text: Forecast: Analysis made for turf only. Mo Ready sports the classic two-sprints-and-a-stretch out pattern for T. Pletcher while retaining I. Ortiz, Jr. and has the pedigree to handle both the added distance and the switch to grass. The son of Uncle Mo likely will continue his improving pattern in this state-bred affair that doesn’t appear to be overly strong. Inside Info breezed well (10 1/5 seconds) at the OBS April sale before bringing $165,000 at auction and the son of Mission Impazible has a steady series of local drills to be fit enough for a good effort. Turbo Drive has improving speed figures, though they’re not particular fast quite yet, and stretches out for the first time while trying grass. Blinkers also will be added as well, so this M. Maker-trained colt could find himself on or near the lead throughout. In an open fray, we’ll include all three in our rolling exotics and then press a bit keying Mo Ready on top.
  Forecast: Walkoff returns to dirt, shortens to a sprint, drops into a high-priced claimer and retains J. Ortiz. It all adds up to a major effort by the T. Pletcher-trained colt, who is unbeaten in two prior one-turn races and has speed figures that are good enough to beat this field. We’re expecting the Street Sense gelding to be along in time. Olympic Village, away since last November, earned numbers as a 2-year-old that were actually quite good, so we’re a tad surprised that he’s returning unprotected. The M. Trombetta barn has weak stats with layoff runners but the Fair Hill work tab looks pretty good, so we’ll include the Congrats gelding in our rolling exotics as a back-up or a saver.
  Forecast: ​ Analysis made for turf only. Value Engineering has failed as the favorite in both of his starts to date, but the son of Lemon Drop Kid remains well-regarded and probably deserves one more chance. Though he finished third in his most recent start, he earned a strong speed figure (10 points better than his debut number) so with another forward move today the C. Brown-trained colt should be able to break through with a winning performance. From the rail, J. Castellano can pretty much put him wherever he wants. Shennan was a respectable third in his U.S. in a mini-marathon turf affair last month and today shortens to a mile and three-sixteenths. If he’s going to develop into a nice sort, today’s the day he’ll show it. Both should be included in rolling exotic play; we’ll have extra tickets keying Value Engineering on top.
  Forecast: Taralluci was claimed for $40,000 by R. Handel in June and today shows up for $25,000, certainly not a healthy pattern, but this stable has very good stats with the first-off-the-claim angle (21% with a strong flat-bet profit) so we’ll accept this suspicious class drop as the aggressive move that it appears to be. The daughter of Lemon Drop King will be making her first start on dirt, so there’s that to consider, but with the trainer’s go-to rider J. Rosario taking the call we’ll trust the connections and make her a straight play and rolling exotic single at or near her morning line of 9/2.