by TimeformUS Analyst David Aragona

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RACE 2: LITTLE BEAR CAT (#2)
One of the major questions in this race centers on morning-line favorite Bow Town Cat, and whether she can transfer her improved Florida form back to New York. While she did face a solid field going a mile last time, her prior sprint wins came against weaker company. She has to be considered the horse to beat, but I think there is a local challenger that is on the improve and could be a thorn in her side. Little Bear Cat was unlucky not to come away with a win last time after doing all of the hard work. Felini was her main rival in that race, and she went after that foe aggressively on the turn, ultimately putting her away before being collared by Ring Knocker late. I think Little Bear Cat has been subtlely improving for Dave Cannizzo in recent months, and she would not mind a little added moisture in the track.

Win: 2
Exacta Key Box: 2 with 1,4,5,6
 
 

RACE 3: EYE LUV LULU (#5)
Story to Tell has run the fastest races and kept the best company, but I wonder if his last race is a sign that he's starting to head in the wrong direction. He was the more fancied half of the heavily favored entry last time, but he had no answer for his stablemate Still Krz despite riding the rail the entire way on a day when that was the best part of the racetrack. I wonder if that performance is a sign that he's starting to head in the wrong direction. Furthermore, this horse has not been able to produce his best form over wet racetracks, which we are likely to encounter Saturday. The opposite is the case for Rudy Rodriguez's other entrant, Eye Luv Lulu, who has recorded 7 of his 9 lifetime victories over wet surfaces. Eye Luv Lulu appeared to get back to top form in his first start off the claim by Rudy last time, and a repeat of that effort gives him a real chance to upset his stablemate.

Win: 5
Trifecta: 5 with 2,3 with 1,2,3,4
 
 

RACE 5: SOL THE FREUD (#5)
Bass River Road is a deserving favorite as he seeks his fifth consecutive win for – who else? – Rudy Rodriguez. While he earned a 112 TimeformUS Speed Figure for his last win – a number that makes him pretty formidable in this spot – it needs to be mentioned that he had absolutely everything go his way last time. He was the only closer in a race that featured a plethora of speed horses, and he worked out a perfect trip, closing down the center of the racetrack on a day when you wanted to avoid being on the rail. He can win today, but I don't think he has as big of an advantage as it seems. Therefore, I'm taking a shot against him with Sol the Freud. He finished behind Bass River Road last time, but he was one of the many speed types in that race that was simply outrun in the early going. He's better when he is close up contesting the pace, which should be the case this time. He handles a wet track, and is getting a positive trainer switch to Michelle Nevin.

Win/Place: 5
Exacta Key Box: 5 with 4,7
 
 

RACE 6: CHORUS LINE (#3)
I've never been convinced that Chorus Line really wanted to go two turns, so naturally, I love that she's getting turned back in distance to a much more appropriate seven furlongs. While she was soundly defeated by Isabelle in the Heavenly Prize last time, she was hindered by a racetrack that was kind to runners racing along the rail. This time she should be able to stalk Wildcat Belle, who appears to be overmatched despite her apparent pace advantage, and she should have enough left to hold off closers Tahoe Tigress and She's So Fine.

Win: 3
Exacta Key Box: 3 with 1,2,4,6
 
 

RACE 8: TESTOSTERSTONE (#6)
On a day that's all about honoring the horses we've seen running over the inner track all winter, few are more deserving of recognition than one of my personal favorites – Testosterstone. This horse has made huge strides over the past few months, as he's really blossomed while in the care of Gary Sciacca's barn. His last effort looks disappointing at first glance, but I think you want to take that race with a grain of salt. The track had been changing at that point in the day due to some odd weather, and horses just weren't able to make up ground in a race that was dominated on the front end. A flat mile may also be a tad short for this horse, who prefers to race up closer to a more moderate early tempo. He handles wet tracks in case there's still moisture in the surface, and I'm confident he'll be able to stay the nine furlongs.

Win: 6
Exacta Key Box: 6 with 1,3,4,5
Trifecta: 4,6 with 4,6 with ALL