Ken Warkentin’s Friday, March 11 Selections

Wednesday, March 9, 2022

Ken Warkentin’s Friday, March 11  Selections

RACE 1
1-Takeittotheface – Simply too far back to make a dent from post eight last week, moves inside & won a GSY 1 division for David Yarock back on January 28

5-Master Conrad – Gutsy upset winner two starts back fired his best from an impossible spot last week, draws better & remains sharp for Team Chiodo

8-Always A Force – Beaten favorite was pace compromised & rallied from a tough spot to grab second last week, tougher post here, but remains a force

RACE 2
5-Dontpassme Hanover – Bounced back by unleashing his vicious kick to just miss a big upset, finally draws a decent post & shouldn’t be too far off the pace

4-Meet The Creeper – Right there in the photo with Dontpassme Hanover two starts back, paced a :54.1 back half last Saturday & gathering steam for Team Chiodo

6-Shake It – Lightly-raced 3YO showed some promise as a freshman, has had two lively qualifiers to shake off the cobwebs & Chris Ryder employs Dexter Dunn

RACE 3
8-DL’s Big Elvis – Twice beaten favorite doing well against the bottom level claimers, post eight again, but debuts for a new barn in a soft division

2-Svengali – Offered a bit of late life against lower level Trackmaster foes, his best effort in awhile, draws inside again to take advantage of a wide-open division

5-S Mckee – Suddenly took charge & came up just a buck shy in a solid effort last week, has a chance to steal this one with a good start from midpack

RACE 4
8-Miki Minaj – Overcame a nightmare trip from post ten to hit the board in a much better effort last week for Team Burke, lightly-raced draws outside again, but has some upside

2-Safety Second – 16-time winner in 2021 debuts here fresh off the claim by Edwin Quevedo, second start off the bench, draws inside a soft TM affair & gets Tim Tetrick

6-Deerfield Beach – Came out of a shuffle with another minor share, 1:51.3 winner @ The Big M last year, just two for his last 46, yet may have a say with the right set up

RACE 5
3-Franco Tristan N – His lone win this season came with a perfect drive by Joe Lee back on January 21 & drops back into the GSY 1 Series with an improved post

4-Captain’s Reign – Stormed home from never-never land to nail an emotional nose win for Dakota Jackson fresh off the claim & draws a bit better to launch from closer range

5-Doc Semalu – Came in fresh off a confidence-boosting win @ Freehold, fired his best shot & got nosed out by Captain’s Reign, remains a major threat for a sharp combo

RACE 6
5-Scirocco Rob – Sports that nifty 1:50.3 mark here last year, flashed late trot in a much needed mile, remains at a reduced level, draws better & retains The Bionic Man

1-Meadowbranch Ricky – Almost got there with a near perfect drive by Dexter Dunn last week, definitely looks poised for an overdue win & moves inside

6-Deltasun A – Raced as high as the Preferred this Winter, clearly not sharp & hasn’t raced in month, but this 1:51.4 winner here last season drops for a possible wake up

RACE 7
3-Classic Venture – Followed a narrow loss with an aggressive nose decision over Lionhead last week & draws an improved post to continue on his form spree & repeat

2-Lionhead – Gave him top billing last week & he just missed for the third straight time, draws inside again to stalk the speed & might be on the verge with a bigger late punch

5-Zlatan – 9YO veteran has stepped it up with three straight on the board finishes, stalks from midpack & could snap a long losing skid if the table is set right

RACE 8
6-Big Oil – Beaten favorite left alertly, angled with a menacing rally & just missed repeating last week, drops back down to a winning level for Team Orange Crush

8-Double Account – Simply go back to that post nine blowout on January 15 for Team Burke, drops back down & capable of a blast off attempt

1-Skyway Kon Man – The Kon Man chased a runaway Angel Nation last week with a much better effort & looms large from the rail again for Team Cullipher

RACE 9
2-Break The Deal – Has been knocking on the door, got shuffled from the rail & shook loose out of traffic to just miss last week, now moves inside & looms large in a competitive division

3-Wakemeshakeme – Emerged from a bad shuffle & just missed to a flying late longshot Shellie De Vie in her Team Burke debut, second start off the bench from an inside post

4-Greenhill Hanover – Beaten even money favorite was right there with an aggressive effort in her Big M debut, draws a bit better & was facing tougher @ Yonkers

RACE 10
7-Annabelle Hanover – Annabelle just missed to a well-rated favorite Machnhope last week, nosed out before that @ Yonkers & she seems poised to put one across

3-Bettors Heart N – 1:50.4 winner here three starts back returned to finish a close third with a :26.3 last week, now draws an improved post to step it up further

6-Miss You N – Ohio standout won both qualifiers with Dexter Dunn while flaunting her versatility, faces some sharp opponents in her Big M debut & might be up to the task

RACE 11
9-Halliama – Won twice last month, both with sterling rallies, caught first over from the rail last week, moves outside & just needs some trip luck to blow past this bunch

2-Fix-It-Up – Interesting shipper from The Meadows hasn’t raced in 25 days, but debuts here for Team Bongiorno, nothing to note in his current form, but draws inside a complete toss up

3-Skyway Jaguar – Has cycled around in his last few @ Freehold, arrives fresh off a wire-to-wire win & draws inside to be forwardly placed in this

RACE 12
1-All The Truth – Kicked off last month in sharp fashion for Team Burke before the post ten miscue two starts back, an even fifth against a tougher group last Saturday & moves inside

5-Toccoa Falls – Went two-for-three on Lasix, perfect trip paid off last week & remains in career form since the barn change to Per Engblom

4-You Will Be Queen – This mare has been on a nice form spree, had her own way & settled for second to Toccoa Falls last week, still a dangerous player

RACE 13
3-Flash A Smile – Dropping plenty of positive hints in her last three, just missed to the pace setting Pappy Rocks last week & draws inside again to play her stalk n pop strategy

7-Pappy Rocks – Recent Edwin Quevedo claim was able to seize control from the rail & prevail with superb Braxten Boyd rating, moves outside, yet remains a threat to repeat

6-Gottalovemyshadow – She may have more back class than this field combined, woke up with a lively third from post nine in the GSY last week & worth a long look

Ken Warkentin’s Saturday, March 12  Selections

RACE 1
4-Wrappers Delight A – Was caught first over into a quickening :55 back half last week, three impressive wins before that, dips back down a notch & draws well

6-The Book Of Life – Twice a runner up to Wrappers Delight A before a no-chance tour of Yonkers, gate speed puts him play & re-united with T-Mac here

1-Way To Close – Has been on a nice roll here this season with three wins & a new mark of 1:51, first over chasing Wrappers Delight A, two weeks to regroup, speed on the rail

RACE 2
1-Emma Talking – $100,000 Chapter Seven colt makes his career debut from the rail after easily winning both Big M qualifiers, Linda Toscano trainee just needs to avoid any miscues

4-Ledges – Lightly-raced 4YO stayed flat & flashed some late life out of a shuffle in her 2022 debut, draws inside again & certainly has room to improve

5-Birdman – Finished a nonthreatening fourth again, yet drops into a much softer spot, can leaving off the wings & logically trip out in this wide-open field

RACE 3
7-Decision Day – Somehow caught first over into a :54 back half last week, this is his fourth straight class drop, tougher post, but rates a slight edge in this camera-shy drop down derby

8-Father Nuno – Offered some late life two weeks ago, hasn’t hit the board in five starts this year & draws farther out, yet drops into a possible wake up spot

10-Heza Real Diamond – 1:48.1 Big M performer last year was a speedy runner up from post nine three starts back, worth a long look despite post ten in this real head scratcher

RACE 4
2-Knight Angel – Seemed to be gathering momentum before the early miscue two starts back, gets a second straight class drop & draws an improved post for Team Bongiorno

3-Trixie Dust – The Dust has been bearing down to reel off back-to-back upsets, the latest a new mark from post nine & draws better to handle the step up against several drop downs

5-Stormont Ventnor – Pace compromised & an even fifth last out, drops back down to the level of the first over upset two starts back & kicks off a Team Cullipher one-two punch

RACE 5
1-Pretty Ricki – Left alertly, tipped first over past the half & dug down deep to just miss upsetting Ultimaroca with a :26.3, a close second before that & now moves inside

6-Ultimaroca – Lived up to the 6-5 tote hype with a game score under intense pressure in a sparkling Big M debut, post is a bit better & figures to winging again for Team Burke

7-Rogers Image – 4YO part of the Team Burke trio in this one, major stakes player in Indiana at three with a mark of 1:50 & makes his second start off the bench

RACE 6
4-Fabrizio N – Left into a hot first quarter, gapped on the final turn, then kicked in late with a :26.2, now acclimated, goes third time Lasix & switches to Dexter Dunn

1-Motive Hanover – Converted a perfect two-hole ride into an upset over De Los Cielos Deo & took a new mark of 1:50.2, lands his fourth straight rail for Team Bongiorno

6-De Los Cielos Deo – Rejuvenated Team Burke stalwart bounced back with a well-rated narrow loss as the beaten favorite, relentless gelding is tough to knock off

RACE 7
1-Manhattan Beach – Leads the Team Burke trio in this affair after getting blitzed by a 1:49.3 Ana Afreet N last week, beat these with a gutsy effort as the favorite before that

5-Windsong Jack – Maybe it was Dexter Dunn, but this classy 12YO gelding suddenly regained his best stride for the 6-1 upset last week, tough to go against a raging barn too

9-Cool Blues Man – Beaten favorite tried to rally from never-never land as Windsong Jack took off last week, just missed before that, moves outside, but remains sharp

RACE 8
7-Put To Right – Upset these with a perfect trip back on February 5, followed by a narrow loss, drops back down & can fire out to lead the Team Burke trio in this tricky puzzle

1-No Lou Zing – Back on the rail with two weeks to regroup after fading from a well-rated lead, sharp rallies before that, bumped up a notch with The Money Man back in the bike

3-Ana Afreet N – Team Cullipher flicked on his light bulb & took no prisoners in a 1:49.3 blowout last week, tackles a triple class hike, yet he can handle it from an improved post

RACE 9
4-Machdavid – Took a couple of starts here to find his best stride second time Lasix, draws inside again to build on that mighty late surge in a competitive final

7-Monty Mono – Fresh off the big-time wake-up new mark of 1:51.4 he grinded gamely & just missed to the trip sitting Winning Linc, hot combo a threat to keep it going

1-Ruthless Dude – Lands the rail again on a form spree, stole a :57.1 half & held off Machdavid as the heavy favorite & continues to loom large for a hot barn

RACE 10
5-Yanks Dugout – Team Burke shipper rebounded with a gallant score over a relentless JL Cruze last week, gate speed puts him in play again & tough to knock off once committed

7-Lovedbythemasses – Has come back in fine fettle for Team Cullipher going two-for-two, that was an eye-catching rally to win the Dover Downs Open, but that was 25 days ago

4-JL Cruze – The King has been on a roll this Winter, gave it his all as usual & got nosed out by Yanks Dugout, could prove troublesome if he gets some sort of breather in the mile

RACE 11
7-Ocean Ridge N – Bumped up against a revved up Ana Afreet N last week, nice rebound mile, retains Dexter Dunn & this NZ import continues to ramp it up in a camera-shy field

5-Rockin The Aces – Wasn’t heard from when he lagged behind in a 1:49.2 mile, still paced home in :26.4, remains at a reduced level & eligible for a wake up call

6-Da Delightful – Beat this kind with a slick Dexter Dunn drive two starts back, then had no chance from post eight last week, draws a bit better to get involved & be a factor

RACE 12
5-Game Of Change – Looks for a three-ply series sweep after grinding gamely for the convincing repeat last week, The Big M’s hottest combo will look to gun them down late

4-Sunshine’s Finest –Overcame a pace-compromised trip to land in a close photo, continues to gather momentum from an improved post in a very competitive final

2-Rockabilly Charm – Got shuffled, then bottled up in heavy stretch traffic chasing Game Of Change last week, romped for Gingras in round one & lands post two again

RACE 13
7-Baileys Rock N – Tried to overcome a nightmare trip from way back & finished well again, hits rock bottom, keeps Joe Bongiorno & could surprise in this wide-open finale

6-Campora N – Note the narrow loss in the slop @ Yonkers two starts back, the class relief, slightly better post & Dexter Dunn again could keep him going in the right direction

4-Duddie’s Lor – Hasn’t been heard from since coming back, but drops all the way down to the lowest condition, draws inside & there’s some talent lurking somewhere