“Off the Charts” Trip Notes – Jan. 17, 2015

Recent Results from our Horses to Watch featured here on Agameofskill.com.

Starts – 14

Wins – 6 (43% win rate from starters)

In the money – 9 (64% In the money rate)

WIN Return On Investment (+12.86%)

So what happened last week?  Two winners (two odds-on winners) and a very game placing down the Santa Anita hillside course:

Centrique was properly kept in the starter allowance ranks, winning a one-turn mile in fine fashion and paying ($3.00), becoming the first repeat winner for this blog (yay!).  Hopefully she will be positioned more aggressively next time out.  Hoppertunity got a nice rail run at Santa Anita and won well enough at a distance that is probably a furlong short of his best, paying ($3.60).

Air to Royalty was placed above her conditions on January 8^th (she is eligible for an open N1x allowance and she ran in an open N2x allowance) so she could get in a race down the hill at Santa Anita.  There is a $150,000 stakes race also down the hill that she is being pointed for in a few weeks.  Despite all of the demands put on the horse, she did well, beaten ¾ of a length for all the money, running third.  We will keep her in the stable.

Time to drop Angie’s Prim Lady from the stable

Angie’s Prim Lady was one of my most hopeful picks, coming in from Indiana Downs and Churchill with three straight turf sprint wins.  However, her form in New Orleans has been horrible, getting beat badly in both Fair Grounds turf sprints.  Maybe this one needs the Churchill grass course to do her best?

Current “live bullets” that should compete well over the next two to three weeks

• Jojo Warrior has had two sharp works for Baffert and may improve sharply next out.

• Wabel is also working OK for Baffert and finally gets to go two turns this Friday the 16th. He’s bred to go well two-turning (his sire is Curlin) so fingers crossed.

• Dubai Sky appears to be holding form as he moves up the Gulfstream Park class ladder.

• Yes for Success has put in some “sneaky good” works (example one 4 furlong breeze was 13^th out of 121 at the distance) for Kimmel in New York. Definitely expecting a sharp effort from this guy.

• Margano was entered at Gulfstream but he did not draw into the race and worked at Tampa instead. This one is probably live if he draws a decent post.

• Frosted and Ocean Knight have been working extremely well at Palm Meadows and I would make both horses Triple Crown contenders for now. I think Ocean Knight (also by Curlin) has a chance to be REALLY good.  In one workout the horses worked in company and they dead heated at the wire.