Ken Warketin’s Weekend Selections – April 1 & 2, 2022

Wednesday, March 30, 2022

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Warkentin’s Friday, April 1 Selections

RACE 1

3-Big Rich – Put forth a massive turnaround for Team Burke with a driver change to Dexter Dunn & can likely handle the class hike with an inside draw

9-Dayson – Nothing wrong with his aggressive effort & narrow loss last week, he has tumbled down the condition ladder, lands outside, but can blast off for Team Burke

4-Skyway Kon Man – The Kon Man struggled again after another slow start & he’s overdue, gets his second straight class drop & draws better for Team Cullipher

RACE 2

4-Sweet Rock Deo – Sweet Lou sister to Rocknificent won both qualifiers with a strong finish for Brett Pelling, a master at preparing potential stakes players

7-Shezafreaklikeme – Fired out pretty hard & dug in late with a strong comeback mile for Stacy Chiodo, expect another vigorous effort with higher expectations
3-Windy Micki – Joe Holloway-tuned filly went all the way with an energetic Pocono win off a sick scratch, $12,000 bargain draws well for her Big M debut

RACE 3

5-Big Bad Bill – Bill was suddenly anxious to take charge from post ten & came up just a buck shy & draws better off that wake up mile

2-Takeittotheface – Beaten favorite has been given a few chances to pop recently, first over grind & held third last week & draws an improved post

10-Master Conrad – The Master closed well from a tough spot last week, will personally give Bruno Chiodo a medal from post ten here, hey somebody has to finish third

RACE 4

5-Doctor Butch – 12YO warhorse hit the board from a tough spot last week, draws better, retains The Money Man & finds a prime spot for an overdue win

1-Deerfield Beach – Upset winner with sudden vigor in the slop two starts back, a solid third last week, drops back down & draws inside again

3-Stellar Feller – Newcomer for Juan Cano added Lasix & qualified okay here, picks up Todd McCarthy & draws well in a field begging to be beaten

RACE 5

5-Gottalovemyshadow – This mare flaunted her class & blew away bottom level condition foes two starts back & returns to the Big M to regroup

2-Svengali – Followed up a narrow loss with a sterling rally & mild upset last week, draws inside again & can’t rule out a Mark Silva repeat

3-Statesman N – Suddenly got aggressive & almost prevailed two starts back, then was right there in a wild photo last week, 15YO gets another inside draw

RACE 6

2-Double Account – Set a moderate pace & faded to third last Saturday, but now he’s getting further class relief in a no excuses spot & draws inside again for Team Cullipher

6-Justlikehim – Flashed early speed, then came back for second with a solid effort last week, consistent gelding might be on the verge of breaking his season goose egg

7-No Drama Please – Thought he was in an ideal spot to capitalize & faded to third from the rail, perhaps he needed the race, moves outside, yet still looms large

RACE 7

1-Final Justice – 10YO has been hinting with better efforts in his last three, got going a bit too late in that wild finish last week & can stalk them from the rail

2-Kingofthejungle – Finally snapped his season skid with a sharp score from post seven two starts back, then he was right here a close third from post ten & moves inside

6-MV OK Palacio BR – Brazilian-bred & Matt Zuccarello made it look easy with a methodic post eight rally & upset last week & can close with the best of these

RACE 8

1-Tenthousand Angels – Uncorked a thunderous rally to take a new mark of 1:52, still ramping up & stands out in this softer spot for Team Bongiorno

2-J Rockin B – Credit Braxton Boyd who timed her late move perfectly for the upset last week & props to trainer Brandon Mongiello, post two again for another go at it

6-She’s A Sassy Beach – Beaten favorite just missed to J Rockin B in her Team Burke debut here & logically looms large off that acclimating mile

RACE 9

5-Party Boy – Party Boy has burned some cash in three starts on the comeback trail, yet he has finished well & this GSY 2 division is an easy spot

3-Captain’s Reign – Impossible trips have cost him since that emotional win as the favorite back on March 4, an improved post could spell quicker start & stalking trip

4-Notabadgame – Beaten favorite a two-time winner this season rallied stoutly to hit the board last week & has a big chance to atone with an inside draw

RACE 10

1-Fox Valley Exploit – Don’t know how tough the Hawthorne Open class is, but she’s been a constant threat there, ships into the Noel Daley barn, gets the rail + Thunder From Under

7-Cousin Mary – Perfect trip winner two starts back bumped into a revved up Dbldelitebrigade last week, classy 9YO might be able to blast off here

5-Uptown Lady N – She’s had a couple of weeks off since we saw her fly home in :26.3, always dangerous when the race sets up right

RACE 11

8-Ideal Classic – Just two for 26 last year & not much in two starts back @ Yonkers, but this is a big class drop to offset the outside draw, plus adds Yannick Gingras

1-Kaitlyn N – Has come back from the recent injury scratch with a solid second, then almost went all the way from post nine last week & now moves inside

6-Brush N Crush – Brushed & didn’t crush but grabbed third two starts back, then tried to close from a tough spot again, give her a big chance with right pace target

RACE 12

7-Watch Me Now N – Looks poised for her seasonal debut off two strong qualifiers for Team Alagna, draws outside, but faces a field she can dominate right off the hop

2-Annabelle Hanover – Knocking on the door recently, just missed to Mach N Hope here two starts back, three-week layoff, but draws inside & retains Gingras

6-Dbldelitebrigade N – Regained her winning edge in a big way with that dominant down-the-road effort last week, let’s see her step back up in class brimming with confidence

RACE 13

5-Epos Ostervang DK – Well rated all the way by Nicklas Korfitsen last week, Denmark-bred lands in prime spot to take charge & repeat

1-Preacher Man – Finished well for minor spoils in a decent Big M debut after short rest, draws inside again to sharpen that recent win percentage

6-Allindotime – Has picked up his game winning two of his last three @ Freehold, versatile gelding can continue on his positive trend in a soft Trackmaster Series division

 

Warkentin’s Saturday, April 2 Selections

RACE 1

4-One Eight Hundred – Conversation has to start with this 1:48 Big M performer last year, :25.2 in his comebacker with a :52.1 back half & draws better for Team Takter

3-As Always – Consistent 4YO was motoring late off perfect cover to hit the board after two months freshening & gets an improved post for the red-hot Per Engblom

2-Linnycalledfrankie – Came out of a shuffle & was flying from a tough spot in an excellent acclimating mile for Team Toscano, lands inside a competitive opener to stalk the speed

RACE 2

6-Fight Song – Severely pace compromised & picked up minor spoils chasing Flyhawk El Fuerte, promising 3YO logically moves up second try off the bench for Nifty Norman

9-Flyhawk El Fuerte – Yannick Gingras stole soft fractions & this 4YO by Muscles Yankee kicked clear with the mile of his life, similar effort expected drawing farther out

4-Telling The Story – Speedy 4YO mare 0 for ten this season in Ohio, but may benefit from the switch to Estrada Racing here, plus an inside post in a field full of question marks

RACE 3

1-Casino Bags Anso – Has come around winning a Game of Claims division @ Pocono, stuck in a tough spot here last week, back with the rail with a chance to stalk n pop

2-Crunch – Beaten favorite forced first over & just missed with a game effort last out, steps back up in class, but draws better & keeps Dexter Dunn

9-El’s Disco Johnny – Disco hustled out for a pocket ride & romped to a new mark in his return to the mile track, look for a blastoff attempt with Hot Toddy back in the bike

RACE 4

3-Captaingiddyupngo – Team Alagna unveils a sparkling son of The Captain who qualified with a :25.4 in a sizzling 1:50.3 mile from the same post & stands out big time

2-Energetic Hanover – Team Pelling debut a son of The Captain, first foal out of a sister to Ginger And Fred & Fred & Ginger, won his second qualifier with a nice late burst

1-Prymiki – A Trond Smedshammer-tuned pacer, first foal out of a sister to Delmarvelous ($899,123), set the table for Energetic Hanover in his second qualifier & just missed

RACE 5

9-Rockin The Aces – Talk about a steady tumble down the condition ladder, third as the beaten favorite two starts back, stuck outside, but can blow by this bunch

2-Bobcat Bay – The Bobcat struggled in his last two, second to a dominant Decision Day when he dropped to this level three starts back & draws an improved post

4-Tru Lou – Fringe player in just four starts @ Dover Downs this season & off 33 days, but the switch to Team Burke, dose of class relief & inside draw may perk him up

RACE 6

8-Colossal Stride A – Open winner @ Hoosier Park owns a massive late kick, qualified well here, then had no chance in the comebacker, fresh claim eligible to bear down now

1-Wrappers Delight A – Rebounded with much more hippity hop in a wire-to-wire mission last week, rewarded with the rail & logically figures to be the one to knock off again

2-Bank Sea – 9YO has been very steady recently, finished well for the show again last week, just missed when Sheriff N stole it two starts back, draws better in a very intriguing field

RACE 7

3-Leon David – Caught first over through fast fractions last week, stung from post eight in a 1:49.2 mile before that, drops into an easier spot & draws inside

6-Machdavid – Fresh off a new mark of 1:51 came right back & jogged wire-to-wire with a :26.3 last week & might be tough to overhaul in current form

7-Arrhythmic Surge – The Surge has been prominent in his last few, runner up to Machdavid two starts back, atoned with another sharp rally & new mark of 1:51

RACE 8

2-Manhattan Beach – Solid runner up to Windsong Jack last week, classy Team Burke 9YO moves inside to employ his stalking strategy again

7-Windsong Jack – Classy 12YO came right back with a brush n crush with Hot Toddy last week, can’t be allowed to steal soft fractions or he’ll go down the road again

8-Cool Blues Man – Aside from the slow start don’t know what happened to him last week, took new mark of 1:50.3 before that, remains at the mercy of pace & trip

RACE 9

5-Trump Nation – Team Burke trainee has been a nice roll recently, runner up to Vettel N two starts back, flying late from never-never land last out & now drops a notch

6-Revolver – Missed three weeks off a dull effort, but drops into a softer condition, always look for him to fire his late shot & lands in a wide-open Hello Spring division

4-St Lads Beat It – Andrew Harris shipper has caught fire, rallied for two in a row @ Yonkers, draws better here to stalk the speed & make a quick mile track transition

RACE 10

1-Fabrizio N – Was able to catapult off hot fractions & just missed to Rockin Speed two weeks ago, has been knocking on the door & looms large from the rail in a competitive field

3-De Los Cielos Deo – Team Burke horse-for-the-course bounced back with a strong second to Vettel N last week, draws inside again & always a threat

6-Shvaiko – Ventured to Pocono where he just missed with sharp pace at both ends, he was a hard-charging third here three starts back & reunited with Hot Toddy

RACE 11

2-Imaginary Line – Runner up to a raging I’m A Big Deal last week, now drops to make his third start off a sick scratch & draws inside a soft division for Team Bongiorno

1-Odds On Delray – 0 for nine this season & struggling recently, but gets a decent dose of class relief, lands the rail again & has a chance to perk up in a camera-shy division

6-Straight Talk – Seven-time winner last year with a mark of 1:50.4 @ The Big M, makes his key third start off the bench at an easier level & switches to Hot Toddy

RACE 12

6-Like Clockwork – 1:50 performer here last season plummets into the basement condition here, we know he’s capable of speed & this is a spot where he can spark something

1-Big Chic Magnet – Fresh face from Mohawk for Troy Beyer & Katie Gangell finished well in a much-needed acclimating mile & lands the rail in a field ripe for the taking

4-Emblaze Hanover – Squandered a second over trip on a frigid night, has missed three weeks, hits rock bottom, third start off the bench on Lasix & draws better for Team Burke

RACE 13

5-A Bettor Beach – Sports a 1:49.1 mark @ The Big M last season, two tightening miles @ Pocono & note the barn change to Richard Johnson

4-Good Rockin – 1:50 performer here in 2021 promptly regained his winning form with a wire-to-wire blowout at the bottom condition level & draws better to continue

1-Gambling Addiction – Will look to regroup after tailing off against the tougher N/W 6 class @ Yonkers, draws the rail in a wide-open division & figures to be forwardly placed