Analysis for Wednesday, August 25

Analysis by Randy Goulding

RACE ONE: CLASSIC IDEALS won the last time he ran for this price and then couldn't keep up to some tough ones when he jumped up to face starter horses in his next two starts. He certainly didn't embarrass himself and he'll appreciate being back in with straight claimers. JUMP PASS is a half-brother to a couple of route winners and being by a son of A.P. Indy he should relish the extra distance. He closed with good speed in his latest sprint and appears to be primed for a big effort in his first route. DREXEL ran away and hid when he faced easier and he has improved his Beyer Speed Figures in his last four races for a trainer that is on a bit of a roll. SUPER STEVE looked good winning his latest sprint and the only concern is a possible wide trip from his outside post.

RACE TWO: WANDO WOMAN took a huge step forward when she stretched out for the first time in the B.C. Cup Dogwood and if she continues her progress she is going to be tough to beat. She'll need an honest pace to work with and while there is no guarantee that will happen, there are a couple of horses that could put enough pressure on SWEET N SOUR who appears to be the main threat. SWEET N SOUR could have the edge with her tactical speed and she won't have to deal with a very tough Dearest Princess this time. She just hasn't run a bad race this year and once again figures to be right there when it matters. VICTORIOUS VYE hasn't shown the stakes winning form she displayed last year but she worked a sharp half-mile prior to her latest sprint and she didn't look that comfortable being stuck on the inside when she ran in her latest sprint. She should be able to get a clear trip from her outside post and could show up with a much better effort.

RACE THREE: DIVA BALLERINA should appreciate both the drop in class and the move to a middle distance. She finished a good third in her previous route and the winner came back to win her next two including a $50K optional race Aug. 8. Diva has the kind of tactical speed that wins a lot of races here and it won't hurt that she gets in with 106 pounds. MARKETIZE threw in a dull one in her latest but she may not have cared for the wet track and it is possible she bounced after posting a career-best Beyer Speed Figure in her previous race. She is back at the level she won at and could rebound, especially with plenty of speed to run at. BRYMIC'S GEM should also appreciate the shape of the race and could get up in time to pick up at least a slice.

RACE FOUR: CLASSIC ALLEY KAT is on quite a roll with four straight wins and she was a pretty impressive winner when she posted an 85 Beyer Speed Figure in her latest. She has worked well in the interim and over the past five years her new trainer has an 18 percent strike rate when he runs them back the first time after the claim. RANDOM HIGHS battled through very fast fractions and still held on to finish second in a similar race Aug. 1. There is plenty of other potential speed in the field but she has won from a stalking position more than once and could be in the garden spot early. B. C. CAT chased RANDOM HIGHS and tired in her latest but she may have bounced after running a big race in her previous start and could rebound here.

RACE FIVE: GYPSY MAGIC just missed in the B.C. Cup Nursery and should be tough to handle with the move into a maiden race. He also came back with a very sharp half-mile move Aug. 20 and his trainer usually doesn't work them that fast so he should be set for another strong effort. KING OF THE SKY has finished third in both of his starts and both times he ran into tough ones. The winner of his debut won the Nursery in his next start and the horse that won his second start is well regarded. AFTERNOON RAIN is a half-brother to a couple of stakes winners - Bay Street Blues who won his 2-year-old debut plus And All That Jazz who is very fast and won the B.C. Cup Sprint. His trainer is having a big meet and can have them ready to roll first time out - 14 percent with first time starting 2-year-olds over the past five years.

RACE SIX: RALLYING CRY won his last two starts at the distance and shouldn't mind the move back to a sprint after a couple of strong efforts going long. He is stepping up after being claimed but he has back class and his new trainer has won with four of the last 10 horses she has claimed when she ran them back the first time. SNOW MOON has picked things up in his last two starts, won at this level earlier in the meet and has enough speed to take advantage of his inside post. He also has the best last race Beyer Speed Figure in the field. NOBLE LAD continues to work sharply in the mornings and maybe he'll finally show us the same kind of stuff in the races during the evening. He is dropping to a new low and if he can get involved early he could be dangerous. MONSTERINTHECLOSET is a very sharp horse and doesn't appear to be out of line with the jump up in class. This also looks like a race any of them could win.

RACE SEVEN: SILLY FELLA could be a lot better than he has shown in his last two troubled starts and with his outside draw he should be able to stay in the clear. He has good tactical speed and can either stalk or possibly go right to the front. PRINCE INTENT also has decent speed and he improved when he stretched out to a mile at Northlands. The horse that beat him on July 10 came back to place in the $50,000 Count Lathum and you probably want to check the results to see how he did in the Grade 3, $300,000 Canadian Derby last Saturday. MAJESTICALITY ran a big race in the B.C. Cup Stellar's Jay and could be ready for a break through performance in his third consecutive route. He could also get the perfect trip if the top two picks get involved with each other early. DEE'S VICTOR is a bit of a mystery. He is still a maiden and has never gone this far before but he ran well to finish third against older horses in the B.C. Cup Sprint and he should relish the extra distance.

RACE EIGHT: PEACEBETHEJOURNEY runs well fresh and her trainer has a 19 percent strike rate with horses coming back in 180 days or more so she should be ready to roll. She also may have been telling us something when she worked five-furlongs in :59.60 seconds on Aug. 8, and it is always encouraging to see Perez accept a mount from this barn. MIA DOLCE and BEAUTIFUL BREEZE dead heated for second in a similar race Aug. 8 and it could go either way here. We'll give a slight edge to MIA DOLCE because she was stuck inside when BEAUTIFUL BREEZE got first run at tiring speed and then Mia Dolce went pretty wide when she made her late move. BEAUTIFUL BREEZE is about as consistent as they come but she has found ways to get beat as the favorite in four of her last six starts and once again she won't be much of a price. She should certainly be part of any exotics ticket, however.