Check out my Monday (7-6-26) Ellis Park Race 8 analysis below.
ELP 8 (Alw-102k/2L, 3yo, 7f dirt) – Post Time 4:12 PM ET
Primary – #6 CORONA DE ORO, #8 Rebel Instinct
Secondary – #5 Volendam, #7 Ezum
Horse Comments:
#6 Corona de Oro (7-2) turns back in distance and gets class relief after finishing 3rd in the G3 Lexington, 11th in the G1 Preakness, and 5th in the G3 Matt Winn. He projects a stalking trip under his winning rider Brian Hernandez, Jr. He goes back on lasix and ran his best two races with that medication in January and March.
#8 Rebel Instinct (9-5) fired in all three starts at one mile around one turn. He stalked the pace and landed the place in his debut, and he pressed and graduated by 3 lengths second time out. Those AQU races were in 2025 for Chad Brown. He resurfaced in the Brad Cox barn on May 31 and rallied to finish a clear second. He sports three works for this and projects an outer stalking trip.
#5 Volendam (9-2) was the favorite in his all-weather sprint bow at TP March 21 and he stalked and scored by 2 lengths. He was 3-1 in the Federico Tesio at 9f second time out and he chased loose front running winner Taj Mahal and weakened to 4th of 10 (beaten 11 lengths). They paid $600k for the Vekoma colt and he turns back, drops in class, and goes back on lasix. He sports six Churchill works for this engagement.
#7 Ezum (5-1) set the pace and romped by 19 lengths in his facile maiden victory at CNL second time out March 14. He stalked and faded in the G3 Lexington, and he cuts back in distance and goes back on lasix. Brad Cox’s $485k Essential Quality colt ran huge once and was nowhere in his other two starts, and must prove that he is more than a one-hit wonder.
Wagers:
#6 to win
Exacta 5-6-7/8
Trifecta 6-8/5-6-7-8/5-6-7-8
Recent 2026 Bettor Bet$ Free Pick Winners
June 18 – Lady Rose ($2.86)
June 19 – Watch Over Us/Cammy’s Girl Exacta ($12.00)
June 20 – Twisted Humor/Perfect Smile Exacta ($5.60)
June 24 – Movie Night/Wrong Shoes/Highgrove Trifecta ($24.28)
June 26 – Supernal ($5.40), Exacta ($43.60)
June 27 – Bring the Smoke ($6.42)
June 30 – Margin of Air/Elusive Target Exacta ($7.80)
July 1 – Kappa Kappa ($2.20)
July 3 – Anyway ($5.34)
July 5 – Capricious Outcome ($3.26)
*All winning wagers based on $2 payoffs unless noted otherwise.
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