Royal Heroine Stakes — Santa Anita, Race 9

The Royal Heroine came up competitive this year, and I’ll be honest with you — there are a few different ways to go here and I like a lot of them.

Ripassare makes a lot of sense to me at a price. She’s getting back on the grass, which is where her best efforts have come, and she lands in the Philip D’Amato barn. D’Amato knows what he’s doing with a turf horse at Santa Anita. She’s worth a piece at her number.

At the end of it all, though, I wind up on May Day Ready.

She is fast and she is consistent, and I think the move to the Mandella barn is significant here. Richard Mandella has been doing this a long time and he doesn’t point horses at Grade 3 races without having them ready. At her best, May Day Ready is a good fit for this spot — she’s got the class, she handles the distance, and the pace shape sets up for her style. But I think the bigger story is that she moves forward under new management. Fresh start, good trainer, right race.

Now — she is the shorter price of the two I lean toward, and they always tell you to take the longer one in those situations. I never listen to them.

May Day Ready for me.

Woodhaven Stakes — Aqueduct

Things were a little easier for me in the Woodhaven.

Teddy’s Rocket is the likely favorite coming back from a layoff and he is very eligible — I understand the case for him completely. But I kept coming back to Instability.

He broke his maiden first out at Tampa and I thought that was a good enough effort to suggest he can win right back. Yes, he will have to run faster today than he did that day at Tampa. I believe he will.

Rail post, fresh off a maiden win, and I think there is more horse there than we have seen so far. Give me Instability.