A Danaslam Dunk?

- Sprint stakes for older horses dominate the action on Saturday, and since those races just vex me, I’ll be looking elsewhere for action. To me, picking and choosing spots is the only way to go, not only in terms of the class or surface, but also in terms of the kind of betting race. I look specifically for races in which I don’t like the favorite, or at least one or two of the top choices – anything that creates some kind of value by taking a stand against a horse that I feel is overbet. If the odds are right around where I would have made them, I usually end up passing the race.

So I’ll do a quick pick of the 8th at Gulfstream today, a NW3X allowance on the turf, that's more like it. Ecclesiastic goes for Allen Jerkins and has been established as the 7-2 morning line favorite in a wide open race based on his perceived class edge against these. He won the G3 Jaipur at seven furlongs on the Belmont grass last spring. But that was actually his only grass win in 14 attempts, and his only win overall in his last 18 starts. Plus, he starts from the 12 post with the starting gate set close to the turn at this mile distance.

Another with the potential to be overbet is Electric Light, who, for one thing, always gets overbet, and may be again after an easy win on the dirt in his last. He tries the turf for the first time.

So I’ll be looking at Danaslam. Yes, it’s Pletcher, and I noted the other day that his horses are starting to really get overbet (he added another winner yesterday in Rectory Hill, at 8-5.) But perhaps this one will be a bit overlooked. He’s moving up in class off his second win in a row, starts from the ten post, and instead of Velasquez gets Chris DeCarlo, who rode Danaslam’s half-brother Mercurial to a win for Pletcher at 14-1 on opening day. There doesn’t seem to be tons of early speed inside, so perhaps he can get decent position and be able to kick home quickly as he has in his last two wins. I’ll be on board if he’s anywhere close to his 6-1 morning line.

- Our three-year old filly Christening (Vicar) had her first timed workout yesterday, getting a half mile in :48.04, the 16th best of 80 at the distance, not bad! The report from the barn this morning said that Turner really likes her (we’ve heard that before), and mentioned something about him never having had a runner in the Alabama before. Oh boy. Just reporting what we were told. Perhaps we should wait until she actually makes it to the starting gate before talking about stuff like that. Highland Cat is back in the barn and is scheduled to breeze on Sunday morning. His 4 year-old half brother Jono (High Yield) ran third in a $16,000 maiden claimer at Laurel on Friday....let’s hope we don’t get to that point.

- Three of last year’s three-year old stars continued their preparations for 2006 on Friday. Giacomo worked another seven furlongs, this time in 1:27.80; Noble Causeway five furlongs in 1:01.40; and Bandini five furlongs in the exact same time. And one of this year’s top Derby prospects, Bluegrass Cat, worked five in 1:02.20.