Using my handicapping process I came up with four horses in here who I gave the rating of "A." They were Mashina, Red Opal, Evening Escort, and Udriga. I eliminated Mashina because Kristin Mulhall is frigid right now and I feel there are better stretch runners in the race. I eliminated Evening Escort because in her three turf starts against older horses she has been handled very easily each time. The 3+ weeks of inactivity for an equally frigid Doug O'Neill is not positive in my opinion either.
Therefore I was left with Red Opal and Udriga. The prices on the two will be poor, as I'm sure they'll be the two faves. I dug a little deeper to find another horse who I thought might be a wild-card with a chance. There is no doubt that Udriga's pace is going to be rapid, so I think anyone moving in the lane has a heck of a chance. I found the other John Sadler entrant, Peace and Love. She didn't get the best of trips at Hollywood in her last start but was flying late and she has shown an affinity for the downhill route. She gets in awfly light with Antongeorgi and could be rallying strongly in the late stages.
So, I'm using Peace and Love, Red Opal, and Udriga, with the expectation that Red Opal gets it done, even in this wide-open, sizable field.
NT
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01-23-2007, 09:28 AM
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