Today at Los Alamitos: Sept. 14, 2014

TODAY AT LOS ALAMITOS by Richard Eng

Post Time 2 p.m.

Race 1 - 1 mile, Purse $14,000, Claiming $8,000, 3-year-olds and up

5 Navarre - Stretching back out around 2-turns; should show more speed with route fractions being a tad bit softer.

3 Caramuru - Goncalino Almeida doesn’t win many, so this big class drop is huge; small barns can’t afford to give horses away.

Long Shot - 2 Tiz Futurity

Race 2 - 5 1/2 furlongs, Purse $17,000, Maiden claiming $20,000, Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up

8 Gisele At Fonz’s - Did a classic pop and stop in last while breaking from parking lot post 11; similar tactics facing easier.

5 Stormy Dreams - Ones with experience don’t look like much; thus you have to give the FTS a long look in these situations.

Long Shot - 9 Kohala

Race 3 - 5 1/2 furlongs, Purse $14,000, Claiming $8,000, 3-year-olds and up

7 Dehere - Bill Spawr puts the for sale bargain basement sign up; has back class to win a race like this from memory.

3 Omar Little - Sliding down the claiming ladder to this career low level; not facing much competition in here.

Long Shot - 5 Patriotic Lion

Race 4 - 5 1/2 furlongs, Purse $17,000, Maiden claiming $20,000, Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up

6 Theatrical Cast - Has cashed a couple paychecks in a row; some of these races look weak so it’s just a matter of stepping up.

11 A B C Me Awesome - Showed remarkable improvement in second career start; will be double tough if he improves just one step.

Long Shot - 10 Cin City Lady

Race 5 - 5 1/2 furlongs, Purse $42,000, Maiden special weights, Fillies, 2-year-olds

7 Ritzy Tags - Bob Baffert has an uncoupled entry so caveat emptor; this one takes the blinkers off hoping for better.

2 Don’t Blame Me - Interesting move to take the blinkers off; has actually run better than looked races facing tougher at Del Mar.

Long Shot - 4 Fateer

Race 6 - 5 1/2 furlongs, Purse $42,000, Maiden special weights, 3-year-olds and up

4 He’s a Bling - Did everything but win last time in a solid try; repeat effort might be good enough to graduate tonight.

10 Day of Fury - More love for Bob Baffert charges; he has a quarter horse resume and is willing to back Las Alamitos as best he can.

Long Shot - 7 Vegas Strip

Race 7 - 6 furlongs, Purse $17,000, Claiming $12,500, 3-year-olds and up

6 Memphis - Have a feeling he still has a big race left in him; dead late closers are always at the mercy of the early pace.

4 Sacred Ovation - This will be one of the targets for Memphis in the stretch run; backers hope that he will run and hide.

Long Shot - 1 Hamiltonian

Race 8 - 6 1/2 furlongs, $100,000 Barretts Juvenile, 2-year-olds

1 Wake Up Nick - Fans love unbeaten horses, no matter how fast or slow they run; one thing for sure, he won’t wilt in a dogfight.

2 Rowdy Dylan - Many will point to his last win as an indicator how talented he is; facing winners for the first time.

Long Shot - 5 Zendai

Race 9 - 1 mile, Purse $17,000, Maiden claiming $20,000, 3-year-olds and up

4 Cotton Valley - Has run faster races than his last two tries; if he steps up today he has a puncher’s chance to upset.

1 Troy Story - Taking a huge class drop in search of victory; he’s 0-for-24 so overconfidence is not a factor with him.

Long Shot - 9 Berlusconi

Best Bet - 4 He’s a Bling (race 6)

Los Alamitos Saturday - Picks/Winners/Mutuels, 18/4/$29.80; Long Shots, 9/2/$10.80; Best Bet, 1/0/$0

Los Alamitos Totals - 95/28/$190.40; Long Shots, 45/7/$73.20; Best Bets, 5/2/$7.40

SIMULCAST PLAY OF THE DAY - #11 Grand Arch (4/1) in race 11 at Woodbine. For scoring purposes, we’ll make a hypothetical $2 win, place and show bet, $6 total. On Saturday, Tricky Hat ran out at Kentucky Downs. Stats - 143/85/$805.30; Follow him on Twitter: @richeng4propick