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. 26
RACE 1
DANCE ELECTRIC was a close second at this level last time out and is the choice to pick up the maiden win here. BLUSH BE GONE drops in class and looks like a contender. SONATA SQUALL has a chance.
RACE 2
SPICE OF LIFE shows some solid efforts at this same level in her last few starts and looks best here. SWAYZE LADY has been second in two of her last three and looks like a contender. ALL ABOUT BROWNIE didn’t fire last time out, but is capable of better.
RACE 3
DELANTERA has been in good form recently showing two wins and second from her last three starts over the surface here at Turfway and will be tough to beat again tonight. ALYCZARA just missed behind the top pick last time out and picks up Jimenez tonight. TUPELO TIDE moves up in class after an impressive win last time out and has to be considered.
RACE 4
BONNIE BLUE EYES shows a few decent efforts in her last few starts over and looks best against a wide-open field. FAITH AND A PRAYER didn’t fire at odds on last time out, but won before that one and looks like the one to beat. ULURU has run well at long odds in each of her last three starts and deserves some respect tonight.
RACE 5
LADY ANN looked very sharp winning by eleven in her last start on the move back around two turns. A repeat of that effort would make her tough to handle again tonight with Doyle back in the irons. LADY PRADO drops in class after a nice win sprinting in her last start. She shouldn’t mind the extra distance tonight and is the main competition. WISH KEEPER is inconsistent, but drops in class and is a threat.
RACE 6
PURIMETT takes a big drop in class in her first start back since October and it looks like she’s in a good spot to pick up the maiden win against a soft field tonight. D’ANNIE was second at this level last time out and is a threat. YOU DUNNIT drops in class and has a chance.
RACE 7
HEMMINGER ran a nice second at this same level last time out and is the choice for the win in a short, but well-matched field. CAM finished behind the top pick two starts back and followed that up with a game second place finish in her last start. She figures to be on or near the lead again tonight and would be no surprise here. TIZON has been idle since December when she broke her maiden in her first attempt over the track and could be dangerous if she’s ready for her return.
RACE 8
HAUTE PROSPECT was second best behind an impressive winner last time out after coming back from the layoff. She figures to move forward off of that one and is the choice to pick up the maiden win here. LADY EMPRESS was well beaten last time out, but has been in the money in eight of her fourteen career starts. EARLYBIRDSPECIAL didn’t show much last time out in her first attempt around two turns, but looks capable of better.
RACE 9
BIG BLUE SPIRIT tries two turns again after an even effort in the Forego in his last start. He looked sharp winning before that one coming back from a layoff of just over a year, give him a slight edge against a well-matched field. BRACIGLIANO moves back up in class after an impressive win in his first start over the track. A repeat of that effort would make him tough to handle again tonight. BELVIN was a winner against similar in his last start and would be no surprise here.
RACE 10
APRICEY GUN has been off since early December when he won against similar. He loves the surface here at Turfway where he’s won four of six starts, a return to that form should make him a winner here. STANLEY’S FRIEND comes in off a nice win at long odds in his first start over the track and definitely looks capable of running well again tonight. THE GREEN COUGAR also comes in off a win and has to be considered.