Nick's Notebook
Sunday card features hefty Pick 6 carryover
NICK’S NOTEBOOK
Day 7 of 46 – Sunday, July 12, 2026
WHAT’S HAPPENING
The second week of the meet ends with Sunday’s card and a Pick 6 carryover of $166,703 awaits horseplayers. Beautiful weather is also in play, which is always a positive thing around the Spa.
THE FEATURES
There is no stakes race on this 9-race program, but a pair of interesting allowance races spice things up a bit. The mile and a half 2nd race is an interesting N1X in advance of the Pick 6 sequence. The N2X that goes as the 6th race is the nominal feature on the program and is a good group headed by #7 ALYESKA, who will dip below 6/5 when all is said and done.
PICK 6 THOUGHTS
The Pick 6 sequence begins with the 4th, a 2YO event at a mile on turf. There are some pedigrees in here worth noting, including that of #11 AND THE RUNNER IS, who is by Grade I winner and 13% turf sire Oscar Performance and is a half to graded stakes winning turfer Burnham Square. #5 BERTA’S STITCH is interesting given his debut performance, as he hit his stride late sprinting and should relish the extra ground. Don’t sleep on #3 SUSPEND, who is out of Lull, who was a graded stakes winner on turf herself.
Race 5 is a competitive turf sprint where I like #7 AMERICANEXPRESSION and #8 IMMORTAL POET. The latter is training well for her second start off a layoff, and the former has 2nd family turf pedigree for the weeds after a promising debut against MSW company on the synthetic at Gulfstream.
While Alyeska is the favorite in the 6th, #6 THE BIG CALHOUNA is interesting off a claim by Linda Rice given the hefty price for which she took her and some of her back form. Of the Chad Brown runners, the more interesting is likely #3 LIMES DON’T LIE, who ran down her stablemate in the nick of time here last year to get her second career win.
I’m not going to advocate for singling a first time starter in a 2YO race, but #6 FIVE GRAND sure looks like a horse set up to win on debut in the 7th race. He is by Vekoma, out of a mare who produced Grade II winner Five G, who also raced for Weaver. The workout reports on this colt are also very good and Flavien Prat sees fit to ride.
The 8th race is a great spot for #12 THE PADDOCK PASTOR off an effort that was even stronger than it looks on paper. He was wide the entire trip and made the only meaningful move from off the pace that day. The issue here is the outside post and the fact that none of these races seem to feature any pace whatsoever. Use #4 REMI’S MOON as well given his improvement on the turf last time out despite a very tough trip.
The nightcap is a skull-buster where #11 TWENTY ONE RED will be favored off a narrow miss last out at this level. He has positional speed that will keep him close early, but #6 GOLDEN JOKER and #4 BOOM SHOCKA BOOM deserve attention as well as strangers to this bunch.
SATURDAY BEYER SPEED FIGURES
Here are the Beyer figures from Saturday’s racing:
Midnight Still – 80
Angel of Kirk – 77
Next on Stage – 88
Sounds Like a Plan – 93
Movin’ On Up – 93
B Yutiful Carly – 66
Yinzer – 92
No Evidence – 85
Sunday Boy – 85
Ole Crazy Bone – 97
Manor Park - 72
PLAY OF THE DAY
Race 2 - #6 PRETTY TAPIT – There’s no denying the strength of the maiden and allowance races in Kentucky at the moment and this daughter of Tapit handled her business quite nicely last time out shifting to turf for trainer Joe Sharp. She sat just off the pace going 12 panels and pulled well clear late en route to a 5 and a half length triumph. She should control the pace in this affair and jockey Luis Saez is the best around riding the front end on turf. Look for her to get command and never look back!