Thoroughbreds Tuesday - Garrity Picks Three Races at Indiana Grand
We'll be back with a post-mortem look at Sir Winston's win in the Belmont Stakes, as well as with a few comments on the results of the races on the Belmont undercard, within the next day or two. In the meantime, the racing goes on, and we have a few quick hits at Indiana Grand today, where we expect the track to be fast and firm. Let's go . . .
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We'll start with the 2nd (2:43 p.m. ET), a Maiden Special for 2-year-old fillies at six furlongs on dirt. We're going for a bomb here, and it's with 1-Take Charge Cece. This girl is well-bred, by Take Charge Indy out of a Medaglia d'Oro mare, and has a string of solid if unspectacular morning workouts under her belt for her career debut. Trainer George Leonard is good with firsters, winning at a 25% clip, and in a race that lacks an obvious favorite, she's as likely as any of them, and she's a mammoth 30-1 on the morning line. This is a case where we probably want her to get bet -- action on the tote with first-time starters is usually a sign that they're live -- but she'll be a juicy price even if she drops some. We will bet her to win.
Indiana Grand Race 2
$20 W on 1-Take Charge Cece
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Race 4 (3:39 p.m.) is another 6 furlong dirt Maiden Special, this one for older Indiana-bred females. There's a standout here, and it's 8-Katie Girl. Trainer Paul Holthus thought highly enough of this 3-year-old that her last start was in a stakes. She raced as a maiden in the state-bred Swiftly Sired Stakes at Indiana Grand on May 22, and though she did not win, neither did she embarrass herself, and her fifth-place finish was probably at least in part due to the sloppy track that day. She gets a fast track today, and has an enormous edge in early-pace figs here. We think she dominates this race from start to finish. We will probably not get her 2-1 morning-line price -- she will be lower -- but we will bet her to win anyway, and we will do so enthusiastically.
Indiana Grand Race 4
$50 W on 8-Katie Girl
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Race 5 (4:07 p.m.) at Indiana Grand is a good first-level allowance at 5 furlongs on the turf for horses 3 and up. There's a pretty prohibitive favorite in here, 9-Anatolian Heat. This 6-year-old son of the speed sire Unusual Heat has been a stakes-level runner on the Southern California circuit, and based on that, he'd be by far the likeliest winner. But trainer Peter Miller has not had tremendous success away from his base at Santa Anita,and it is because of this angle that we will be playing against the favorite. And we will do so with 6-Fort Ridge.This 6-year-old gelding has the second-best late kick (after Anatolian Heat) a race that looks to set up for a stretch runner. We like his style, we like going against what we think is a bad favorite, and we like that Fort Ridge is 6-1, and may go off even higher. We will bet him to win.
Indiana Grand Race 5
$30 W on 6-Fort Ridge
That's all for today. Good luck at the windows.