What an interesting Laurel feature to begin the race week, a preliminary allowances at a flay mile that features a little of everything; recency, fresh horses, turn-backs and stretchouts. Three horses immediately catch the eye:
Miami Mumbles (7-2), a bounce-rebound candidate with the fastest Thoro-Graph figure two back; Oxide (5-1), a Lacey Gaudet claim from Eddie Keneally who won at the trip at CD last time, and Al Brown (6-1) on the shelf since February.
Upon further review, as they say on Sundays, bred top and bottom for wet footing, maybe the pedigree was more responsible
and value is built in since is going from claimers to allowances. The barn has an excellent record with new acquisitions and his progression is forward.
But it’s Al Brown that intrigues most given the real possibility of value due to the layoff and lower-profile, yet very capable connections. Both his races were good last winter, running fast in each and he owns a win at a mile over the surface.
He has only five works showing for his return but all were fast half-miles, assuming there have been lots of long gallops in between. Why assume? Because trainer Marco Salazar is a profitable 21% effective with layups of 90 days or more.
We’re taking Al Brown to win at 4-1 or greater and key-boxing exactas with Miami Mumbles and Oxide, adding Plot the Dots (3-1) to the super-exotics mix.
