SUNDAY, AUGUST 9 * ELLIS PARK - AUDOBON OAKS & ELLIS PARK DERBY ANALYSIS

(5:10) ELP 8th Race - #10 MUNDAYE CALL was a $950,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale purchase, so you know she’s athletic, good-looking and owns a sharp pedigree. The daughter of supersire Into Mischief has acquitted herself well on the racetrack, winning her last two starts by open lengths. We like the ratability she showed in her last start and jockey Florent Geroux should get along famously with the Brad Cox trainee in the Runhappy Audobon Oaks. #4 SCONSIN ran a solid second to Four Graces in the Beaumont (G3) in her latest trip to the gate. trained by Ellis Park stalwart Greg Foley, who is having a tremendous meeting, she’ll be making a late run under hot jockey Jimmy Graham. #2 HELLO BEAUTIFUL has won half of her starts - all in Maryland. She ships to the Pea Patch with excellent speed, a bullet blowout and a trainer who has won 25% of her starts this year. Jockey Julien Leparoux takes the call and the price will be square.

(6:10) ELP 10th Race - Toyota Blue Grass (G2) winner #4 ART COLLECTOR impressed a lot of people at Keeneland. Trained by the highly underrated Thomas Drury, Jr., the son of Bernardini rides a four-race winning streak into the Runhappy Ellis Park Derby and his biggest competitor, #12 SHARED SENSE, was six and a half lengths in his wake in an allowance event at Churchill Downs on June 13. Looks like he’ll be tough to beat once again. The latter, Just won the Indiana Derby (G3) and although some outlets are calling this a class drop for the Brad Cox trainee, we would argue this event is much tougher than that one. The son of Street Sense is fastly improving and another move forward would make him a heads-up foe with the favorite. Jockey Florent Geroux knows him well now. #5 NECKER ISLAND has promised a lot along the way but hasn’t delivered. Recently claimed for a hundred grand, the son of Hard Spun may be better on the turf if they ever run him there, but his last two works have been zippy and maybe new trainer Chris Hartman has figured him out a tad. He’ll be a big number on Sunday.