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, March 4
RACE 1
KITTEN’S WARRIOR takes a big drop in class after a few disappointing efforts at the Fairgounds and looks like he’s in a good spot to pick up the maiden win here. PHILLIPS BEST DAY has been second in three of his last four starts and is a contender. RANGER SAM has a chance.
RACE 2
NO SMALL REWARDS just missed at this same level last time out and looks best against a wide-open field. TUCUPITA has been well beaten in her last few starts, but drops in class and picks up Jimenez tonight. DAVADUTT has shown some decent form over the track recently and is a contender.
RACE 3
WILL GRACIE SHINE disappointed as the favorite last time out, but looked sharp drawing off to win two in a row at this same level before that one. Give her a slight edge in a short, but well-matched field. MEGNOG has been a winner the last two times she’s faced this bottom company and would be no surprise here. MY MISS MARY comes in off a nice win over the track and could be dangerous here.
RACE 4
PROM THEME has been second best in each of her last two starts and rates a slight edge here. SWEETS N TREATS also comes in off of two second place finishes and looks like the one to beat. EM ROCZ didn’t fire last time out, but has shown some good form recently and has won over the track in the past.
RACE 5
PUNIM takes a big drop in class in his first start back since June and is the choice to pick up the maiden win here. RUOTE makes his first start over the Polytrack and looks like a contender on the drop in class. SAYLOR’S STORM shows two decent efforts in his last two starts around one turn and is a threat.
RACE 6
SEATTLE SASS didn’t fire as the favorite last time out, but showed some solid form at this same level before that. She owns two wins over the surface here at Turfway and looks best in another wide-open field. HOT FRENCH FRIES comes in off a nice second place finish at this same level and looks like a contender. GOOSE SKYWAKLER is inconsistent, but finished ahead of the top pick last time out and is capable of winning here if at her best.
RACE 7
SECRET DIARY moves down in class after a nice win in her first start over the track and will be tough to beat here. ARYA drops in class, moves back around one turn and looks like the one to beat. MISS DEE’S TIARA shows two wins and a second from her last three starts and is a contender.
RACE 8
GLAD CAT was second best at this same level last time out and looks best here. JAZ N TAP might have needed his last after having been off since October. He drops in class and has run well over the surface in the past. SHAKEYOGROOVETHING hasn’t shown much in his last two starts, but is capable of better.
RACE 9
CHAPPY didn’t fire as the favorite going longer last time out, but won impressively against tougher before that one. He moves back down in class tonight and will be tough to beat here. OCEAN FRONT was well beaten as the favorite last time out, but won impressively before that one and looks like a contender tonight. FUJITA FIVE might prefer to go longer, but still looks capable of running well here.
RACE 10
FULL GAS drops in class after a dull effort at the Fairgrounds in his last effort. He ran a solid race on the grass before that one and will be tough to handle tonight if he takes to the Polytrack. SETTLEYOURCRACKERS shows three in the money finishes in his last three starts and is a threat. MICHI BRAH went wrong as the favorite last time out, but takes another drop in class tonight and moves back to sprinting.