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 Friday, Feb. 12
RACE 1
CRITICAL SUMMER shows two solid efforts at this same level in his last two starts and is the choice to pick up the maiden win here. SAGE MASTER looks like the one to beat on the move back down to this level. WALKERS SENTRY ran a decent race at first asking and should move forward off of that one.
RACE 2
GRACEE GOO shows a few even efforts against tougher recently and will be tough to beat here on the move down to this bottom level for the first time. TWITTERVERSE shows two solid efforts against similar in his last two starts and is a contender. RUNAWAY LIZ just missed last time out and has to be considered.
RACE 3
RULELIKECLEOPATRA comes in off an even effort against allowance company and looked very sharp, drawing off to win by eight at this level before that one. A repeat of that effort would make her tough to beat again tonight with Doyle back in the irons. LUSTY GIT YER GUN comes in off a nice win and looks like the main candidate to spring the upset. POMMETTE is win-less in six starts over the track, but beat the top pick on the dirt over the summer.
RACE 4
OCTOBER SONG ran a solid race last time out after having been off since July. She figures to improve off of that one and has won over the track in the past, give her a slight edge here. SPEND AND SPREE moves back around two turns after a few even efforts and definitely looks capable of running well here. LADY MONAVI is inconsistent, but ran second at long odds at this level last time and could add some value to the gimmicks again tonight.
RACE 5
BETWEENHEREANDCOOL has looked very sharp winning three in a row here at Turfway since being claimed. Anything close to his best should make him a winner again tonight. KIAWAH’S WARRIOR hasn’t won in three career starts over the track, but showed some good form over the summer on the grass at Ellis and has the speed to be dangerous here. TACOMA PARK was second behind the top pick last time out.
RACE 6
FALINA’S SONG didn’t fire as the favorite at Mahoning last time out, but moves back down in class and could be tough here if she takes to the Polytrack. BOTTLE WALK has been off since August when she was well beaten at Saratoga. She’s been training well here at Turfway since that one for Ward and will be tough here with Jimenez picking up the mount. MERCER SLOUGH drops in for a tag for the first time and has to be considered.
RACE 7
COOPER’S KEEPER has won three in a row here at Turfway coming into this one and is the choice for the win against a short, but well-matched field. LIMERICK LADY won against tougher a few starts back and looks like the one to beat on the drop in class. DISCREET KISS ran a nice second coming back from a long layoff in her last start and definitely looks capable of running well here.
RACE 8
KEEPING IT REAL comes in off a nice maiden win over the track and looks best here. NO SMALL REWARDS was third at this level two starts back and is a threat. DISPUTED FACT should like the move back to sprinting tonight.
RACE 9
PEPPER ROANI looked very sharp winning here at Turfway on new year’s eve after having been off since April. He three nice works over the track for Maker since that one as well, give him the edge against a tough field. BATTEN THE HATCHES moves back around two turns after a game second place finish in the Forego in his last start. He won impressively against a solid field here at Turfway before that one and looks like the one to beat here. KEG PARTY, another Maker runner, has been beaten as the favorite in each of his last two starts over the track, but didn’t run poorly in either of those. He gets in light with Gallardo tonight and could be dangerous here.
RACE 10
CAUSE I’M ALEX moves back down in class after a nice win last time out and is the choice for the win here. J.T’S HEAT has won two in a row coming into this one and will be tough to handle again tonight. FIRST RODEO didn’t fire as the favorite last time out, but is capable of better.