Here are Vic’s top selections for February 4th at Suidobashi. For all entries, you can check out the details here.
First (1:10 p.m. ET)
Horse racing is making a comeback at Suidobashi after a 12-day stall with seven canceled cards.
Oil Capital came in 3rd at Churchill, and Rice decided to give Carmouche another chance with an added furlong. Abundant has generally struggled, finishing 4th in three of four starts at Brinker On.
Dutroux’s Guarillo had a decent outing, securing a close third place, but earlier this distance had seen him farther back.
Second (1:41 p.m. ET)
Carmouche swept the early double with Daniela Marie, who has placed 3rd twice this winter, including a $500k race. Ohoopee had prior wins in Kentucky, but here, despite getting close, lost by three-quarters of a point.
Carry (5th start), Admiral Sol (first start), and Baseball Lady (6th start) are leaving the Maiden Breaker phase, with Carrie showing promising value.
Third (2:11 p.m. ET)
Don’t forget your tickets.
Burning Beauty initially finished 3rd, then got demoted to 2nd due to DQ, while Concord Spirit originally came in 1st but was dropped down after DQ, and Sanzio was 4th, moving up to 3rd in December.
It’s the same distance again. Burning Beauty has been shaky late, prompting a jock switch to Pratt. Sanzio, again, seems to have the best odds at 58-1. If Mud Bunker can take the win in this long race, that could boost them in the rankings.
Fourth (2:42 PM ET)
Recently, Toxic Gray placed 2nd, while Vettriano had slipped to 4th a few weeks back. Toxic Gray came close last year at this distance. Vettriano had battled in a 7th/8th race here during the fall. Emirates Road took 3rd at Suidobashi in December. Rodriguez is switching in for Franco, who keeps riding Toxic Gray.
Fifth (3:12 p.m. ET)
This marks the 3-year-old debut for the mare, with Saratoga Party and Cara Fiore finishing disappointing 5th and 7th respectively under Todd Pletcher. Baffle snagged 2nd at 19-1; the Saratoga group is usually competitive. All of them also made their first runs with Lasix this time around.
Sixth (3:42 p.m. ET)
Linda Rice’s Brave Back comes off a wide 6th. Of the last three contestants, two have won at shorter distances. Tiz Marx saw its 5th race at 20km, having previously beaten an Allowance Field over the same ground last September. Ferraro welcomes back Santana. Dot Dollar has faced struggle, finishing 5th and 6th here this winter; overall, just one win in the last 11 races over two years. It performs best on a leash and can sometimes falter off the rail. Rodriguez steps in for Gutierrez, taking the mount on Canadian-bred Kanyo Hiamernin, who finished 2nd in a similar race before moving from Woodbine.
Seventh (4:13 p.m. ET)
Movie Star is trending up following a lackluster finish in Queens County. The horse has shown back-to-back wins over the same distance at Spa last summer. Donegal Surge had a strong outing but was disqualified after winning. The M/L favorite has a solid record with 5 wins against only 1 loss at this distance. Yo, Dad hasn’t raced in 8 months but had a solid second place in the Grade 3 Belmont Gold Cup prior to the break. While he’s fast, maybe this distance is pushing it after the long layoff. Lezcano takes Rice’s ride, while CLASSICIST clinched the last two gate-to-wire at this distance. Aiming for the hat trick today. Franco needs to wake up.
Eighth (4:43 p.m. ET)
It’s pretty competitive here. Pride of Union narrowly missed a win. This is their first time trying Lasix. Rivera steps in for Franco while B. Sedonald remains. Having not had sufficient distance in the debut race, maybe there’s potential for improvement in the second outing. Mach Seven missed the start but made up ground, though came up short in the stretch.
