Turfway Park’s Mike Battaglia provides daily selections and comments for the Tribune during the live racing meets.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2020
RACE 1
ABBY’S DESTINY drops to the bottom and appears to be in a good spot to get her maiden win for Byron Hughes with Julie Burke back aboard. LIVE IT UP has the speed to be on or near the lead and is the one to catch. SMARTIE ARTIE has only had three races and can improve.
RACE 2
FERLIN HUSKY figures to make the lead in here and is capable of the wire-to-wire score. RICHIESONARAMPAGE looks like the main competition. HENNY HEFNER needed his last race and rates a chance.
RACE 3
SHORELY just missed last out when dropped to this level. A repeat of that one makes him a winner tonight. DRAGON DREW will be running at the end and Jimenez picks up the mount. BRILLIANT BOY could add value to the gimmicks.
RACE 4
FRILLS has shown steady improvement for Ben Colebrook and comes off a solid maiden win. She has the speed to be in contention throughout and can make it two in a row with Jimenez back aboard. LADY WORTHINGTON has been off since November but has been training very well for her comeback. She figures to be tough to beat with Corrales picking up the mount for Wes Ward. SUGAR LOVE showed big improvement in her first try on the Poly and rates a chance.
RACE 5
CORA ANNE likes this track and looked good winning last out. She figures to be running late in this one and can make it two in a row with Ramos back aboard. PURE SUGAR drops in class and has the speed to be on or near the lead. She is definitely the one to catch. MOMENTA KAT can run well at decent odds.
RACE 6
SNIPER KITTEN threw in a clunker last out but that was his first race in four months and he faded after chasing an impressive front-running winner. He has had three works since then and can be expected to run much better for Mike Maker tonight. TORAZO is also trained by Maker. He loves this track and has to be respected. MR. CHOW rates a chance.
RACE 7
HORSE DOCTOR is a well-bred Calumet runner who looked good breaking his maiden at Fair Grounds two starts back. He was no match for a runaway winner last out but that one came back to win a stakes race in his next start. He is on the also-eligible list but would be the top pick for Jack Sisterson if he draws in. HEMP HEMP HURRAY was claimed from a win and came back to run third in the Forego for his new connections. He is the one to beat. TALE OF FAME is good right now and has to be considered.
RACE 8
ENGLISH CHALLENGE drops back in for a tag after a couple of decent efforts against better. He looks best of the ones who have raced. ARTEMUS CITYLIMITS debuts for the always tough team of the Ramseys and Ward. He posted a recent bullet work and figures to run well with Corrales aboard. SPINING INDYNIABLY is also a first-timer from the top barn of Steve Asmussen. His works aren’t flashy but he has to be respected with Jimenez up.