Mark Cramer
C & X Report

BC Report 3
Today we will concentrate on Friday's card, without forgetting
Goldikova in the Mile and Soldier of Fortune in the Turf. In that race
I am taking a hard look at Grand Couturier, based on form cycle
projection.
For Friday I have zoomed in on one horse: HALFWAY TO HEAVEN. Now for
sure this is a deeply contentious field. Folk Opera improve in the New
World and the horse she beat, Sealy Hill, had traffic problems. Wait A
While is 3 for 3 at SA, and Vacare, the gal she beat, has some chance
to improve. Forever Together has also defeated Sealy Hill. Dynaforce
just defeated Mauralakana, who is capable of  rebounding. Pure Clan
has never been off the board, and is no slouch, even though her
previous rider chose Forever Together, whose underrated trainer
deserves a BC win.
What a mess. The only way to handicap this race is to choose
continents. We saw Folk Opera cross the Atlantic and win. I think the
other two Euro horses have equal or better class. Visit could surprise
everyone, and has a trainer who has won BC races before. But Visit has
not won past 7 furlongs.
Here's what I got on HALFWAY TO HEAVEN:
1. Defeated Darjina, a filly that has trounced trounced the boys,
beating up on Henry the Navigator and Paco Boy.
2. At today's distance, defeated Lush Lashes, a close-up finisher in
the Prix de l'Opera with traffic trouble.
3. Should love the firm going! She's 4 for 8 but she is 4 for 5 on
firm or firm-to-good surfaces. The same horses she's defeated on the
firm ground, Hahoodh and Lush Lashes, defeated her when it was
yielding.
4. She's an overachiever, having won at 8-1, 5-1 and 6-1.
In deeply contentious turf races where trouble is a possibility and
place payoffs are often generous, I would play this one win-place.
I can offer nothing else of greater insight for Friday's card, but I
will mention a few other observations.
FILLY & MARE SPRINT
With the probable scratch of Indyanne, Dearest Trickski, who loves the
synth, will have only two other need-to-lead horses to do battle with:
Lady Sprinter, whose class is unknown but who stretches out, and Dream
Rush, who has been caught before. On this same synth track, Dearest
Trickski has been forced to hustle on the front and has withstood the
opposition. Indian Blessing will be pressing the pace and is 8 for 10
and a near perfect horse. So why not try the horse that has defeated
Indian Blessing: ZAFTIG, that is if the odds differential is
significant. Yes, ZAFTIG is young and less experienced, but when she
defeated Indian Blessing, she did so after having stumbled: not easy
in a sprint race.
Obviously, ZAFTIG's problem is the long layoff: four and a half
months. However, following a nearly 4-month layoff, previously, ZAFTIG
won convincingly. Furthermore, her trainer has a profitable specialty
stat with long layoffs.
I tell you in advance that I am not a great handicapper in this type
of sprint race, where the butterfly effect is more prominent than in
route races. But alas, you have seen my arguments. It's always
difficult to defeat a classy Baffert sprinter at SA.
Anything else on this card is merely a hunch.
In the JUVENILE FILLIES TURF, the hunch is the very thin reasoning
that trainer Wayne Catalano has won a 2yo BC race before and he's a
high percentage and profitable trainer in first-time turf. I am
referring to the filly Sugar Mom, who is 3 for 3 since she got into
the Catalano barn.
I have already given my comments on the Ladies Classic. The Z lady has
been exceptional and only a slow pace could do her in.  She reminds me
of the other Z lady, Zarkava. The other horse I see here is Carriage
Trail, 3 for 4 on the synth, 20% trainer.
Stay tuned tomorrow.
Mark