We looked for a field of good size and found the 10-horse turf event going as today’s seventh race, providing, of course, the race remains on the grass. (If rescheduled to main track, Dutchess Caroline (12-1) looks interesting.
Should it stay on turf, however–even though it’s never easy winning on turf breaking from an outside post going two turns–Get Rewarded (5-2) will be extremely hard to beat given what the newly turned four-year-old has going for her.
Consistently faster than the group on the Thoro-Graph scale, she never has run this cheaply, broke maiden on Tampa turf here in the spring, and figures to benefit from her return from an eight-month layoff at Gulfstream.
Check it out for yourself: It was RACE 10 on DEC 18. Note the trip; the filly raced three or four wide throughout, under a snug hold while going head to head with a rival inside of her.
When Edgar Prado finally asked her for a run on the final turn, she made one while wide but was done after chasing a solid pace throughout. The final tine for the mile was 1:34.31 after the first three quarters that went in 1:10.37. It was an ideal speed prep for her second start.
Today Get Rewarded repeats the winning pattern–GP to Tampa as she did in April and is spotted to win now. Trainer Sarah Nagle reaches out for Samy Camacho, riding at a 25% clip this meet, is 19% efficient on grass in his career, and this trainer-jockey team historically is 29%.
We’re just hoping the outside draw will mitigate what promises to be a short price. The freshened Painted Image (6-1) is forward-looking, nicely drawn and properly spotted. Exactas anyone?
