Turfway Park in Florence provides daily selections and comments for the Tribune during the live racing meets.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 28
SHEZA CAT TALE drops in class and looks best in a weak maiden field. ANOTHER STONE has been off since August but is the one to beat. DUNKIRK SURVIVOR flashed some speed last out.
RACE 2
WILD CARD HIT has the speed to be on or near the lead with Jimenez aboard. She rates the edge in a well matched race. BELA MENINA comes off of three straight solid efforts over the Turfway surface and is definitely the one to beat. MILLENNIUM STAR comes off of an upset win and is a contender.
RACE 3
DISCREET KISS looks like the controlling speed in this one. She is capable of the wire to wire win with Ouzts back aboard for Ron Kahles. RULELIKECLEOPATRA beat the top pick when they hooked up last month and she will be tough to handle again tonight. PROM THEME is good right now and has to be respected from the barn of Doug Danner.
RACE 4
KIMSTRONG was overmatched against a tough starter allowance field last out but is back in against bottom claimers tonight. Her best could make her a winner at this level. MOVING PARTS comes off of a game win and looks like the one to beat with Prescott back aboard tonight. BLUSH BE GONE is good right now and figures to be a solid contender.
RACE 5
CHRISTOPHER K made a big middle move before stopping in the stretch in his first try at the one mile distance. He should move forward off of that one and can win here with Lezcano back aboard. BOOMBOSH comes off of a dull effort but has been in the money in six of his nine races and is capable of a much better effort tonight with Gilligan picking up the mount. MANTOVANI is lightly raced and has to be considered.
RACE 6
HOLIDEJAVU ran evenly in her Turfway debut and drops a notch in class tonight. She gets the nod in what looks like a very well matched maiden race from the bar of Bill Helmbrecht with Lagunes back aboard tonight. QUEEN OF CORONA woke up when dropped to this level last out. A repeat of that one makes her dangerous. LAKEVIEW DRIVE is training well for her debut and Stephen Lyster’s horses are running well right now. This one looks dangerous with McKee up.
RACE 7
MARTHA ROSE appears to be in a good spot to pick up the win in this bottom claimer. LIL MISS TIOGA should get a good trip from the inside post and her best makers her dangerous. ANNIE’S ON TOUR fits with these and Perry Ouzts picks up the mount tonight.
RACE 8
HONEY’S TALE is a shipper from Canada who has been off since November. She moves to the barn of Kelly Ackerman who has good numbers with horses off of the layoff and she will be tough to beat if she takes to this track with Gilligan aboard. TRAVEL WISH debuts for Ignacio Correas off of some solid works at Keeneland and could run well at first asking. LADY ARYA was disqualified from purse money after winning a maiden race in Ohio and has to be considered.
RACE 9
PRINCE HANSEN is a well-bred runner by champion Hansen and is in the capable hands of Mike Maker. He was favored in his debut at Hawthorne and he looked like a winner in the turn before bolting to the outside fence in the stretch. He has posted two solid works since that race and if he keeps a straight course figures to run well tonight with Jimenez picking up the mount. CEEJAY’S MISTER set the pace before fading a bit in the stretch at Churchill back in November. He is the one to catch. HARANGUE was a beaten favorite last out but fits well in here.