THE GREEN SHEET Full-Card Analysis and Selections John M. Gaver III

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1 THE GREEN SHEET Full-Card Analysis and Selections John M. Gaver III Keeneland Race Course: Spring Meet 2017 Third Day: Sunday, April 9 Post Time: 1:05 P.M. Eastern Record: ; 24% winners, 48% in the money RACE ONE The bay filly FIVE STAR FACTOR is stakes placed on the main track sprinting, and this daughter of The Factor broke her maiden right out of the box at this six and a half furlong trip last fall at Churchill. She ll love turning back in distance in this affair, and she was only three lengths and change off the stakes winning filly Someday Soon two starts back, and that rival was a game third in yesterday s Ashland Stakes (G1) at 21-1; choice. PHONE CHICK is another who will appreciate turning back in distance, and she drops in class off her past three races into this non-winners of two lifetime allowance spot. She s the lone entrant in the field with a prior win on dirt in Lexington, as she broke her maiden at Keeneland last fall under jockey Joe Bravo. She appeared to be a bit rank trying grass for the first time with blinkers on and her connections opt to take the hood off today; turf-to-dirt angle looks playable. DIAL ME has been stuck in this condition, however her best recent race was at Keeneland last fall, where she rallied to be third against an honest field to be beaten three lengths for all the money at this six and a half furlong trip. She loves to run third; tab for a minor award. SWIMSUIT ISSUE will try winners for the first time in this spot after breaking her maiden at first-asking in New Orleans and the filly she ran down in that heat Tiger Eyes finished third against maiden allowance company at Keeneland on opening day, beaten three lengths and change at 7-2. Bay filly acts as if she ll love the extra sixteenth of a mile and has plenty of upside; can factor in her first crack at allowance company. SELECTIONS:

2 RACE TWO PARIS CRUISE was a $130,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase, and the juvenile filly will be making her career debut for an outfit that excels with two-year-old stock, especially ones making their first starts. She sports a useful maintenance work over the local strip in addition to a sharp gate move in Lexington on March 24, apparently in company with the other half of the uncoupled Wesley Ward entry, HAPPY LIKE A FOOL. I m not worried about the wide post draw coming out of the chute; major player. The Ward homebred HAPPY LIKE A FOOL is a well-bred daughter of Distorted Humor that has been training forwardly, though I m a bit concerned that she didn t breeze back off the :36 3/5 gate move on March 24 like her stablemate PARIS CRUISE. Trainer Ward nailed down a pair of wins on the opening day card, including a victory with Fairyland ($4.80) in the first baby race of the meet on Friday. Julio Garcia seems to be the goto jock for this outfit s juvenile stock, and he was in the boot for the opening day win on Fairyland; foolish to slight her chances. BOOM POW POW has a well-spaced, consistent public work tab since mid-january for trainer John Hancock, whose outfit targets two-year-old races at Keeneland each spring. Daughter of Midnight Lute debuts with Lasix and attracts the services of Corey Lanerie, who has three wins to date at the meet and was in the boot on the two-year-old Waki Patriot (10-1), who finished second, beaten three lengths and change for all the money for Hancock on opening day; worth a look in the paddock and post parade. OUR GIRL ABBEY is a Majestic Warrior filly that will make her career debut for the high-percentage Mike Maker barn, and she sports a gap-free public work tab over the Polytrack surface at Turfway since early March; can t eliminate with confidence. SELECTIONS: RACE THREE Indiana-bred Horse of the Year LADY FOG HORN has been first or second in an impressive 11 of her past 12 starts, and she bested fellow entrants ALOTTA SKIRT and ROMANTIC VISION by open lengths when she was last seen at the races in the Fall City Handicap (G2) last November at Churchill Downs. Bay daughter of Zavata is well-spotted by trainer Tony Granitz for her seasonal debut and while she has never started at Keeneland, she loves a mile and a sixteenth on dirt, having finished in the money in eight-of-nine lifetime starts going eight and a half panels. She figures to get a good trip stalking the pace under new rider Leandro Goncalves, and she s the class of this field; rates top billing. LAVENDER CHRISSIE hasn t been seen at the races in more than 16 months, but she likes to win and trainer Dale Romans barn is capable of getting one to fire fresh off the sidelines. She cleared the two other than allowance condition in Lexington before winning a $315K stakes at Zia Park before being stopped on, and she has 2

3 won four-of-seven starts lifetime. 6-1 morning line adds to her appeal; contender. I m drawing a line through DEAR ELAINE s last start, as she clearly didn t care for the synthetic surface at Turfway in a $50K stakes, however she likes Keeneland and a mile and a sixteenth on dirt. Broken Vow filly broke her maiden in Lexington off a layoff and was a good third behind fellow entrant ROMANTIC VISION vs. two other than allowance company off the shelf at Keeneland last fall. Jockey Julien Leparoux won three races on yesterday s card; Polytrack-to-dirt angle looks formidable. ROMANTIC VISION has never missed the exacta in Lexington and has finished in the money in six-of-seven starts lifetime at this mile and a sixteenth trip on the main track. Well-bred daughter of Lemon Drop Kid was no match for the top choice in the Falls City Handicap (G2), however she s a length shy of winning her past two starts at Keeneland; can t dismiss based on her affinity for the local surroundings. SELECTIONS: RACE FOUR ANY QUESTIONS, a half-brother to the freakishly fast multiple grade one stake winner Runhappy, improved in his first start for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott and in his first start on turf, where he dueled on the front end throughout a moderate a pace and was a good third, beaten three-parts a length for all the money. I m not crazy about the wide post draw, but he has some early lick on the weeds and jockey Joel Rosario, who won three races on yesterday s card including a pair of stakes, should be able to work out a trip in this mile and an eighth affair; choice. SAKONNET is another who is the recipient of a wide post draw, but this chestnut son of Scat Daddy ran a big race in his career debut at Tampa Bay Downs, where he rallied from off the pace and finished a good second against honest maiden allowance company, beaten a length for the win. She comes into this race fresh and will likely move forward in this spot making just her second career start. Ignore the wide post; contender. The Japanese-bred colt YOSHIDA (JPN) gave a good account of himself over a good turf course at Aqueduct last fall in his career debut on grass, where he closed with authority to be a close second at nearly 10-1, finishing a neck to the good of Adonis Creed ($9.60), who came out of that race to annex an a other than allowance on the weeds on yesterday s card. Like the fact that the bay will get Lasix for the first time, and the Mott barn is more than capable of having one ready to win off the sidelines; lots to like. COUNTY COURT is the only entrant in the field with a previous money finish at this mile and an eighth distance on grass, and he has hooked some live maiden fields in New York and South Florida that included the likes of Holiday Stone (second in the Transylvania Stakes (G3T) on opening day at 34-1) and the aforementioned Adonis Creed. I m a little concerned that Lasix and blinkers didn t help in his last start, but he did run well off a layoff going 3

4 nine panels two starts back at Gulfstream; tab for a minor award. SELECTIONS: RACE FIVE FOURTH OF JULY sports sharp current form, as the five-year-old is less than two lengths shy of winning his past five races. I like the fact that he has retained good form while stepping up in class, as he just missed the win at Turfway in his most recent start moving from open $8K claiming company to the $25K optional claiming/ a other than allowance level. His best recent form has been on Polytrack, however he has never missed the exacta from two prior starts in Lexington, the most recent of which was against open $10K foes last fall. He looks live on the surface change; rates top billing. WAR EAGLE S RETURN is a consistent son of Northern Afleet that has placed in 11-of-18 starts lifetime and was a hot commodity at the claim box this winter in New Orleans. Five-year-old responds to jockey Florent Geroux s handling, however he will make his first start for a new outfit off the claim in this heat and, more importantly, he has never finished in the money at Keeneland. He ll be a low price in here, especially with the scratch of morning mine favorite NEWFOUND GOLD; figures for part, taking a stand against for top honors. HARLAN S HOWLING s best past form has been over a synthetic Polytrack surface at Turfway, however he pressed a quick pace and held on the be an honest second to a next out winner when last seen in Lexington hooking conditioned $20K claiming stock in a heat that went in a quick 1:22 4/5 for that class level. Bay gelding is eligible for improvement making the third start of his current form cycle; contender. MORE THAN SHIRL has spotty form off the claim and is better on turf, however he has finished in the money in three-of-four starts this year facing conditioned claiming types at Fair Grounds, and he won his only prior start on dirt at this six and a half furlong trip at Churchill Downs; best effort yields a minor award. SELECTIONS: RACE SIX FORTY ACRES figured to need his last start off a three-month plus layoff, and he didn t seem to care for the grass, as he failed to pick his feet up in his turf debut. Three-year-old ridgling has a dirt-oriented pedigree and broke his maiden on the main track in Lexington vs. $50K maiden claiming types, and he drops in class into the $20K conditioned claiming ranks in this affair. He ll be tighter this time; major player. MOVE THE CHAINS has shown improvement off an extended 18-month layoff for trainer Brian Michael, whose outfit has made the most of limited opportunities in Five-year-old returns to the main track in this spot, 4

5 and he hasn t missed the trifecta in his past three dirt starts. Consistent gelding has finished in the money in nine-of-11 outings lifetime and figures to get a good trip stalking the pace. He s 8-1 on the morning line; likely overlay. SWIFT ONE drops in for a tag for the first time for the highpercentage Wesley Ward outfit, and this fellow has a similar profile to another Ward trainee Kirby s Penny who dropped in class, switched surfaces and won the last race on the opening day card by 10 lengths in his second start off the sidelines and was claimed in the process. Five-year-old will be tighter making his second start off the layoff and the class drop clearly works in his favor; threat. DOS CUERNOS broke his maiden for a $16K tag at Tampa Bay Downs and though he only beat one horse in his first start against winners facing $15K conditioned claiming stock, that effort is better than it first looks on paper, as he dueled between horses and tired off a half mile split that went in a swift :46 1/5. Like the rider switch to Channing Hill, and he s 30-1 on the morning line; useful on the bottom half of exotic wagers. SELECTIONS: RACE SEVEN The Juddmonte homebred PROJECTED (GB) ran like he needed his start off an 18-month layoff hooking a good field in the Canadian Turf (G3T), where he was under a firm hold and finished with interest. Bay gelding gets second-time Lasix in this spot, and he sports sharp French form for former conditioner Andre Fabre around left-handed courses. He ll be tighter in his second start off the shelf and will be one of the few Chad Brown turf runners at the meet that will be a price (8-1 morning line) in this salty classified allowance field; rates top billing. DIVISIDERO has never run a bad race off a layoff and has never missed the trifecta at this mile ad a sixteenth distance on the turf. Consistent bay son of Kitten s Joy is a grade one stakes winner on turf and while he has been the beaten chalk in his past two starts, he has legitimate excuses. He bobbled at the start in Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (G1T), where he finished two lengths to the good of fellow entrant FLATLINED, and he was washed out in the post parade and was closer to the track apron that the inside rail in the Fort Lauderdale Handicap (G2T) two starts back when FLATLINED beat him. Love the rider change to Julien Leparoux, and his mount is sitting on a bullet half-mile move at Churchill Downs. He loves Louisville Derby weekend in particular so the connections have their eye on the upcoming Turf Classic (G1T) at Churchill, but he ll amazingly try allowance company for the first time in this heat; contender. THATCHER STREET hasn t been seen at the races since winning the River City Handicap (G3T) last fall, however he has an affinity for a mile and a sixteenth on the green. Bay son of Street Sense runs well fresh, has finished in the money in an impressive 20-of-26 starts lifetime, though he has never finished in the money on turf 5

6 at Keeneland, which is a bit of a concern; figures for part, playing against for the win. The front-running TAKE THE STAND (ARG) is the recipient of a wide post draw, hasn t had his picture taken in over a year and returns to the races off a seven-month layoff, however he s a grade two stakes winner on the weeds and has run big off the shelf in the past. Love the rider switch to Javier Castellano, and his mount has finished in the money in 10-of-14 starts lifetime. He has never missed the trifecta at this mile and a sixteenth trip on the lawn; can t eliminate with confidence. SELECTIONS: RACE EIGHT The Adena Springs Beaumont (G2) The bay filly DANCING RAGS is one of two entrants in this compact field with a prior win on the main track at Keeneland, as the daughter of Union Rags won the Darley Alcibiades (G1) last fall in Lexington in impressive fashion at Three-year-old miss turns back in distance off her past three starts, however she broke her maiden at a two-turn mile trip at Laurel, and she finished well in her only prior start in a sprint, which was on the grass in her career debut. Would draw a line through her effort in the Breeder s Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), where she had a wide post draw and bore out at the start, yet still managed to finish two lengths to the good of fellow entrant and morning line favorite SWEET LORETTA. She responds to jockey Angel Cruz s handling; choice. Grade one stakes winner SWEET LORETTA is three-for-three at distances from five furlongs to seven-eighths of a mile, and she ll relish turning back in distance in this spot for trainer Todd Pletcher. $750K daughter of Tapit dead-heated for the win in the Spinaway (G1) at Saratoga when last seen at a seven-furlong trip, and she sports a gap-free, solid work tab at Palm Beach Downs in preparation for her three-year-old debut. Throw out the effort in the Breeder s Cup, where she was bumped around at the start and stumbled, and jockey Javier Castellano has been on fire in Lexington; major player. MY MISS CHIFF has won a pair of starts vs. Louisiana-breds by a combined total of 13 and three-quarter lengths, and I like that she won her first start against winners with ease in a heat that went in a quick 1:10 2/5. Into Mischief filly gets tested for class in this spot but has done nothing wrong so far and is a enticing 8-1 on the morning line; value play. LANEY is a perfect two-for-two going seven-panels on the main track and comes into this head riding a two-race winning streak for trainer Eddie Kenneally, who upset yesterday s Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1) with Sailor s Valentine ($46.40). Chestnut Shackleford filly will be tighter in her second start off the shelf but steps up to graded stakes company; seems destined for a minor award. SELECTIONS:

7 RACE NINE The improving Frankel (GB) colt BROOKLYN BOBBY has put forth a pair of solid efforts vs. maiden allowance types on the grass at Gulfstream and is eligible for improvement making the third start of his current form cycle. He has been well-backed at the windows all three prior starts, figures to get a good trip stalking the pace from an inside post draw and jockey Joel Rosario is off to a good start at the meet. He acts as if he ll like the extra eighth of a mile; gets the nod for top honors. MOROCCO was a good second to a next-out winner in his turf debut at Gulfstream back in February for trainer Billy Mott, who notched a win on the grass earlier on the card with Yoshida (Jpn), who paid $7.20 and was also ridden by Jose Ortiz, Jr. Laterunning, $375K Pioneerof the Nile colt should appreciate this mile and an eighth trip; contender. PLEASANT EMPIRE was bumped around at the quarter-pole in his turf debut at Fair Grounds 30 days ago, yet still finished well to be second of 11 at 9-1, two lengths and change off the win. Bay Bodemeister colt fetched $425K as a yearling at Fasig-Tipton in Saratoga; lots to like. MCCORMICK hooked a live group of maidens in his career debut at Fair Grounds, and he demonstrated marked improvement in his second start when stretching out around two turns and trying the grass for the first time. Sakonnet, who beat him by two lengths and change in his last start, was a good third despite racing wide in the fourth race on today s card; further improvement expected. SELECTIONS: