Catching Up – Cigar Mile & Clark Weekend SCORES!
- Updated: December 9, 2020
Photo: Eclipse Sportswire
CIGAR MILE (G1)
The Cigar Mile was run on a sloppy Aqueduct surface and one that the Super Screener anticipated prior to the book being released and the principle reason why True Timber was moved up to the 2nd top pick and the Top Long Shot pick in the race. Here’s what we said about True Timber prior to the race before the scratches of a few horses:
#8 True Timber – Top Long Shot/Off Pace – The two times the Super Screener tabbed this runner as the top long shot pick, he finished 3rd both times at odds of over 30-1. We probably won’t get that kind of price but this Rodney Dangerfield of horses will go off at odds well into the double digits and he is quite reliable to finish 3rd or 4th as he has in his past 8 starts traveling a mile or less.
True Timber crushed this field via a perfect trip and at reduced odds of 7-1 thanks to the scratches. He relished the sloppy going picking on a field that wasn’t the strongest of G1 line ups. Note that connections have ambitions of putting this one in the Pegasus or the World Cup in Dubai. I can almost guarantee at the Super Screener won’t place him anywhere near the top picks in those races. Good to see the connections finally get the G1 black type on this hard trier.
Snapper Sinclair showed up as a solid Super Screener “B” choice in the race and he delivered by finishing “under” as the 2nd longest shot on the board.
#3 Snapper Sinclair – Off Pace – Always tough to predict when this Steve Asmussen charge will fire. He hasn’t won since taking a grass affair 16 months ago but he often finishes around the money. That break from June to September did him some good as his last two races were some of his best performances we have seen this year. Laid out those ideal 91+ BRIS Pace/Speed figures throughout that last effort on the lawn. If the price is right, one to include “under” in your wagers.
That resulted in a very decent $133.50 Exacta pay out. Congrats to those of you who used him under True Timber. Performer was a disappointment breaking last of all from the rail and just had too much work to do in the end just missing 2nd by a diminishing head.
REMSEN (G2)
Earlier in the card, a very early Kentucky Derby prep was run at the demanding distance of 1 1/8 miles, which you usually don’t see until we get to the March/April preps. The pace and muddy track conditions were to definitely favor Ten for Ten. We projected: “He’ll be able to back way off the kind of fractions he set last out reserving all kinds of energy for that critical final furlong”.
The pace was very moderate and Ten for Ten secured the lone lead and had every advantage — but could not hold off our Top Value pick, Brooklyn Strong for the win. That colt’s win was very impressive considering he sat off that slow pace and had to dig in and drive more turn of foot to get past the favored foe for the victory. Note that this pair drew distanced themselves from the rest of the field establishing the top prospects coming out of New York.
#3 Brooklyn Strong (7-2) — This NY-bred gelding possesses a bounty of mud and distance breeding. He’ll get overlooked here due to having run in restricted NY-bred races but form cycle analysis indicates another strong move forward for this colt who will be piloted by Joel Rosario. He lays out energy in that ideal, balanced way and he is begging for more ground and gets it here. In this slow-paced race he’ll sit just 2 to 3 lengths off #5 Ten for Ten and then will continue on with a sustained drive in the stretch leveraging that ample supply of stamina. Strong contender that offers some semblance of value in this 5-horse field.
The Super Screener suggested $15 3-5 Exacta returned a surprisingly decent payoff of $286.50.
CLAIMING CROWN
Of the Claiming Crown Races run on this day the highlight was the Distaff Dash. It didn’t take the Super Screener to come up with Jakarta as the highly advantaged runner here. However, it was the Super Screener that unearthed the Top Long Shot pick Uanquoi who completed the Exacta at bountiful odds of nearly 18-1.
This is what the Super Screener had to say about Uanquoi before the race:
#1 Unaquoi is trained by the sneaky good Ollie Figgins III who is another trainer that points his charges to this Claiming Crown Distaff Dash race. This veteran mare turf sprinter will offer plenty of value as her form will be muddied up by that pounding she took on a race taken off the turf against much, much tougher. Back to her turf sprinting specialty now and rebounds with a top effort here while offering plenty of value.
The suggested Super Screener Exacta returned a solid $322 considering there was a 4/5 favorite on top thanks to the full field.
CLARK WEEKEND
Going back a week the Super Screener caught a few races that returned well. Here are some quick highlights:
G3 Jimmy Durante – Two of the Super Screener Top Win contenders, Fluffy Socks and Top Value and Top Board Hitter Play, Javanica completed the Exacta. Another Top Win contender in, Quattroelle, completed the Trifecta at odds of 8-1.
G2 Seabiscuit – In our Facebook group I shared that Count Again should be moved up into the Win Contenders for this race and he won paying $18.80. Our Top Win and Top Board Hitter pick, Flavius finished 2nd completing a juicy $81.20 Exacta for $2.
G1 Hollywood Derby – In the finale on the Del Mar card, our Top Win pick, Domestic Spending got it done and finished on top. The Trifecta was completed by other top picks.
Racing thins out a bit between now and opening day at Santa Anita but there’s plenty of value to be had in full-field, lesser stakes races such as we’ll have this weekend on Louisiana Champions Day. Gulfstream Park will also feature a few Graded Stakes this Saturday as their meet starts to heat up.
Until this coming weekend, Go Fast and Win!
Mike
