EARLY SPEED:

STALKERS:

CLOSERS:

Up Hill Battle, Wowwhatabrat, Crabcakes

Item, Anna's Bandit, Majestic Reason (AE), Enchanted Ghost (AE)

Cee Bee Gee Bee, My Magician

UPHILL BATTLE and CRABCAKES will likely battle it out early. Their quarter mile fractions are similar, so It can be 1-2 in either order. Howe-ver, CRABCAKES has the better ½ mile fraction. WOWWHATABRAT goes back and forth from a speed horse to a closer. The upfront version is a touch slower out of the gate than UP HILL and CRABCAKES.

Distance/Surface Bias: Early speed wins 54% or races with 26% going wire-to-wire

Post Position Stats: None, rail wins at 10%

CRABCAKES should be on or near the lead from the start and kick it in high-gear out of the turn and into the stretch. MAJES-TIC REASON wins every other race. Last time she finished second, so… ENCHANTED GHOST has never finished out-of-the-money, all of which has been at Laurel. She’s alternated victories and third place finishes in her last four, finished third last out. MY MAGICIAN is making her third start following a layoff. Her jockey/trainer combo have won their last two to-gether.

WINPLACESHOW

WILD CARDALT 1ALT 2

3/56-112-18-112-14-1

EXACTA:7,8,9/2,4,7,8,9

TRIFECTA:7,8/4,7,8,9/2,4,6,7,8,9

CrabcakesMajestic ReasonEnchanted GhostMy Magician

Cee Bee Gee BeeAnna’s Bandit

789426

VALUE PLAYS AND LONGSHOTS

PACE ANALYSIS AND TRACK BIAS

OUR PICKS

THE PLAY

$100K MARYLAND MILLION DISTAFF 7 furlongs (dirt)

#7 – Crabcakes should have little competition on or near the lead, a style that wins at 26% wire-to-wire and 54% overall. She improved her half-mile fraction by more than a half of a second last out and should live up to the 3/5 morning line status.

#8 - Majestic Reason (AE) has finished in-the-money in her four races. Beyond 6-furlongs she’s tried the closers route, but best work and two wins came as a stalker. We expect to play that role today and make it five out of five in-the-money.

#9 - Enchanted Ghost (AE) #9 - Enchanted Ghost (AE) is making her second start after a layoff and should improve on her last as she did in her last second start. She appears to be a horse for the Laurel course. She’s finished in-the-money eight of eight, with three wins and five thirds, right where we have her.

#4 –My Magician bumps up the board if either alternate entry remains on the sidelines. She’s making her third start off the bench and could improve. Trainer Claudio Gonzalez and jockey Jomar Torres have won at 26% together in the last 60-day.

#2 – Cee Bee Gee Bee #2 – Cee Bee Gee Bee had an excuse in her last, getting bumped around early on. Prior to that, she finished in-the-money five of six with three impressive wins, a second by a neck, and a third. A return to the non-excuse form makes her dangerous.

#6– Anna's Bandit has won five of nine at Laurel, so she likes the track. However, her fractions slowed down in her last as she tailed off down the stretch. Her speed numbers and morning line say she is a top contender, internals show a horse that might need a break.

#3 – Up Hill Battle is likely to battle for the lead from the jump. She’ll need to have the lead to herself as history shows she fades when pressured.

#1 – Item consistently runs in-in-the-money, just not at Laurel where is record is one win in five races. Everywhere else, she has four wins, three seconds and two thirds in 14 outings.

ANALYSIS OF TOP CONTENDERS