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, Jan. 14
RACE 1
WILL GRACIE SHINE shows three in the money finishes in her last three starts over the track and is the choice for the win here. SAINT PATTY ANN drops in class in her first start back since July and will be tough to beat here if she’s ready. MY CHERRY PIE has run well in each of her last two starts and looks capable of running well again tonight.
RACE 2
CRYSTAL DUCK didn’t show much on the dirt in her last start, but showed some good form on the Polytrack at Woodbine before that one. She figures to improve on the switch in surfaces tonight, give her a slight edge here. KATE N ABS REWARD shows a win and a second from her last two starts over the track and is the one to beat. HERO WISDOM ran an even race behind the likely favorite last time out in her first start over the track and should move forward off of that one.
RACE 3
JUDGE BETH didn’t show much last time out coming back from a short layoff. She showed some decent form against similar before that one and has run well over the track in the past, give her the edge against a wide-open field. TAKE IT OUT comes in off a nice second place finish over the track in her first start since October. A repeat of that effort makes her the one to beat again tonight. MI ERMANA TINA makes her first start since May and could be dangerous here if she’s ready.
RACE 4
ADOPT A KITTEN takes a big drop in class and looks like she’s in a good spot to pick up the win for Ward and the Ramsey’s. ITSALLBOUTTHATBASE was second at this level two starts back and looks like a contender. MISS CONSPICUOUS drops in class after being beaten as the favorite in her last two starts.
RACE 5
GILLEY ran a nice third against tougher last time out and is the choice for the win on the drop in class. DONNA’S HOLIDAY has been a close second in each of her last two starts and looks like the main competition. VIRGINIA WALLS drops in class and is a threat.
RACE 6
BOTTLE WALK takes a big drop in class in her first start since August when she disappointed at Saratoga. She ran well in her debut at Gulfstream before that one and will be tough to beat here. WHATDOWEDONOW didn’t fire last time out going around two turns, but was second at this level before that one and should like the move back to sprinting tonight. GRANNY PANTS figures to improve in her second career start.
RACE 7
AKASHA ran a decent third last time out in her first start after a short layoff. She drops in class tonight and looks best in very well-matched field. FIDDLELINA ran a game second at this same level last time out and would be no surprise here. TUPELO TIDE moves up in class after just missing last time out and picks up Jimenez.
RACE 8
TAPANNA has been idle since September when he ran an even fourth against similar at Churchill. He loves the track here at Turfway where six of his ten lifetime wins have come and Maker figures to have him ready tonight. BOLD ICE makes his first start since the fall when he won two of three at Churchill at long odds. He shows some solid works since that one and will be tough to handle if he returns to form. OWL CREEK has been second in each of his last two starts and would be no surprise here.
RACE 9
SONOMA D’ORO ran a game second last time out in her first start over the track coming back from a long layoff. She figures to be on or near the lead again tonight and is the choice to pick up the maiden win here with Orm back in the irons. LADY EMPRESS has been in the money in seven of twelve career starts at multiple tracks over multiple surfaces and is the one to beat. SOPHIE SOPHIE went wrong last time out as the favorite, but looks capable of better.