Ken Warkentin Selections for Friday, February 16, & Saturday, February 17, 2024

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

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Race 1

8-Aryiana Star – Hit the ticket in three of her last four, solid finish from way back & post eight last out & might’ve found the ideal spot for an overdue win

 

3-Rollinwitdaponyzzz – Actually got within two lengths of the winner last week, draws inside again & makes his fourth start since a late-December sick scratch

 

5-Laneside Logic GB – Newcomer to these parts with two modest wins in his last four @ Monticello, lands in a soft spot here & needs to avoid his issues @ the gate

 

Race 2

2-Dylan The Great – Last two @ Cal Expo were not great, but seems to have some credentials, ships east after three weeks off, now in a reputable barn & draws inside

 

8-Hardrockcafe – Dropped to this TM 74 class, came to life & grinded gamely to just miss, stuck outside, but now has something positive to build on

 

4-Brownie – Bounced back with a solid third behind Hardrockcafe with some trot at both ends, draws better & rates contender status

 

Race 3

7-Southwind Dredge – Strong 2023 season to note, transitioned nicely back to the mile track with a sharp narrow loss from post ten, tricky post, but remains at this reduced price

 

6-Mister Godro – Reclaimed by Michael Girouard fresh off a gutsy effort in the photo with Southwind Dredge & looms large with a similar effort

 

2-Henry the Dragon – Off the board in just four starts this season, but on the edges in his last two, draws inside & capable of stepping up in the wide-open field

 

Race 4

4-Timestorm – Beaten favorite last two, finished for minor spoils last out, remains at a reduced level & draws well again with some back class on his resume

 

5-Keystone Blade – Other than the switch to Dexter Dunn words can’t explain that turnaround rally to score @ just 5-2 last week & has to prove that was no fluke

 

8-Stormont Divide – Mohawk invader arrives in the Burke barn, lightly-raced 4YO has to overcome a 32-day layoff & post eight, yet doesn’t face much

 

Race 5

1-My Wish Came True – Unleashed a huge rally from last to get into the blanket photo last week & now moves inside to set up another late charge within closer striking range

 

2-Rockabilly Charm – Launched a well-timed late move & just missed last week in a nice bounce-back effort & lands post two again in prime form

 

10-Paduka N – Stormed home to land in the photo at long odds, that was a much-needed first start under Juan Cano, stuck outside, but owns plenty of back class

 

Race 6

7-Lisa Lane – Finally found a home @ N/W $3,000 & blasted down the road with a career best last week & now she’s brimming with confidence off that overdue win

 

8-Village Jade – Ships back here in a three-race funk, this is a substantial class drop to offset the outside draw as we try to get a bead on the Burke barn Big M comeback

 

3-Speak Your Mind – Dipped to this level & grinded gamely for a piece behind Uptown Lady N, draws better & note her barn sparked something last week

 

Race 7

9-Roma Amor – Fresh off an eye-catching :26.4 rally despite being pace & trip compromised, draws another post, but figures to step up off that much-need start

 

3-Collusion Illusion – Just one for her last 46, yet has been noticeably better in her last two, tough trip last week & draws inside again to maintain her momentum

 

4-Bullvillekarla – Was able to steal one, going all the way from post seven two starts back, returns to the TM 74 level & finally draws inside

 

Race 8

6-Whammer Jammer – Dropped to TM 74 & really flipped the switch on with a gallant narrow loss, 1:51 performer in 2023 rates highly off that sharp effort

 

7-Mariner Seelster – 15YO hit the $1M mark with a decisive 71^st career win, more demanding post here, but might be the one to knock off again in his third start off the bench

 

1-Takeittotheface – Paid off the chalk players with a well-timed rally to take last Friday’s opener & moves inside to work out a stalking trip closer to the pace

 

Race 9

4-Chiplosive – Liking the solid third two starts back, trips haven’t worked out recently & now gets the class drop & inside draw

 

8-Hoofbeats De Vie – Almost parlayed an ideal second over trip & just missed last week, tougher draw, but third start off a sick scratch

 

1-Glide In The Wind – Paid the price for a slow start from post eight last week, his previous two were sharp & now he moves inside

 

Race 10

5-Racine Bell – Classy millionaire with a mark of 1:47.2 @ The Big M, freshened with a standout qualifier here & poised for a marquee match up

 

6-Mikala – Last year’s Dorothy Haughton shocker has come back two-for-two @ Yonkers & owns a well-documented history of success @ The Big M

 

4-Tony’s Mom – Tripped out to win this back in mid-January, runner up to Mikala in most recent, back here to play an opportunist role

 

Race 11

1-Skyway Billy – 1:51.1 performer @ The Big M last year with a couple of thirds this season & draws better to utilize his early speed in a classic dartboard field

 

7-Furious Beach – Flashed some late life in another Big M acclimating mile with the trainer driving, tricky post this time, but picks up Dexter Dunn

 

4-Globaldomination N – Has struggled against tougher claimers recently, making only his second start of the season, draws well & owns a bit of back class

 

Race 12

7-Devious Mojito AS – Son of 2017 Hambo runner up Devious Man makes his 3YO debut off a standout qualifier @ Dover Downs for a high percentage barn

 

9-Bingo Brain – 0 for 28 & draws outside, but she has hit the board in both starts on the comeback trail & has license to show more

 

4-Ghibli – Forced wide from a tough spot to land on the fringe in a decent acclimating mile & draws well to follow up in a wide-open affair

 

Race 13

7-Gemini Express – His form has cycled forward, brushed to the top & held second in a strong effort last week, tougher draw, yet contender status

 

4-Briar’s Desire – Note the narrow loss in the fog two starts back after a solid rally for third, drops back to the TM 71 level & draws better in a headscratcher

 

5-Vel Larry – Came to life with a suddenly aggressive effort last week, might be ramping up, launches midpack & switches to Todd McCarthy

 

Race 14

8-King Alphonso – This King dominated these from post seven two starts back, then finished a hard-used third, drops back down & gets Dexter Dunn

 

3-The American Eagle – Great recovery to swoop the field & big rebound win from post eight last week & continues to soar as part of a Per Engblom triple threat

 

1-Outside The Fire – Beaten favorite added trotting hopples, stayed flat & finished a decent fourth, drops a notch, lands the rail & his barn is hitting on all cylinders

 

Selections for Saturday, February 17

Race 1

3-Keayang Kamikaze A – Aussie import flew home from an impossible spot in :26.3 last week, now gets class & post relief off that much-needed acclimating mile

 

7-Beach Vibes – Drops another notch off a no-factor mile in search of a wake up, flashed plenty of late pace before that & beat better back on December 30

 

5-Jagger Rocks – I have no idea where that lifetime best came from last week, 8YO did have a perfect trip & now gets a double class hike from mid-pack

 

Race 2

2-Lazin On The Beach – Went on a late-season form spree, fresh from lowering her lifetime mark to 1:52.4 she draws inside with smooth trip potential

 

6-Badditude – 4YO has bounced back with two straight wins, she stole her latest here & remains in prime form for the unstoppable Team Estrada

 

4-Major Battle – Paid the price for an inexplicable slow start from post nine, her previous two were solid & she draws better still fresh on the comeback trail

 

Race 3

5-Heart Of Rock – Steady sort finished a solid third in both starts here, acclimated & trending right & might’ve found the right scenario for an overdue win

 

2-Gotta Minute N – Got parked all the way & still just missed with a gallant try, now has a chance to continue turning things around from a better post

 

1-Century Fury – Kicked off his season with a narrow loss back on January 5, lands the rail to get involved early & this is a real soft spot to spark something

 

Race 4

6-Concur – Got stuffed inside on the final turn & shook loose late to land in the photo with Sports Hero & Little Power, tougher post, but second try off the claim might be the one

 

4-Little Power – Favored in his last four on a form spree for Team Estrada, just missed to the trip-sitting Sports Hero with a game grind last week & draws well again

 

3-Sports Hero – Was able to secure a pocket ride & the 8YO got up to equal his lifetime mark of 1:52.2 & now moves inside off that sharp upset

 

Race 5

4-Knockin Out – Emerged from an early shuffle with a solid rally for minor spoils in a much-needed comeback & draws well to deliver an anticipated second start off the bench

 

3-Lovethewayyoulie – Has gotten on a serious roll with sterling rallies, finally draws an inside post & looms large within closer striking range

 

10-Oh Coffee Bean – Two-for-two on Lasix @ The Big M for Team Estrada, faces a stiffer test here off a career best of 1:52.1 & might be this good

 

Race 6

1-Twin B Fighter – Not much to write home about in terms of recent form on the comeback trail @ Dover Downs, BUT debuts here for Team Estrada & that could somehow turn the key

 

4-Odds On Boca Raton – Gets full marks for that relentless rally to nail a game Marcus Seelster last week, 8YO fresh off that career best of 1:51.3 goes for five in a row

 

6-Marcus Seelster – One of the gutsiest around, beaten chalk fresh off the claim barely denied in the final strides, always tough to knock off if he can wrestle control again

 

Race 7

2-Parklane Terror – Rallied to upset this kind three starts back, then had impossible trips in his last two, can stalk closer to an anticipated fast pace in a competitive TM division

 

1-Homestretch Wes – Last Saturday’s Best Bet steamrolled to a well-earned score fresh off the Richard Johnson claim, sharp item lands the rail & retains Dexter Dunn

 

5-Johnny Badlands – Note the recent switch to Team Burke & improved vigor in his last two @ Yonkers, look for more as he stretches out on the mile track from mid-pack

 

Race 8

5-The Moment Arose – Offered a lot more late life in his second start here, closing in :26.4, moves to mid-pack & gets a chance to stalk n pop closer to the pace at a price

 

4-Midnight Thunder – Lived up to the tote hype with a sharp narrow loss from post nine, now draws better for his second start off a sick scratch & retains Dexter Dunn

 

9-No Words – Took a couple of starts to rev up, launched a late move in :27 flat & took a new mark of 1:52.1, now tackles a tougher task, but this is a lightly-raced 4YO with upside

 

Race 9

5-Muscle Factory A – Took his requisite tour of the oval after coming back from a sick scratch layoff, now this 1:51.1 performer here last season has a chance to stalk closer & step up

 

6-Posh On the Beach A – Just one for his last 44, yet gunned down by heavy favorite Homestretch Wes in a sharp mile last week & faces a field filled with question marks

 

7-Flashy Dude – Flashed plenty of late pace from a long way back & showing positive signs since the claim, draws a bit better & was strong in the win column last year

 

Race 10

5-Dragononthebeach – Returned off a late-season sick scratch with a standout Big M qualifier last week & looks ready to roll right off the hop for Team Cullipher

 

8-Oakwood Paddy IR – Fresh off a narrow loss to Stonebridge Reef from post ten, Irish-bred has been ultra consistent for Robert Cleary & owns a relentless rally

 

10-Blazing Banner N – Beaten favorite in his last two, thundered home in :26 & change to hit the board in both starts this year, stuck outside, yet remains a huge threat

 

Race 11

6-Platinum AS – Grinded gamely to edge stablemate Ferretti two starts back, then got parked & outsprinted from post ten, now draws better to rebound for The Buckeye

 

8-Ferretti – Fresh off a close second to stablemate Platinum AS he posted a gutsy upset over Little Expensive on January 27, gets post eight again & might be firing off the wings once more

 

9-Little Expensive – Was used pretty hard & got nailed late by the trip sitting Ferretti three weeks ago & tackles post nine again in a very competitive match up

 

Race 12

1-Gretzky The Great – Followed up a rousing score in 1:51.4 with a solid third behind a couple of sharp performers & continues to reap his potential from the rail

 

2-Mister Donald A – Beaten favorite added Dexter Dunn & just missed with a more aggressive effort two weeks ago & takes another shot at this level from an improved post

 

4-Heza Real Diamond – Came right back with a perfect trip upset in a snappy 1:50.1 last week, lands post four again & sharp enough to step back up in class

 

Race 13

7-Majorly Sexy – Fresh off a winning qualifier he got hammered down to 3-5 & was forced wide from a tough spot to grab third, look for more in this intriguing match up

 

6-Tankalicious – Has been repeatedly overmatched against $20k claimers & drops back down to the level of his decisive upset on January 5

 

8-Hereittiz – Late-December claim has been more competitive since dropping to the lower conditions in his last two, yet will need the right set up from post eight

 

Race 14

6-See You Friday – 10YO struggled to make headway against $15k claimers in his last two, gets some needed class relief & owns a late move when he’s on his game

 

4-Yaya’s Hot Spot N – Capitalized on a slick drive by Yogi Sheridan & shot home for the mild upset, fresh threat lands post four again to ramp up further in a wide-open finale

 

2-Dynomites Peak – Rallied for the overdue win as the 9-5 favorite after a gutsy narrow loss two starts back, sharp item trending right & rewarded with an improved post