Today’s eighth race in Hallandale Beach is an N2L at the $35,000 level going a mile on turf and even given a brief layup, it’s against our religion to try upsetting a Mike Maker grass horse off the claim.
That aside, Basilia (2-1) has other things to recommend: Tactical speed and an inside drawn for one, and a switch to the aggressive, white hot Jose Ortiz for another.
Returning at level of claim, she carries the weight, is hard-trying and was competitive with much stiffer in SoCal, even if the grading levels were about the same.
And you know she will find the Eastern pace tempo more to her liking after Ortiz puts her in the game from the jump.
The clincher for us was her most recent effort in which she made up two lengths despite a moderate West Coast tempo in a final quarter mile that went in 23 4/5. Still despite trouble, she finished up. See for yourself: Del Mar, NOV 14, Race 9.
We have little choice. Taking Basilia to win, no price restrictions, and keying her in quinellas with Bill Mott-trained Runaway Rockette (6-1) and price shot Centsational (10-1) off the Carlos David layup. Also, we’re adding Entwine (9-2) to the super-exotics mix.
2 Responses
I only saw the chart, not the race; what happened with that race that led Jose to not ask Basilia late? Did she get walled in?
Yes, it was a little curious. Jose was atyptcally non-aggressive, waited a bit too long, rallies behind horses into the lane, kepy looking inside for a hole that never developed. She was blocked inside the final sixteenth, never got a real chance to run.