to see what he's made of at two-turns. Tricky Citizen will get bet because of the connections but the mare has yet to produce a turf winner and this is not a strong angle for a high-percentage barn.
Race 2, 1:57 p.m.
Selections: No. 3 Gursky, No. 5 Twelve Stone, No. 2 Fitzfarris
Although Gursky is still a bit of an unknown in terms of this distance, I think he's be able to suit it just fine given his quickness at 6 furlongs versus his ability to carry his speed up to 1 1/16th miles. Should be able to stalk the pace. Twelve Stone is the only horse in the field that has won at this distance but has faced slightly easier recently. Fitzfarris will have to show he can rate in win with faster horses in here. Think he'll continue to improve but simply caught a runner last out in Blu Moon Ace.
Race 3, 2:29 p.m.
Selections: No. 3 Lovely Notion, No. 1 Deposit Slip, No. 9 Pro Daddy
Where did that race come from by Lovely Notion when he finished second to Shiboni at Laurel in early May…and more importantly, can we see any fraction of that performance today? His Pimlico race is forgivable considering the smoking hot early fractions. Deposit Slip meets the right company here but also see this as being too much of an evenly matched field to take a short price. Pro Daddy is beginning to rack up the seconds and thirds. What'll get him over the hump today?
Race 4, 3:02 p.m.
Selections: No. 10 Star Black, No. 2 Heavenly Perfect, No. 4 Archer Queen
Heavenly Perfect has been giving extremely game efforts no matter the surface or class recently. Must respect her as she gets back to a preferred surface, but does draw a tricky post given her running style. We saw it pose as a problem back on the 14th of May. That's where Star Black is intriguing. She had two races to tighten her for today and I also think she's much better at 5 ½ furlongs on a course where she's a four-time winner. Archer Queen will get the situation she wants meeting easier company today and the presence of plenty of speed.
Race 5, 3:35 p.m.
Selections: No. 5 Ms. Shosho, No. 10 Britt's Fortune, No. 12 Golden Mila
Ms. Shosho's most recent race on the turf gives me hope that we can see a similar effort by her on the dirt. At the very least, a duplicable performance when she sprinted on the dirt on a fast main track. She has enough natural speed to sit just behind Britt's Fortune if she can't manage to stay the distance. A habit she's repeated in many of her career starts. Golden Mila is a longtime maiden but her last race was the first time against this type of company. Like her for a piece of it.
Race 6, 4:08 p.m.
Selections: No. 8 Mr. Benz, No. 4 Thirteenth Avenue, No. 9 Red Hot Warrior
It always seems that the Rodney Jenkins barn pulls a fast one with many of his turf sprinters. Mr Benz seems like the prototypical horse to take a shot with. He was reserved and steadied the majority of the way in his turf sprint back in early April. He's been freshened since and the blinkers go one. Like that they continue to protect against Allowance company. Thirteenth Avenue has been in very fine form for a barn that retools sprinters. The one to beat. Red Hot Warrior improved in the Lynch barn last out, most likely due to the shortening up in distance. A must use.
Race 7, 4:41 p.m.
Selections: No. 8 Seeking Alpha, No. 3 Ghost Hunter, No. 2 Chiropractor
This is arguably the toughest race on the card, fully loaded with quality, older allowance runners. I'll give the edge to Seeking Alpha who I always thought would improve the longer he went. His form belies that opinion, making me think he does have distance limitations. Not to mention, his A1X and 2X victories at Gulfstream have been productive. Ghost Hunter is a tricky one to figure. He's a 5-time winner on synthetic but his highest numbers have been on the turf, a surface where he is 0-5. Something about him is still appealing in this spot if he can manage to show his best. Chiropractor is a Grade 1 winner and should be respected on his merits. He's very accomplished, however, this seems like an interesting spot after 5 months on the shelf, and the Proctor barn is 0-5 with turf allowance horses at Laurel Park.
Race 8, 5:16 p.m.
Selections: No. 7 Golden Glint, No. 3 Mr Palmer, No. 5 Noble Cornerstone
How could Golden Glint possibly turn the tables on Mr. Palmer? I think he can do it, coming back to a track he prefers and where he is a 5-time winner and the controlling post position. It doesn't seem like an overwhelming amount of speed and we could see him sit a bit closer today. Noble Cornerstone, although an accomplished sprinter, has also run strong races at one-turn miles. Can we see his back form resurface or is he a horse who once was precocious and is beginning to tail off?
Race 9, 5:51 p.m.
Selections: No. 6 Path Dependent, No. 3 Unfurhling, No. 9 Nice Try
Path Dependent has managed to run respectable races at different tracks, which is always a commendable attribute for a maiden claimer. Think this distance will help him help him gather himself at the top of the stretch for his closing running style. Unfurhling is bred to love the turf, out of a nice allowance-type mare who surpassed six figures in earnings on the lawn. This seems like the right placement for Nice Try who took good money in an easy-for-level field last out.
Best bet: Race 2, No. 3 Gursky
Price play: Race 6, No. 8 Mr. Benz