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, Jan. 30
RACE 1
CAUSE I’M ALEX just missed last time out and is the choice for the win here despite the move back up in class. KORUS WARRIOR drops back down to the same level he broke his maiden at over the summer at Ellis and could be dangerous here if he’s ready. SUCCESSFUL PLAN ran a decent race over the track last time out and figures to move forward off of that one.
RACE 2
ROYAL SPACES has been beaten as the favorite in her last two starts, but hooks a slightly softer field tonight and should be able to pick up the maiden win here. STEF’S GIRL might have needed her last after having been off since September. She drops in class and looks capable of running well here. GRACE BE GREAT has finished right behind the top pick in her last two starts and is a contender.
RACE 3
GHOSTLY WONDER has been in good form since coming to Turfway, winning two of his last three starts. He figures to be on or near the lead again tonight, give him the edge against a well-matched field. ETERNAL RULER looked sharp winning last time out on the move back down in class. A repeat of that effort makes him the one to beat again tonight. TIMELY PURSUIT was second best behind an impressive winner last time out. He won two in a row sprinting at this level before that one and shouldn’t mind the extra distance tonight.
RACE 4
GRACE’S DEVIL shows three solid efforts against similar in his last three starts and is the choice for the win here. THE DUCK OF REED didn’t fire as the favorite last time out, but is capable of better. GOLDEN CAUSEWAY has a chance.
RACE 5
BAJA BESSIE comes in off a nice win against similar and looks like she’s in a good spot to win again tonight. WILL GRACIE SHINE won impressively as the favorite last time out and finished just behind the top pick before that one. She has five wins over the track and looks like the best candidate to pull the upset. SECRET FASCINATION ships in from Florida and could be dangerous here if she takes to the Polytrack.
RACE 6
HALF LEADER shows three in the money finishes in his last three starts over the track and should be able to handle this field tonight. BREW ON THE BEACH didn’t show much in his last few starts on the dirt at Penn, but was running well over the Polytrack at Woodbine before those and should like the move to Turfway. MAGNETIC START is inconsistent, but capable of running well here if at her best.
RACE 7
PROPER IMPULSE didn’t show much as the favorite last time out out making his first at Turfway and coming back from a long layoff. He showed some solid form against state-bred’s at Presque Isle last year and could be tough here if he returns to that form. STRONG RESPONSE shows two solid efforts in his last two starts here at Turfway and looks like the one to beat. ROCKSTAR DAY drops in for a tag for the first time tonight and has to be considered.
RACE 8
OH OZ looked very sharp, drawing off to win by eight against allowance company last time out in his first start over the Polytrack. A repeat of that effort would make him tough to beat again tonight. KISS LIMIT moved to Maker’s barn after an impressive maiden win at long odds at Laurel earlier this year. He gets Jimenez off the top pick and looks very dangerous in this spot. TORAZO comes in off a nice maiden win over the track and definitely has the ability to run well here.
RACE 9
FARLEYS MANDATE won at this level here at Turfway two starts back and is the choice for the win against a wide-open field tonight. SONOF A MONSTERCAT drops in class after two even efforts and shouldn’t mind the move back around two turns tonight. WICKED PICKETT moves up in class after getting his second win in a row over the track via dq last time out.
RACE 10
AFTERMARKETSPOILER moves to this bottom level for the first time after a dull effort on the dirt at Gulfstream last time out. She showed some solid form on the grass against tougher before that one and shouldn’t mind the switch in surfaces tonight. Give her a slight edge here. DONNA’S HOLIDAY drew off to win by six last time out and is the one to beat. SUSANS QUEST hasn’t shown much in two starts over the track, but has to be considered on the drop in class.