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. 28
RACE 1
SUPER INDIAN moves back in for a tag in his first start since August when he was third on the grass at Mountaineer. He ran a solid race before that one at Belmont as well and is the choice to pick up the maiden win here. ROCK HARBOR drops in class after an even effort in his first start over the track and looks like the one to beat. BLAZING SAINT was fourth in his debut and figures to move forward off of that one.
RACE 2
I’M SO VAIN didn’t fire last time out against starter allowance company, but was second against similar two starts back. She hooks a slightly softer field tonight and looks like she’s in a good spot to pick up the win. RED HOT PLOT shows three in the money finishes in her last three starts over the track, but is questionable at this distance. KERISMA was second best in her last start and could be dangerous here.
RACE 3
SOMMERVILLE MISS was no match for the winner in her last start, but was clearly second best in that one. She’s won over the track in the past and rates a slight edge here with Prescott back aboard. CASH IN MY POCKET drops in for a tag for the first time in her first start since moving to Werre’s barn. She’s been off since October, but has run well against tougher and will be tough to beat tonight if she’s ready. WISH KEEPER has a chance.
RACE 4
DUCHESS WHITNEY looked sharp winning last time out on the move down to this bottom level. A repeat of that effort should make her a winner again tonight. DAMASCENE was fourth last time out coming back from the layoff. She has two wins over the track and picks up Jimenez tonight. SWEETS N TREATS shortens back up and has the speed to be dangerous here.
RACE 5
WAR RANGER has looked sharp winning two in a row here at Turfway after dropping in class. He hooks a tougher field tonight, but Maker and Jimenez are always a tough combination to beat when paired together, give him a slight edge here. SERGIOS PRIDE has been off since the fall when he showed some decent form at Presque Isle. He shows a nice work over the track for new trainer Anderson since that one and looks like the one to beat on the drop in class. CALL ME RED just missed last time out and would be no surprise here.
RACE 6
SKY ALERT moves up in class after an impressive win here at Turfway last time out and is the choice for the win in a short, but well-matched field. NEEDMORE CASH comes in off a game second place finish over the track after having been off since October. He figures to be on or near the lead again tonight and will be tough to beat here if he moves forward off of that one. HARLAN’S HOWLING tries two turns for the first time after a nice maiden win coming back from a layoff of nearly a year.
RACE 7
AMERICAN DOLL tries sprinting for the first time after finishing a close third going a mile in her first start over the track on new year’s eve. She shows a nice work at Keeneland for Colebrook since that one and looks best here with Jimenez back in the irons. ALWAYS AND FOREVER ran a close third in her first start over the track on new year’s day and looks like the one to beat. MISSY BABA is a first time starter who shows some solid works leading up to tonight for Lay who’s horses have been running very well so far this meet.
RACE 8
SCATMEIFUCAN has been off since November when she didn’t show much on the dirt at Churchill against stakes company. She looked very sharp winning two in a row going longer on the grass before that one, a return to that form would make her tough to handle tonight. LITTLE CHERIE is inconsistent, but won last time out for Maker and Jimenez in her first attempt over the surface. TIA FLOOR won impressively here at Turfway back in December at odds on and definitely looks capable of winning here.
RACE 9
CHARIOT CHAR looks like she’s going good right now and will be tough to beat here if she can transfer her recent dirt form to the Polytrack. NASTY GIRL BLUES has been off since October of 2013, but showed some decent form against tougher back then and she has five wins over the track here. ALL ABOUT BROWNIE has had some trouble in each of her last two starts and could be dangerous with a clean trip tonight.