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 Thursday, Dec. 17
RACE 1
DANCE ELECTRIC drops in class after two solid efforts against tougher and looks like she’s in a good spot to pick up the maiden win tonight. HOPE IS JUST AHEAD has been second in two of her five career starts and shows some nice works over the track here at Turfway. MEDIA DAY should improve in her second career start.
RACE 2
TWITTERVERSE has never been over the surface, but comes in off a nice third place finish against similar at Churchill. She has the speed to be in contention throughout and looks best in a wide-open field. LIPSTICK JUNKY is consistent, has handled the track before and looks like the one to beat here. HOT BUTTERED RUM should like the move back to the Polytrack where both of career wins have come.
RACE 3
SUCCESSFUL PLAN didn’t fire at Churchill last time out, but ran two solid races at Keeneland against tougher before that one. He’s never been over the surface, but has run well on both the dirt and the turf, give him the edge here on the drop in class. SENOR JUAN drops in class in his first start since October and definitely looks capable of running well here. HIDDEN BROOK was third against similar at Churchill in his last start and should like the move to the Polytrack.
RACE 4
DISCREET MOVE has been idle since October when he was third at Keeneland. He gets in light tonight with apprentice Wright picking up the mount and rates a slight edge against a well-matched maiden field. RABANITO didn’t show much around two turns at Churchill last time out, but should like the move back to sprinting tonight. His best could make him tough to handle if he takes to the Polytrack. OUT OF THE TRAPPE was well beaten last time out, but is capable of better.
RACE 5
CHANNEL QUEST has five wins and two seconds from his last seven starts at Presque Isle and is the choice for the win here. FOLOWTHEMONEYTRAIL has been off since August, but loves the track here at Turfway and could be dangerous if he’s ready. LOGAN CREEK moves up in class after an impressive win here at Turfway last time out and would be no surprise here.
RACE 6
SKYNAMIC moves back up in class after a nice win at Hawthorne last time out. He shows a very sharp work here at Turfway since that one and could score here at decent odds. THE RIGHT THING didn’t fire in the slop last time out, but ran a nice third before that one and looks like the one to beat. OH OZ comes in off a nice maiden win at Churchill, a repeat of that effort could make him tough here with Jimenez back in the irons.
RACE 7
BELL BOTTOM GIRL ran a nice second last time out in her first start over the track and looks best here. VICTORIA STATION drew off to break her maiden by five in the fog here at Turfway last time out and is a definite contender. STARSHIP SOHO didn’t show much on the dirt, but could like the move to the Polytrack and has to be considered.
RACE 8
APPEAL TO THE WIN moves back up in class for Maker in her first start after being claimed at Keeneland where she was third. She’s been training very well over the surface here since that one and rates a slight edge against a well-matched field. NOMENCLATURE has been off since February, but broke her maiden impressively in her first start here last winter. She’s been training well leading up to her return and could be dangerous here. FASHION CITY moves back up in class after a nice third at Churchill in her last start and has won over the track before.
RACE 9
KITTEN’S TOP CAT drops in class for Ward and the Ramsey’s after winning at Churchill last time out in her first start since July. She shouldn’t mind the move to the Polytrack tonight and will be tough to beat here. CORIANDER didn’t show much on the dirt at Indiana back in October, but has shown some decent turf form and shouldn’t mind the switch in surfaces tonight for Maker. BETTER BY FAR has two wins and a second from three starts over the track and definitely looks capable of running well here.