Tuesday Night Notes - Feb 14

- The three-year old scene shifts to Tampa this weekend for the mile and a sixteenth Sam Davis. I’ll actually be passing through on my way to a visit at the parents’ house near Sarasota (sans parents), but, with the Head Chef and two kids in tow, I’ll not be making an appearance. But Todd Pletcher will, with Bluegrass Cat, making his sophomore debut, and here’s the requisite "he's doing great" trainer comment: “We're right where we want to be with him for his first start. He's dead on to run well." [Daily Racing Form] I believe that this one may just possibly be overrated; I wasn’t blown away with his Remsen, in which he took nearly 14 seconds for the final furlong, and defeated Flashy Bull, who needed five maiden starts and a race that included Highland Cat to finally graduate. I’m far more interested in Zito’s Hesanoldsalt, coming off a stylish win around two turns. He worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 at Gulfstream on Sunday.

During my aforementioned visit to the Big A on Saturday, I saw Noonmark triumph at Gulfstream in his first start at three for Steve Asmussen. Out since October, when he got on some Derby lists with a ten length, 97 Beyer win at Belmont, he returned with a nice six furlong win in 1:09.40. But what was a surprise was that he returned a generous $8.60 as the third choice. He was listed as the 2-1 second choice behind Bernie White Shoes, but it was the 4-1 morning line Prayers for Cash (Songandaprayer), who was bet steadily from the opening of the pools. I’d mentioned this horse here that morning; his only race was an easy maiden win at Monmouth over a horse who subsequently stakes placed, but with a Beyer of 81 which was a full 15-16 points slower than the abovementioned pair. Yet he opened at 4-5, and drifted up ever so slowly, eventually to 9-5, and was getting bet squarely on the nose in the win pool.

I’m a total sucker for horses that get bet like that; with all my talk of insisting on value, that all goes out the door when I get enraptured by the tote board. Not that I would bet him to win at that price, but I was positive that he was going to win, tabbed him as a single, and turned my attention to the next two races for the pick threes. As post time approached, he got slammed back down to 3-2, which made him seem like even more of a lock. In the meantime those who took advantage of the overlay on Noonmark got a great price. Prayers for Cash got caught three wide and ran a fine race, but no one was catching the winner, who now seems poised to move on. Noonmark is by Unbridled’s Song, out of a Storm Cat mare who’s a half-sister to Formal Gold, winner of the Brooklyn, Woodward, Donn and Iselin, all in one year.

- Bob and John worked three furlongs in :36.40 (5/13). Baffert said he’ll go in the March 18 San Felipe instead of the Santa Catalina, in which Point Determined will race on March 4. Point of Impact tries to graduate again in the first on Thursday. Maybe he’ll be one of those who breaks his maiden in a stakes race. Music School worked a half in 49 flat (4/11)on Monday. And Private Vow, being handled with some intrigue by Steve Asmussen, had his third recorded workout, a five furlong move in 1:01 1/5.