Turfway Park’s Mike Battaglia provides daily selections and comments for the Tribune during the live racing meets.
Selections for Friday, Dec. 1
RACE 1
FEET’S AFIRE is riding a two-race win streak for Bert Crawford and should be able to extend that with Prentice back aboard tonight. SKIFFS BREWMEISTER won two starts back on the Tapeta at Presque Isle. He will like the move to the Poly and is the one to beat. COZY KITTEN drops in class and is a contender.
RACE 2
THIRSTER showed speed and finished second, beaten less than a length, in two straight, then broke slow and did not fire last out. She takes a slight drop in class and will improve. RHO CASSIOPEIAE, first timer from the Caramori barn, shows a bullet work, best of 17 others, and looks ready to go for her debut. TAMARACK drops from tougher MSW to a MCL and should come running late.
RACE 3
UNMOORED exits two very tough turf races and faces easier competition in this one. If he takes to the Poly he can handle this field. IRISH PROUD finished fifth after pressing the pace last out. He broke his maiden in his only start here by 14 lengths and will prove tough to beat. NEOPOLITAN and DOS CUERNOS form a tough entry for Genaro Garcia and have to be respected.
RACE 4
HARLAN SELECTION ran well on the grass in Indiana and may not have cared for the yielding turf at Hawthorne. He should handle the move to the Poly and Wes Ward drops him in for a tag for the first time. He figures to win this one with anything close to his best effort. ROMPICAPO added blinkers two starts back and broke his maiden, then came off a three-month layoff and finished a good second after showing speed. He needed his last race and is the one to beat. PROMISED TO KEEP is a contender.
MARQUEE CAL GAL moves back to the all-weather surface where she has won 10 of 18. She has three wins here at Turfway and was second in this race last year. Give her the slight edge in a solid renewal of the Holiday Inaugural. SENTENCE comes off an impressive five-length score while coming off a five-month layoff. She looks like a runner and will be double tough today. GRACE’S TREASURE missed by only a length in the Open Mind but was placed first through a disqualification. She made a nice middle move in the TCA and has been firing bullets in the morning.
RACE 6
TICKET TO RICHES did not fire last out but has been on the board in six of eight races this year. She drops back in class and will be tough at this level. QUALITY STREET has three wins over this track and will come running late. MISS VALENTIA showed speed winning last out while being claimed. She should be the one to catch.
RACE 7
BEAU DAN debuts for Aaron West, who is very good with first timers. He is a half brother to Mr. Manning, who earned over $150,000 and won at first asking. Give him the edge with Franklin aboard. SIDNEY’S REASON makes his first start for Kellyn Gorder, who is having a very good year and also has solid numbers with firsters. He has trained steadily at Keeneland and should be ready. BURCIAGA is in the capable hands of Larry Holt. His dam was a speed ball who won two of her three races and this one is a solid threat.
RACE 8
CARIBOU CAT finished second in his debut and then won his next two in a row. He has speed but is capable of rating just off the pace and rates the slight edge in a well matched race. CONQUEST SKEDADDLE has been hooking much better on the grass. He prefers more distance but will be tough on the class drop. NEW YORK BOY is a contender.
