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. 27
RACE 1
WHISKEY TAIL comes in off an even effort in her first start over the track. She could improve off of that one and is the choice to pick up the maiden win here. PRETTY PENNY LADY drops in for a tag for the first time and looks like a contender. LAND moves back down in class and is a threat.
RACE 2
PEW has been off since late October when she was well beaten in two straight on the dirt at Indiana. She showed some decent turf form before those and shouldn’t mind the move to the Polytrack today, give her a slight edge here. CORINA CHARM drops in class after a decent effort last time out and looks like the one to beat. WHISKEY ROSE should move forward off of her last start and is a contender.
RACE 3
TRIBAL CUSTOM comes in off a nice win at this same level in her first start over the track. She’s been running very well this year with eleven wins from eighteen starts, her best should make her a winner again today against a very well-matched field. LUSTY GIT YER GUN shows a win and a second against similar in her last two starts at Churchill. She’s won over the track in the past and definitely looks capable of winning here. LADY LOHR was second as the favorite behind the top pick last time out and has the ability to win here.
RACE 4
BASES LOADED shows two solid efforts at Hawthorne in his last two starts and could be tough to handle here if he takes to the Polytrack. BACK TO VALUES didn’t show much in his first attempt over the surface, but drops in class and is capable of better. GERMAINE’S BOY has two wins from five starts over the track.
RACE 5
PURRPURRPURR moves back down in class after an even effort against tougher at Churchill last time out. She’s run well over the Polytrack in the past and is the choice for the win here with Jimenez picking up the mount. THREE SHEETS looked sharp winning against similar over the track last time out. A repeat of that effort makes her a contender again today. COBRA’S CROWN has been off since July, but likes the surface here at Turfway and could be dangerous if she’s ready.
RACE 6
OUR NOBLE HEART looked sharp winning last time out in his first start since September. He loves the track here at Turfway where four of his lifetime wins have come, give him the edge against a very well-matched field. DRIFTING WIND was a close second as the favorite last time out. A repeat of that effort makes him the one to beat again today. SHUT UP CHRIS ran an even race as the favorite coming back from a long layoff last time out. He figures to move forward today and definitely looks capable of winning here.
RACE 7
ONE TOUCH romped by over seven last time out in his first start over the Polytrack and will be tough to beat again today if he can reproduce that effort. KALAMOS didn’t show much in his last two starts against stakes company, but was in good form before those. He’s questionable over the surface, but his best makes him a contender today. PLENTY ELUSIVE looked sharp beating a solid allowance field last time out coming back from a short layoff and could be tough if he can handle the extra distance today.
RACE 8
BETWEENHEREANDCOOL looked very sharp winning at this same level last time out in his first start over the track and is the choice for the win against a wide-open field. GLAD CAT didn’t show much at Churchill last time out, but ran a nice second before that one and looks like a contender on the move back down in class. SONOF A MONSTERCAT was third behind the top pick last time out and should move forward in his second start back from the layoff.
RACE 9
HOLD ME TIGHT drops in class after a disappointing effort at Woodbine last time out and looks like she’s in a good spot to pick up the maiden win today. KATEI AMOUR takes a big drop in class in her first start since November and could be dangerous here. HEY HEY YOU YOU was second at this level last time out and is a threat.