Notes - April 25

- About to write the last of the Keeneland handicapping columns after watching the Rangers lose the first game of their series against Buffalo; and despite the 5-2 score, I'm strangely upbeat, for reasons that I won't go into here. Anyway, I have the whole card figured out so it shouldn't take too long. Be aware that Jazil will be running in a mile and a half turf stakes, and though we know he likes that distance, I think you gotta take a stand against.

High Cotton is also scheduled to run, off the bench for Pletcher in a six furlong allowance race. It's his first race since the Pegasus at the Meadowlands. He had the fastest five furlong work of all - 58 1/5 seconds - the other day when all the Derby horses were having their drills on the Poly. The clocker's comment on the Keeneland website notes that he "made the track seem even faster." He hasn't run at less than a mile since when he graduated on his second try. Bobby Frankel has First Word, who has been working exceptionally over the Polytrack. His recent bullet work of three furlongs in 34 flat earned the comment "just galloping at the wire."

Today my picks did get published, and I had one winner, Safari Queen at 2-5, yippee. I hesitantly direct you to Thursday's picks. I ran second in the second, second to a 7-1 shot in the 4th, third to a pair of bombshells in the 5th, second to a horse from a barn with a 1 for 78 record in the 6th, and 2nd to a 32-1 shot in the 7th. I didn't actually bet on any of these today, fortunately, but it's like I have action on every race!

[UPDATE - One more thing - Dale Romans is also a hot barn; today he had a dead heat for third with a 7-1 shot; he's now 11-4-2-2. He has an Orientate first-timer in Thursday's 6th race who's been working very well. 8-1 morning line; watch the board on this one. Asmussen has a first-timer in that race; Unbridled Trust has some exceptional works as well, most recently in company with the stakes-winning filly Richwoman, who we haven't seen since Saratoga. The workout comment noted that Unbridled Trust was "best at the wire."]