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, Jan. 24
RACE 1
BOOM DE YA DA comes in off a nice win against similar over the track here at Turfway and rates a slight edge against a wide-open field. RENN LAKE was second last time out and has the speed to be dangerous today. SIVA was beaten as the favorite last time out, but shows two in the money finishes over the track in his last two starts.
RACE 2
TRICE UP finished a close fourth last time out after a pressing a quick pace. He figures to be on or near the lead again today and is the choice for the win against a well-matched field. FOLOWTHEMONEYTRAIL was fifth as the favorite last time out on the drop in class. He has seven wins here at Turfway and looks like the one to beat. CANDY CHANT looked very sharp beating a few of these same horses last time out at long odds. Any improvement off of that effort would make him tough to beat again today.
RACE 3
DADDY’S PROFIT was a beaten favorite in Ohio last time out, but ran a decent race against tougher here at Turfway before that one and is the choice for the win here. CELEBRITY SONG drops in class after two disappointing efforts since coming back from the layoff. She broke her maiden here at Turfway last winter and could be dangerous today. PEW looks capable of running well here despite the move up in class.
RACE 4
LET’S CALL A TRUCE looked sharp winning last time out in his second start over the track. He figures to be part of the pace again today, give him the edge in another well-matched field. JOE’S KEEPER has a win and a third in his last two starts here at Turfway and is a definite contender. THE GREEN COUGAR closed well to finish second last time out and figures to be running at the end again today.
RACE 5
TWILIGHT APPEAL ran a nice fourth here at Turfway in her debut earlier this month. She should move forward off of that effort and is the choice to pick up the maiden win. CONTRASTING has been off since September of 2014 when she was fourth at Los Al for Baffert in her debut. She doesn’t show any published works for new trainer Drury, but his horses have been running very well here lately and he figures to have her ready for today. HARD LOVIN WOMAN is a first time starter for Maker and the Ramsey’s with Jimenez getting the mount.
RACE 6
STARTRIPENTERPRISE didn’t fire against allowance company last time out, but looked very sharp winning at this level before that one. He get’s Franklin back aboard today and looks best here on the move back down in class. CHANGE MAKER also drops in class after a few disappointing efforts against allowance company. He was a winner against similar on the grass at Mountaineer back in September and could be dangerous here. GITCHA GOOD has won two in a row over the track and has to be considered.
RACE 7
MYGALSAL was over-matched in the Turf Cup at Ky. Downs back in September in his last start. He won impressively at Ellis just before that one and was a winner here at Turfway last winter. He shows some solid works leading up to his return, give him the edge here. KEG PARTY was second best as the favorite last time out and is definitely the one to beat here. BROTHER PAT has been off since the summer when he was running in Puerto Rico where he managed to win a Group 1 race. He’s run well in the states, winning on the turf and dirt at Tampa last winter and could be dangerous if he’s ready today.
RACE 8
PRIMED FOR PASSION has been off since November when she ran two solid races over both surfaces at Woodbine. She ran very well in each of her two starts here at Turfway last winter and is the choice for the win in a wide-open field. MERILORE beat half the field at long odds in the Wintergreen last time out. She ran a nice second behind an impressive winner before that one and definitely looks capable of running well here. ROB AND JON’S GIRL has won two of her last three starts here at Turfway and would be no surprise here on the move back up in class.
RACE 9
BLUEMYMIND has been right there at the end in each of his last four starts here at Turfway and looks best here with Jimenez picking up the mount. TOWN STAR drops in class after an even effort in his first start over the track and is the one to beat. EXCITING BAND finished just behind the top pick last time out and has five wins over the track.