Race 6:   5 - 11 - 1 - 4

Now that Elegant Jem is running for purse money only, we lose an opportunity to bet against a turf horse that was going to take plenty of money. It seems likely that one of the first time starters will end up as the favorite. I'm against Aussie Ahvee for Linda Rice, who has a strong turf-oriented pedigree. Emblazoner (1) seems like the right firster to take, if that's your angle in this weak field. She has limited turf pedigree, so it's possible that she was entered with this surface in mind all along. Of those with experience, there are two horses on which to focus. Tequila Sunday (11) has run the best dirt races, but her lack of early speed is a concern. I prefer Scatback (5), who returns from the layoff for Gary Contessa. She has that one dirt race back on Nov. 3 that would make her tough. Generally, she's faced better fields than this in her main track starts, and Paco Lopez figures to ride her aggressively.

Race 7:   2 - 9 - 8 - 3

Frostie Anne (9) is obviously the horse to beat, given her superior early speed and strong dirt speed figures. However, 1 1/16 miles is a bit of a stretch for a filly that probably doesn't want to go much farther than 8 furlongs. I respect her, but she's going to be an awfully short price in this race and there are other options. While it's no easy task for Timely Tradition (2) to return in a dirt route off such a lengthy layoff, it is worth noting that she has run the best races of her career over sealed racetracks. She just seems to skip over these very wet surfaces with ease. Her most recent start was not quite as bad as it seems and she has a right to take a step forward from her three-year-old form. I'm against Jcs American Dream, whose recent form is poor, and No Hayne No Gayne has run out of chances for me.