Get A Hunch/Bet A Bunch

Time to get serious.

Tonight’s seventh-race feature is rife with possibilities.

Gavotte - the reigning queen of the meeting - got her ears boxed when she tackled the boys in an Oct. 18 non-conditioned allowance. Now she’s back with the girls in tonight’s $5,000 Lady Matchmaker Handicap.

Gavotte gets mighty brave on the front end but with dedicated speed to her inside in C C Bunny and Casa Toni, she’ll probably get parked wide at the first turn.

If Rowdy Luark and C C Bunny wage war on the front end with Lane Rennaker and Casa Toni, the favored Gavotte might spit it. If the front-end duel gets too hot, a higher-priced stalker - possibly Miss Silk or even Rolls Belle - could worm her way in.

Vince Ward has the assignment on Rolls Belle. It’s the veteran rider’s only mount tonight. I don’t think he’d go to the trouble if he didn’t have a shot.

Ward was up three years ago when Rolls Belle came from 7 lengths out to win the Playfair Distaff at 10-1. That was at 6 furlongs, however, not tonight’s mile distance. And it was three years ago.

But trainer Bonnie Jenne, who’s enjoying a great meet, has brought the lightly raced 7-year-old mare up to this with two patient low-level claiming events. She’s morning-lined at 10-1 and could go off even longer.

Miss Silk has the conditioning edge to inherit the lead coming out of the stretch turn. You could do worse than take a big flyer on her.

A real longshot play is Don Munger’s closer Went South, who won at a mile at 13-1 last February at Portland Meadows. Although she probably needs this outing to drop and score next time out, she’s chased better and shouldn’t be intimidated by a pace duel.

Tonight’s flings:

FIRST: $2 daily double PUDDLES ‘n BOOTS, LIL RED ROCKET and BOLD PHILOSOPHER with QUICK NICK, WHAS HAPPNIN and CHARITY LINE in the second.

SECOND: $1 exacta box QUICK NICK with WHAS HAPPNIN, OAKS SECRET and CHARITY LINE. $2 exacta box WHAS HAPPNIN, OAKS SECRET and CHARITY LINE. $1 trifecta box same three. $5 across on CHARITY LINE.

FOURTH: $2 exacta box SNEAKY BABY, MY LITTLE DARLING and DR MARY G. $1 trifecta box same three. $1 pick 3: DR MARY G with COLD WIND and JOKERS PLEASURE in the fifth with LADY IN THE WAKE in the sixth.

SIXTH: $25 to win, $25 place on LADY IN THE WAKE. $1 trifecta wheel LADY IN THE WAKE with SAY GRACE FIRST JO for first and second to ALL for third. $1 pick 3: LADY IN THE WAKE to C C BUNNY, MISS SILK, GAVOTTE and ROLLS BELLE in the seventh to WESTERNHOLME, IRISH FIRE, RONAMONT LADY and SIMPLY ELEGANT in the eighth.

SEVENTH: $1 trifecta wheel C C BUNNY and MISS SILK for first and second to ALL for third. $10 place, $10 show on ROLLS BELLE. $1 exacta box ROLLS BELLE with ALL.

EIGHTH: $1 superfecta box WESTERNHOLME, FLO JO EXPRESS, IRISH FIRE and RONAMONT LADY. $1 exacta box SIMPLY ELEGANT with those four.

Bottom line: Down $1,139.90