Charlie Whittingham headlines Hollywood Saturday

Betfair Hollywood Park will feature a stakes double on Saturday, including the Grade 2 $250,000 Charlie Whittingham Memorial Handicap. Seven runners have entered the mile and a quarter event, including high weight Slim Shadey.  Slim Shadey scored a big win in the San Marcos at Santa Anita earlier this spring and has been succeeding most when he’s on the early lead.  With not a ton of other speed signed on in this race, don’t be surprised to see new rider David Flores send him to the front.  Flores has ridden Slim Shadey before, including a second place finish in this race last season.  All Squared Away and Corey Nakatani will also get some attention at the windows, based on their consistency and All Squared Away’s love of going a route of ground.  All Squared Away is coming off a nose defeat in the marathon San Juan Capistrano at Santa Anita last time out, just getting caught by Interaction.  Cal Cup Classic winner Lucky Primo could be the only thing between Slim Shadey and an easy lead, as he has certainly shown good speed in some of his starts.  Tyler Baze was on board for the win last out and will be back on Saturday, however this will be the first try at 10 furlongs for Lucky Primo.

The Manhattan Beach drew 8 runners for the 6 furlong turf sprint with Judy in Disguise looming large on the class drop.  Judy in Disguise won the Sweet Life Stakes sprinting on the turf at Santa Anita and two starts back was third in the Grade 2 Beaumont.  Rafael Bejarano takes over the mount on Judy in Disguise who drew the far outside.  Upbeat Mood and Lady Rosamond should both add fuel to what looks like it is going to be a very salty early pace. 

BetPTC.com Selections for the Charles Whittingham

1. All Squared Away
2. Lucky Primo
3. Slim Shadey

Longshot: Lime Rickey

BetPTC.com Selections for the Manhattan Beach

1. Lady Rosamond
2. Judy in Disguise
3. Unwritten Law

Longshot: Kinz Funky Monkey

Opening Day at Colonial Downs is Saturday

Colonial Downs in Virginia will kick off its Summer meet on Saturday June 8^th.  Colonial Downs is best known for featuring one of the best turf courses in the country, and the racing is run almost exclusively on the green.  The $300,000 Colonial Turf Cup on June 22^nd is a Grade 2 race and always features some of the top male turf runners in the land.  Then on Saturday July 13^th it will be the $500,000 Virginia Derby, which year in and year out produces three year old turfers that go on to races like the Secretariat Stakes at Arlington Park.

Racing at Colonial Downs will usually kick off at 6pm on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights and then at 12:55pm EST on Sundays.  However both Virginia Derby Day and Colonial Turf Cup Day will feature first post times of 5:00pm EST.

Summit of Speed Preview Day at Calder on Saturday

The Summit of Speed in July is annually one of the biggest days on the Florida Racing calendar.  This Saturday will be the final round of local preps for the big day, with four $75,000 events.  Grade 1 winner Jackson Bend will make his first start since finishing seventh in the Grade 1 Forego last year.  He’s a multiple Grade 1 winner and was once one of the top sprinters in the country, so if he brings his A game, then the rest are running for second money.  Close It Out just won the Champali Stakes at Calder and certainly warrants some respect as a deep closer.  The speediest runner in the field could be Trickmeister who is 6 for 11 in his career, but is making his first start at Calder, and often Calder is a track that takes some getting used to.  Angelica Zapata and Starship Truffles will match up in the U Can Do It Handicap, which is a big prep for the Grade 1 Princess Rooney on Summit of Speed Day.

The Leave Me Alone Stakes for the three year old fillies has the look of a wide open race.  It’s filled with horses who are lightly raced, all of whom are looking to make their mark in this division.  Dreaming of Lucy might be the one to watch out for as she’s won two of three in her career, all at Calder and all with upward trending speed figures.  She’s breaking just to the inside of Twice Told Tale who looked like she could be a top three year old filly before she got beaten badly in the Davona Dale behind Live Lively and Dreaming of Julia.  Calder Derby winner Sr. Quisqueyano will be taking on one of the top two years olds in Florida from last year Two A’s at Two B, who hasn’t been seen since last season at Calder.  City of Weston is a stakes winner at Calder as well, but those three seem to stand out above the others in this six furlong event.

BetPTC.com Selections for the Ponche

1. Bahamian Squall
2. Trickmeister
3. Jackson Bend

Longshot: Black Diamond Cat

BetPTC.com Selections for the U Can Do It

1. Starship Truffles
2. Angelica Zapata
3. Bahia Beach

Longshot: Givhans Ferry

BetPTC.com Selections for the Leave Me Alone

1. Twice Told Tale
2. Dreaming of Lucy
3. Putitinmypocket

Longshot: Wildcat Lilly

BetPTC.com Selections for the Unbridled

1. Sr. Quisqueyano
2. City of Weston
3. Rockyshomerun

Longshot: Anillo

Saturday Stakes Action at BetPTC.com

 

Arlington Park

Race 1                  Addison Cammack Handicap                       2:00pm EST

Race 4                  Swoon’s Son Stakes                                    3:21pm EST

Race 5                  Gaily Gaily Stakes                                        3:50pm EST

Race 7                  Isaac Murphy Stakes                                   4:52pm EST

 

Betfair Hollywood Park

Race 4                  Charles Whittingham Memorial                   5:32pm EST

Race 8                  Manhattan Beach Stakes                             7:35pm EST

Calder Race Course

Race 7                  Unbridled Stakes                                        3:32pm EST

Race 8                  Leave Me Alone Stakes                              3:59pm EST

Race 10       U Can Do It Handicap                                         4:53pm EST

Race 11       Ponche Handicap                                                5:20pm EST

Canterbury

Race 7                  Dark Star Stakes                                        5:40pm EST

Churchill Downs

Race 9                  Early Times Mint Julep Stakes                   4:59pm EST

Delaware Park

Race 7                  John Rooney Memorial                              4:15pm EST

Delta Downs

Race 9                  Val’s Fortune Stakes                                  10:35pm EST

Finger Lakes

Race 8                  Susan B. Anthony Stakes                           4:19pm EST

Indiana Downs

Race 10       Gordon Mobley Futurity                                      10:05pm EST

Race 11       Indiana Downs Classic                                        10:30pm EST

Race 12       Born Runner Classic                                           10:55pm EST

Monmouth Park

Race 9                  Fort Monmouth Stakes                                4:56pm EST

Northlands Park

Race 8                  Journal Handicap                                        6:16pm EST

Parx

Race 9                  Jostle Stakes                                               4:46pm EST

Prairie Meadows

Race 8                  Cyclones Handicap                                    9:42pm EST

Ruidoso

Race 11       Ruidoso Quarter Horse Derby                             7:20pm EST

Sunray Park

Race 8                  Ken Kendrick Memorial                              5:37pm EST

Thistledown

Race 7                  Michael Mackey Memorial                         3:55pm EST

 

 

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