Bret Battaglia sets the morning line at Turfway Park in Florence and provides daily picks and comments for the Trib during the live racing meets.
Picks and comments for Sunday, Dec. 13
RACE 1
DEI GRATIA comes in off a nice win at Churchill at long odds and is the choice for the win here with Jimenez back in the irons. TAKE IT OUT has been in the money in nine of ten starts this year and looks like the one to beat. SARAYU figures to move forward in her second start back from the layoff and likes the track here at Turfway.
RACE 2
TATTAGLIA has never raced at Turfway, but should like the move back to a synthetic track where five of his seven career wins have come. Give him a slight edge against a well-matched field. ROLL N SHINE has run well in each of his last three starts at Indiana and owns a win over the track. NO TIME TO KID drops in class in his first start back since early October and definitely looks capable of running well here.
RACE 3
BECAUSE I SAY SO takes a big drop in class in her first start since May when she was second as the favorite at Mountaineer. She’s only been out of the money once in seven career starts and will be tough to beat here. ROOTS also takes a big drop in class off of the layoff and looks like the main competition. MISS DEE’S TIARA drops in for a tag for the first time and has to be considered.
RACE 4
PROM THEME hasn’t shown much recently, but should like the move back to Turfway where nearly half of her ten lifetime wins have come. Give her the slight edge in a wide-open field. SECRETS OF SUMMER didn’t fire at Churchill last time out at odds on when she was claimed. She was running well before that one and could be tough to beat if she handles the Polytrack. SMART KIT moves back down in class in class off of the layoff and would be no surprise here.
CAM drops in class after a solid third place finish here at Turfway last time out in his first start over the track. Any improvement off of that effort could make him a winner here with Prescott back aboard. OPEN RANGE finished just behind the top pick as the favorite last time out and also figures to move forward in his second start over the track. DR. K’EOGH didn’t fire on the dirt at Churchill back in September in his last start, but showed some decent turf form before that one and could be dangerous if he handles the surface tonight.
RACE 6
KEG PARTY comes in off a nice third place finish against a solid field on the grass at Churchill. He’s run well in each of his two starts here at Turfway and looks like he’s in a good spot to pick up the win for Maker and Marquez Jr. ANMAAT moves back up against allowance company after winning two in a row. He’s run some strong races over the track in the past and could be dangerous at a decent price here. BOURBON HAPPENS shows two even efforts in his last two starts and shouldn’t mind the move to the Polytrack.
RACE 7
BEAR IT has been off since April when she ran a nice third in her debut at Aqueduct. Anything close to that effort should make her a winner tonight. INTREPID HUMOR didn’t show much on the dirt last time out, but has been second in six of thirteen career starts and has handled the Polytrack in the past. NELSON’S EL CAMINO ran an even race in his debut at Indiana back in June and shows some sharp works at Keeneland since that one.
RACE 8
WELCOME ABOARD was over-matched at Keeneland last time out, but ran well in two straight against minor stakes company in Louisiana before that one. He shows two nice works over the track for Reed since her last start and is the choice for the win against a solid allowance field. BELLE NATALIE moves back around two turns after a disappointing effort against stakes company in Ohio last time out. She’s won over the Polytrack here in the past and could be tough here if she’s at her best for Gorder. DIDHEMENTIONMYNAME another Gorder trainee, who has been idle since August when she was second in two straight as the favorite at Thistle. She showed some very good form over the track here last winter and would be no surprise here.
RACE 9
EL ZOHAN has been off since October when he was beaten as the favorite at Belterra against similar. He should like the move back to the Polytrack tonight and is the choice for the win here. RELENTLESS SPIRIT drops in class and looks like the one to beat. PACIENCIA Y FE didn’t show much last time out, but is capable of better.