Turfway Park’s Mike Battaglia provides daily selections and comments for the Tribune during the live racing meets.
Battaglia selections for Thursday, Feb. 1
RACE 1
I GOT IT comes off of a sharp win and will be running late in a race that should have a lively pace. She can make it two in a row tonight. SPEARETTE won back-to-back races at this claiming level before a dull effort last out against better. She is the one to beat. GLORY RANGE is a contender.
RACE 2
AUSTIN RAY was a beaten favorite last out but was claimed from that one and should improve in his third career start. BUNZLAUER is still winless after 14 tries but drops in class and will be tough at this level. COPPER MUNN rates a chance.
RACE 3
INSURGENT comes off of a game maiden win and hooks a fairly weak bunch tonight. She looks like a good bet to repeat for Susan Anderson with Franklin back aboard. NOBLE WARRIOR needed his last race after a five-month layoff. He should move forward off of that effort. NIKIAS is lightly raced and is a threat.
RACE 4
LOUISIANA BROWN came back after a three-year layoff to win easily at Churchill back in September. He hasn’t raced since then but posted a recent bullet work here and drops in against bottom claimers. JODYNBUD comes off of a maiden win at Hawthorne and will be tough if he takes to the Poly. SUCCESS PHIL will be running late and Lebron picks up the mount.
BRACKEN BELLE stopped badly last out going long but broke her maiden sprinting in her previous start. She has the speed to be in contention throughout and gets the nod in a wide open bottom claimer. DAME WICKED was third against better last out and has to be respected. CHARGERS MISS is a solid contender.
RACE 6
REAGANIZE showed marked improvement in his first try on the Turfway Poly. A repeat of that one makes him a winner again tonight. DERBY DREAMER has shown absolutely nothing in his first two but drops in class and has had four works since his last race. He figures to improve for Maker with Lebron picking up the mount. CONVINCING also takes the class drop and has to be considered.
RACE 7
LADY STARDUST looked like a promising runner as a two year old after an impressive maiden win at Aqueduct. She evidently had several problems after that and comes back tonight after a layoff of nearly two years. She is in the capable hands of Wes Ward and the fact that she comes back in an allowance race is a good sign. Watch the board on this one. MAUK’S TUFF is a newly turned three year old taking on older runners but she ran well last out and is the one to beat. LEISURE will be running at the end and is a solid contender.
RACE 8
MAID ON A MISSION was well beaten as the odds-on favorite last out but the nine-year-old veteran has run well over this track in the past and can rebound for Bert Crawford with Ouzts aboard. BRAZYN APPEAL is also trained by Crawford. She was no match for a runaway winner last out but held well to finish second and is the one to beat.