*** GQ's Full card selections for Laurel Park on SATURDAY, Dec. 22nd can be found below ****
LAUREL, MD. 12-20-12---On paper and over the Laurel Park main track, Bold Affair
appears to tower over eight other fillies and mares entered to start in
Saturday’s $125,000 Thirty Eight Go Go
Stakes.
Already the winner of three stakes at Laurel Park this year, Bold
Affair (4-5) won the Conniver in
March and scored back-to-back victories in the Maryland Million Distaff Handicap and the Geisha Stakes. Toss in victories in the Skipat and Pimonetta Stakes
at Pimlico this past spring and the Howard Wolfendale trainee boasts a
record of nine wins in fifteen lifetime starts. Abel Castellano Jr. has the mount on the chestnut daughter of Two Punch.
“She has improved a great deal since I first rode her in late January,”
Castellano said. “She is really smart and I love her long stride. I have a lot
of confidence in her.”
Onepointhreekarats (4-1) is the
second choice on the morning line off back-to-back wins, including a visually
impressive, pace controlling score at Laurel on November 3rd. Graham Motion trains the Medaglia d’Oro filly and Jeremy Rose retains the mount.
Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship
winner Plum (6-1) finished third
behind Bold Affair in the Geisha, closing up the rail under Sheldon Russell at 34-1. Russell rides
the Pure Prize filly for trainer Rodney Jenkins.
Access to Charlie (8-1) finished in
fourth, 7-1/2 lengths behind Bold Affair in the Geisha. Her other meeting with
Bold Affair turned out much worse, as she was beaten by twenty lengths in the
Conniver last March. The Lawrence Murray
trainee has four wins on her resume including two against optional claiming
company this year. Julian Pimentel
has the mount.
Unbridled
Belle Stakes winner Withgreatpleasure
(10-1) rallied to finish second in last Saturday’s Willa on the Move Stakes. Trainer David Nunn wheels her right back, but no rider is named. The Hold
That Tiger filly has placed in two other stakes this year, the Pink Ribbon and the Cornucopia.
Completing the field are Whatabootie,
Ms. Tiptaptoe, All About Hope and Narita.
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Recapping my previously posted selections for Laurel
Park from Saturday, Dec. 15th
had 7 winners from 9 races (5 Top Selections; pay-offs shown in BOLD type) having $2 WIN pay-offs of $3.00 (1st race), $3.80 (3rd), $4.20 (4th),
$5.00 (6th), $7.40 (7th), $5.60
(8th) and $2.60 (9th).
The BEST BET of the Day
(11 5-1-2) Flying Forward (3-1 PT;
5-1 M/L) based on my handicapping knowledge, looked to be the lone speed in the
race. Unfortunately, even with a better jock in the irons, he failed to get the
lead. Settled into a second but never threatened the leader, and weakened in
the stretch finishing 4th.
The LONGSHOT PICK (9 3-0-0) Vote
Yes for Love got a no vote from the track veterinarian and was late morning
scratched. Usually when time permits I'll post an alternate pick, but since
this one was not among the early scratches listed, rather a late scratch, there
was no Longshot Play for the second consecutive post.
For Saturday races the weather forecast calls for Mostly Cloudy
skies and windy, but no chance of rain so the MAIN TRACK should be FAST.
Selections for the Laurel Park, Saturday
Dec. 22nd are posted below. Selections for all races posted were
handicapped based on making multi-race wagers such as DOUBLE’s, Pick-3’s and
Pick-4’s using all three (3) listed for each race in each leg.
1st race – $15,000 Claiming N2L for 3 y.o. and up – 1 mile
#4 – Hunter Jak (2-1)
#1 – Spinnaker Bay (6-1)
#6 – Gypsy Baron (3-1)
2nd race – $7,500 Claiming N2L for 3 y.o. and up – 5½ furlongs
#6 – Leather Gloves (5-2)
#4 – Awesome Life *** SCRATCHED ****
#3 – Brad (7-2)
#5 – Elexgente (6-1)
3rd race – $38,000 Maidens for 2 y.o. fillies – 5½ furlongs
#5 – Lady Sabelia (3-1)
#2 – Neigh O Me (8-1)
#3 – Railtown Girl (8-5)
4th race – $7,500 Claiming N2L for fillies and mares 3 y.o. and up
– 1 mile
#6 – Friendly Princess
(4-1) *** BEST
BET ***
#1 – Trippi’s Wish (8-5)
#3 – Printasticat (6-1)
5th race – $7,500 Claiming for 3 y.o. and – 5½ furlongs
#3 – No Shenanigans (7-2)
#6 – Boreal Forest (5-2)
#2 – Wicked Thunder (12-1)
6th race – $25,000 Optional Claiming N2X for 3 y.o. and up – 1
1/16 mile
#1 – Today’s Treasure (15-1) $$$
LONGSHOT $$$
#2 – Rhetoricalquestion (2-1)
#6 – Donttangowithmango (5-2)
7th race – $5,000 Claiming for 3 y.o. and up N2Y or N4L – 1 mile
#9 – Menifee Six (5-1)
#2 – Valentino’s Boy (15-1)
#6 – Rabbit Tracks (30-1)
8th race – $125,000 Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes for F&M 3 y.o.
and up – 1 mile
#2 – Bold Affair (4-5)
#9 – Onepointhreekarats (4-1)
#7 – Withgreatpleasure (10-1)
9th race – $8,000 Maiden Claiming for fillies and mares 3 y.o. and
up – 5 furlongs
#2 – Stroud Point (4-5)
#1 – Epaminonda’s Girl (6-1)
#6 – Count on Hope (9-5)
GOOD LUCK and wishing you a very Merry Christmas!