Burnham Square nearly got the call in the continent’s main event, the Haskell. He’ll give Journalism a run, but if Journalism can avoid a tough trip (no sure thing!) Burnham Square can’t contain him. On Monmouth turf, Segesta in the Matchmaker and Rebel Red in the United Nations just missed this week’s cut.
Molly Pitcher
A distant fourth, a mild third in a slow race, and a no-show in her most recent outing: Can that superficially poor form pattern create a touch of value on Randomized in the Molly Pitcher? Possibly. The morning line lists the mare at 9-2. She’ll go off lower than that (and not just because Leslie’s Lady is a likely scratch), but because, at her best, Randomized easily tops this field, and because Flavien Prat rides her for trainer Chad Brown.
Some believe Randomized in her top-rated performances benefited from controlling a slow pace, and while that perspective has merit, note how fast she went holding second behind champion Idiomatic in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
Her distant fourth-place finish came last August in the Personal Ensign. Slugging it out on a strong pace contributed to her comprehensive defeat, but Randomized subsequently didn’t post a timed workout until January. I don’t hold that poor showing against her.
Brown about a month out said Randomized might just barely be ready to make her 2025 debut in the La Troienne in May. She raced competitively there in what should’ve been a prep for the Ogden Phipps, but Randomized no-showed in the Phipps over a radically sloppy surface, not even coming close to making her preferred spot on the lead. Another throwout race.
There is no public workout video of Randomized’s last two drills, but we can see June 20 and June 27, both in company with Grade 1 winner Raging Sea. The June 20 work looked fine, the June 27 breeze looked fantastic.
A drop in class, a first start over a track that should suit her style, and the prospect of potentially playable odds: Pour one out for Randomized in the Molly Pitcher.
Caress
Zeitlos couldn’t come through as the play last month in the Chicago Stakes, a seven-furlong dirt race, but I’ll try her again going 5 1/2 on the grass in the Caress.
Many of the Caress entrants know each another well, including the two shortest prices on the morning line, Future Is Now and Pipsy. Pipsy’s value declines here after she won the Intercontinental at a square 5-1. Reverse their trips in that race and runner-up Future Is Now might have prevailed. On Saturday, Future Is Now could get the more favorable journey since she’s drawn outside Pipsy.
Zeitlos can swoop past all of them with a sustained outside bid. A solid second at Kentucky Downs in her turf debut two seasons ago, Zeitlos made her only other grass start in the 2024 Caress. Bumped at the start, she dropped farther off the lead than desirable and made an eye-catching turn move before a traffic-clogged homestretch run doomed her chances. Only clear the last few strides, she kicked in and finished about a half-length behind Future Is Now.
Zeitlos’s sire, Curlin, actually does fine with turf sprinters. Her dam was a turf sprinter.
Seven furlongs on dirt in the Chicago proved a touch too far for Zeitlos. Five and a half on turf with strong pace in front of her just might work.
Wickerr
It is likely the main goal for Bran is the Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs, but that doesn’t mean he can’t take down the one-mile Wickerr on the way.
Bran made 21 starts during his first three seasons but in the last three has raced only five times. He is still a relatively low-miles model, a long sprinter who stays a mile.
Last out in the Daytona, second race after a layoff, Bran escaped from trouble and finished encouragingly behind Grade 1-class Motorious. He followed this same pattern in 2022 but got too keyed up after making an early Wickerr lead, failing to settle while racing in the pocket. Back from another layoff last summer at Del Mar, he relaxed better and won an allowance comparable in quality to the restricted Wickerr.
I expect Bran to make his way into the pocket again Saturday. He’s shown a nice kick over the Del Mar course, and it can get him home at a fair price.
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