Race Analysis - Saturday, May 8

Analysis by Randy Goulding

RACE ONE: QUICKENS didn't have a great trip when she made her seasonal debut going 3 1/2 furlongs on opening day and it is also possible she didn't care for the wet surface. She'll appreciate the move to a longer distance and she could take a big step forward with a race and an interim work under her belt. She could be the one in a race where it looks like any of them could win. SAN RAFAEL SWELL may have tipped her hand when she worked a sharp half-mile on April 30 and she certainly knows how to win races. Horse that finished fourth in her latest came back to win by seven. Toss her race on the grass and she has been right there in seven races in a row. FOXY LIKE A CAT probably wants more distance but she has been working well enough and her trainer is off to an excellent start at the meet. MIA DOLCE might not have cared for the synthetic track at Golden Gate and could get back on track with the surface switch.

RACE TWO: SILLY FELLA ran a big race to just miss behind older multiple winners and should appreciate being back with his own age group. He was good enough to romp in the Jack Diamond Futurity last year and he has looked pretty sharp this spring. ROCKET ROAN was an impressive winner in his only start and his 5-furlong move in :59.20 seconds on April 29 is a good sign that he's ready for another strong effort coming off the bench. CHARTERHILL looked good beating maiden special weight company in his first start this year and it hard to ignore the strong trainer stats showing in all the relevant categories. His takes winning dam won 11 races and earned $377K so the breeding is certainly there.

RACE THREE: LEND ME A DIME appears to be a standout. He ran a big race to finish third when he debuted for this price two weeks ago and he figures to take a big step forward in his second start. Six of his eight siblings are winners and if he runs back to his solid debut he's going to be tough to beat. OVERTIME MAGIC is by a decent debut sire and he has been working well enough leading up to his initial start. Perez attracted and the jockey-trainer numbers are pretty encouraging. NOTEMYTIME ran well in both of his starts with maiden claimers and something must have gone wrong when he tried stakes horses in the Nursery as he bore out badly and then was sent home for the year. Works have been solid this spring and there is an excellent chance that he'll come back running.

RACE FOUR: BEALE STREET is stepping up to face winners but he posted a decent Beyer Speed Figure for his win over $10K maidens in his first start as a 4-year-old and he doesn't look out of his element here. His trainer has excellent stats with horses that have won their last start, and also with ones that are coming back from a second start following a layoff. BEAR MOST WANTED has been away since last August but his trainer can have them ready to go coming off of this kind of layoff and everything out of the barn is running big races right now. Horse that won his last race won the Richmond Derby trial in his next start and he should appreciate the much easier company. ZIP THE STORM and SUPER STEVE both ran decent races opening day and we'll give the edge to ZIP THE STORM as he could be dangerous if he clears early from his inside post.

RACE FIVE: WATCHYOURSTEP didn't show much the only time she went around two-turns but she was facing stakes horses so we're willing to toss the race. She is also a full-sister to Tough Topic who won 10 races including seven routes so she shouldn't have any trouble going this far. The lightly raced 3-year-old could be the one in what appears to be a wide-open event. GOTTHEGREENLIGHT worked a strong half-mile here on May 4 and the Washington based filly ran well in all three of her races at Emerald last year. Her new trainer has won with 26 percent of his starters over the past five years and the main concern is that she could get hung out wide going around the first turn. THAT'S HOW WE ROLL has hit the board in five of her nine starts and hasn't been worse than fourth. She should be fit enough off of a winter campaign in Arizona and she had a solid 5-furlong move here on May 1.

RACE SIX: TAMARINDA tailed off badly in her last three starts in 2009 but she runs well fresh and her sharp work on April 27 is a good indication that she's ready for another strong effort coming off the bench. Her initial start last year would probably win this and she could be tough to get past if she leaves there running. YOOROCK GAL has back class, a race under her belt, and is dropping to a level she was very competitive at last fall. No surprise if she moves up enough to beat the top pick. CLASSIC ALLEY KAT looked good winning a shorter race at this level April 24 and she is capable of putting good races together. This might be for the same price but it is a much tougher spot, and with other speed to her inside she could get hung out going around the first turn.

RACE SEVEN: TEIDE was clearly the best horse here last year and he has looked just as good if not better this spring. He had a rough trip when he made his Hastings debut in this race last year but he proved he can sprint when he came right back and scored an easy win in his next start at this distance. There is plenty of speed for him to run at and he should get a perfect trip from this post. He will have to be on top of his game to beat his stablemate, ALMOST TIME, who looked pretty sharp winning his initial start this year. He is a proven stakes winner at the distance and we won't be surprised if he's the winner. SEMINOLE BRAVE can also sprint with the best horses here and he had his chances compromised in the race ALMOST TIME won when he had to check early. He figures to be under pressure from WOOMBROOM EXPRESS right from the start and he'll probably have a hard time holding off the top two in the stretch, however.

RACE EIGHT: ERIN'S PENNY had been working well and then showed some ability when she finished full of run to get up for third in her debut going 3 1/2 furlongs on April 24. She figures to move forward in her second start and if she breaks alertly she should get a nice trip behind speed that may not last. That would be LINDEN'S LADY who figures to be on the lead but so far hasn't been able to carry her speed the whole way. She is dropping to a new low and it is encouraging to see the solid interim work following a decent effort in her first start this year. MIDNIGHT VICTRESS finished just behind LINDEN'S LADY and she also came back with a solid interim move last Sunday. She has every right to improve in just her third start and it just might be enough to win this.