Friday’s co-featured seventh race at Laurel Park is for fillies and mares three-years-old and up–a preliminary allowances around two turns at 1-1/16 miles.
The field of eight has three major contenders to consider: Mandette, Janelle Dreams and Fiduciary Values.
Mandette stepped up in venue and competition recently after she had finished second in a key Penn National allowances. In her race here, she finished behind a competitor in today’s race, the sharp Janelle Dreams and who also had a conditioning edge–Mandette had been away 51 days.
Still, Mandette showed some improvement after trainer Kelly Rubley added blinkers and the filly subsequently blew out crisply at her Fair Hill base.
Mandette has two reasons to move forward here; got the race she appeared to need badly [see Laurel Live video for NOV 16–5th race on HRI homepage] and, as a three-year-old, has more upside potential.
Exchange Rate’s daughter was in the money in both Laurel starts and the trip suits her very well, as her (3) 1-2-0 slate suggests. She reunites with Julian Pimentel, who rides at 27% for this barn and also is profitable winning at 28% in his last 74 rides around two turns.
The filly we fear is Fiduciary Values, claimed for a mere $5,000 when an impressive 9-1/2 length winner. She might have been a ‘paddock claim’ by Claudio Gonzalez [profitable 27% first start off claim], who must have noticed that Mandette runs better whenever front bandages are removed.
We’re betting Mandette to win and an exacta box with Fiduciary Values. We’ll sprinkle Jandelle Dreams into the exotics mix. Now it’s up to the filly.
SUNDAY RESULT: Saar’s Image did not lift a hoof. Deep closer on very wet track? Maybe. Or maybe she’s declining. My thinking is I might give her another chance on turf, her best race so far, but she’d have to ship out to find that right now. As for dirt, that’s two bad ones in succession now…
