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 Saturday, Dec. 19
RACE 1
SUNSET SANDS was third as the favorite last time out in his first start over the track. He could improve in his second start over the surface and looks best here. TALLY JAX has been beaten as the favorite in each of his last two in Ohio and could be dangerous if he takes to the Polytrack. J.M.’S PARADE drops back down in class and would be no surprise here.
RACE 2
ROB AND JON’S GIRL loves the track here at Turfway where she’s won seven of fifteen starts. She drops back down in class after upsetting allowance company here at Turfway in her last start. A repeat of that effort would make her tough to beat again tonight. LUCE MIA finished fifth behind the top pick last time out, but beat her in their previous start at Churchill. The polytrack might not be her best surface, but she’s won over it before and has the ability to win here. ALONE AGAIN should like the move back to Turfway and figures to move forward off of her last.
RACE 3
SUPERSTITOUS SWAN ran a nice third at first asking at Churchill back in November. Any improvement off of that one could make her tough to beat tonight despite the move up in class. THREE LOVES AND ME drops in for a tag for the first time after a disappointing effort on the dirt at Indiana last time out. She shows a nice work over the surface here since that one and looks like the one to beat. FAST PLAY showed improvement last time out and should improve again tonight.
RACE 4
The Praire Bayou Stakes
ONE GO ALL GO didn’t fire at all at in the Commonwealth Turf Stakes at Churchill last time out, but ran very well in his two previous starts, including a win in the G2 Commonwealth Derby at Laurel. He gets Hisby back aboard him tonight and shouldn’t mind the move to the Polytrack, give him the edge in a very well-matched renewal of the Prairie Bayou Stakes. MIDNIGHT CELLO was an impressive winner of the G3 Hanshin at Arlington over the Polytrack earlier this year and followed that up with a game second in the Presque Isle Masters on the Tapeta. He should like the move back to the synthetic tonight and shows two solid works over the track coming into tonight. RECOUNT is questionable at the distance, but comes in off a very sharp win at Hawthorne and has won six of ten career starts.
RACE 5
MAGNETIC START ran a decent fourth last time out in his first start back after a short layoff. He should like the move back around two turns tonight, give him a slight edge against a wide-open field. MR. AMERICA was well beaten as the favorite at Churchill last time out on the drop down in class, but is capable of better. GHOSTLY WONDER makes his first start since being claimed at Indiana back in early October. He shows two nice works over the track since that one and could be dangerous if he’s ready.
RACE 6
SONOMA D’ORO has been idle since July when she showed some decent form on the dirt and turf at Churchill. A return to that form would make her tough to beat here in her first start since moving to Bindner’s barn. FAZZLE DAZZLE had to need her last after having been off since August. She ran well in two straight at Presque Isle before that one and shouldn’t mind the move to the Polytrack tonight. DAKOTA WIND stretches out to two turns and shows a sharp work recently at Keeneland.
RACE 7
WHATTHECATDRUGIN has eight wins from nine starts here at Turfway and will be tough to beat on the move back to the Polytrack tonight. MARK MY WAY looked sharp winning at this same level last time out in his first start over the track. A repeat of that effort makes him the one to beat here. BELL BY THE RIDGE didn’t fire as the favorite last time out, but was running well against tougher before that one and would be no surprise here.
RACE 8
BREAKING BALL moves back up in class after a nice win at Woodbine in his last start. He has the speed to be in contention throughout and shows a nice work over the track here at Turfway since his last start. Give him the slight edge in a well-matched field. MAC THE MAN makes his first start since September when he finished a close third as the favorite at Belterra. He loves the track here at Turfway where he’s won five of nine starts and will be tough to handle tonight if he’s ready. HAWKSHAW figures to move forward in his second start back from the layoff and broke his maiden over the track here last winter.
RACE 9
WAYWARD SAILOR has shown some decent form against much tougher recently and looks tough to beat here on the drop in class. GRACE’S DEVIL has four wins over the track and looks like a contender. TIME TO ENGAGE ran a solid race at long odds coming back from a layoff last time out. Any improvement off of that one could make him dangerous here.