With little to separate the card on the class scale we opted for higher class maiden claimers with a representative field of seven going 7 furlongs. We wet to the video tape and found two horses that looked the most interesting.
We’re hard pressed to separate them but you can by checking out the Laurel Live Video on the HRI homepage and decide which you prefer between Stiva (7-2) and Zig (5-2), viewing the race they exit together: DEC. 22, RACE 9.
Two things to note: Both had similar ground saving trips and never left the inside portion except for Zig upon reaching midstretch. Stiva had three lengths on her at head stretch but it to a photograph to separate them at the finish. Clearly Zig had the better late kick.
Following that race, Stiva opted for more conditioning going a mile but Zig turned back to six furlongs and had her speed sharpened a bit, making some ground late vs. special-weight maidens on JAN 18 while racing wide never changing over to her correct in late stretch.
Whatever the dynamics, Zig keeps coming at you. Today she benefits from a switch to a stronger finishing Sheldon Russell and had a sharp half-mile work for this. We’re taking Zig to win, no price restrictions, and exacta box with Stiva, switching to the X-Man Perez, adding recent claim Hydra to the exotics mix.
