Daily Racing Form expert handicapper and analyst Scott Ehlers handicaps the Friday, February 20 racing card at Turfway Park, including his projected 1-2-3 finishers. His best bet of the day comes from Race 9.
Also, view FREE DRF Past Performances for today’s Race of the Day.
BEST BET: Indict (7th race)
Seventh Race
1. Indict
2. Babysitter
3. Ability
INDICT ran great in her route debut at Horseshoe Indy and faced a full field in doing so. She got a ton of play in her second start, but perhaps something went awry, hence the time off. How good was that race? It came back key when 3 of 6 returned to win with figs of 85, 86, and 86. That Jan 23 work might tip hand, as it was 8th best of 135. Debut rider returns and is 22% for this barn. BABYSITTER tried two turns on the sod in her debut and nothing is tougher. She beat zero home but got needed race experience. Her Jan 23rd work was 16th best of 135, and yes, our top pick worked same day/distance. This filly goes from a small barn that was 0 for 3 to an 18% top shelf barn. Team Walsh are 20% with new runners. ABILITY is often a huge price. That maiden claiming line from two back will help there. Her most recent was a Beyer top, and now she puts three races together, all for the first time. FALLON exits a key race where 2 of 11 returned to win with figs of 72 and 70 (two more finished 2nd with Beyers of 72 and 74).
Here are Scott’s thoughts on the other nine races on Friday’s Turfway Park card.
First Race
1. Delgany Boy
2. Long Acting
3. Free Advice
DELGANY BOY will be the value if near 12-1 morning line. Of six sibs to race, five beat winners. This colt tried a tough two turns in his debut and only beat one home, but he got race experience. Connections cut him back to a sprint as if this was the spot all along. Class drop makes perfect sense for a horse that only cost 4K. Saez up is the last piece of the puzzle. LONG ACTING has some speed and in a race with little zip. This gelding ran well three back, going seven panels, so six furlongs is fine. Second out for new barn can’t hurt either. FREE ADVICE just ran better and draws outside again. He drops in class and sheds the blinkers all while second time here.
Second Race
1. I Made It
2. Cora’s Legacy
3. Blossoming
I MADE IT has a versatile style that we always like. She has yet to miss the exacta on this surface and goes for a barn that is 18% with their repeating winners. There just isn’t much pace in here, so this gal should stalk soft splits, leaving more late energy to call upon. CORA’S LEGACY should get a good trip just like our top pick. Recent figs are rock solid and win rider stays put. Class drop might prove the tipping point. BLOSSOMING wants to go wire to wire at a big price. Let’s see if she can do it.
Third Race
1. Cookin the Books
2. Need a Bit of Luck
3. Stormy Cut
COOKIN THE BOOKS is a hard trier that would be a tad better if she could just break better. She was last from the gate in her return try and did make a middle move, only to tire. She should move forward off that, and let’s face it, that there are no world beaters in here. Second time Lasix is often better for the girls, while this barn is 18% second off this type of layoff. NEED A BIT OF LUCK has some speed and could find the front end with a good break and early encouragement. She puts three races together and keeps win rider. Wire please. STORMY CUT is often a price. We thought her return try was decent. She has some tactical speed and draws more outside.
Embed from Getty ImagesFourth Race
1. Wauhatchie
2. El Gavilan
3. Vamos Viejo
WAUHATCHIE ran great 3 and 4 back and did so at different tracks, which is no picnic. This guy wasn’t that far back at the 1/8th pole in his last two starts, but what if six panels is too far? This gelding has never missed the board in a shortened sprint and now cuts back to just that. EL GAVILAN broke sharp off the layoff and slowly tired after that. What if this guy just doesn’t like drawing inside? He finds himself outside today and shows speed more often than not. VAMOS VIEJO has back class, and for many, that alone will be enough. Trainer stats are hit or miss. This horse is capable in a shortened sprint at least.
Fifth Race
1. Cachinnation
2. Funs Lil Sis
3. Time Leap
CACHINNATION likes it here well enough. Her return try was solid while most recent a disappointment as the chalk. That race did come back key when 2 of 8 returned to win with figs of 63 and 62. New barn is 10% off the claim, and they want this tricky distance right back. Maybe that was a simple bounce last out and today we get back to a Beyer in high 60s/low 70s. FUNS LIL SIS did upset the apple cart in her second start at 16-1. Horseshoe Indy works are plentiful. Team West are 33% going route to sprint and 25% with their repeating winners. We are expecting a good price. TIME LEAP broke her maiden on the class drop at Gulfstream, but you can see that, right? We like how she shipped to PID and ran well in both starts. This filly can fire fresh and has plenty of works.
Sixth Race
1. Personal Creed
2. Il Marchesse
3. Romantic Lead
PERSONAL CREED ran OK off the layoff and then probably bounced in his most recent. This horse had put three good races together until said recent. Slight class drop can’t hurt and regular rider tags along. IL MARCHESSE ran better last out and did so off the barn switch. This guy returns to routing, and we think that is for the better. This guy liked the synth at GP and did beat half the field home two back, so surface won’t beat him. Second time with new barn and a class drop round out the appeal. ROMANTIC LEAD is a grinder that has solid figs of late. Like many, he drops in class, and perhaps that is the tipping point.
Eighth Race
1. Siesta Key
2. Mutaawid
3. Coiled
SIESTA KEY has only run poorly twice and once was versus Grade 2 foes and the other on a good sod. He tried this surface for the first time in December and lost by a head. Connections want 10 furlongs off this short layoff and only fit horses attempt that. This colt hasn’t won in a while, and we think team Cox picked this spot to restore his confidence. MUTAAWID can run all day. Team Maker just excels with these distance runners. Yet to try this surface, but she loves the sod and that bodes well. COILED is a lightly raced 4YO that just ran a Beyer top at Gulfstream and did so going two miles. Works are rock solid, and this colt has won here before.
Ninth Race
1. Map of the Moon
2. Coco Connect
3. Dame Laura
MAP OF THE MOON is a perfect 3 for 3 and might not go favored. We like how this filly has won at three different tracks. Second time here is a huge plus. Her even running style going one turn should bode well for her first route attempt. Team Danner are 19% with their repeating winners and 16% in routes (flat bet profit in both). COCO CONNECT just loves it here. Lone two turn race was poor but also versus Grade 2 company. This filly has run back-to-back Beyers tops, so what is one more for this horse for course? DAME LAURA has tried nothing but two turns, so bonus points for that. She just won for fun here, and this barn is 23% with their repeating winners. This filly has improved or tied her Beyer in every start. The one to beat, but is she the one to bet?
Tenth Race
1. Gran Judgement
2. Watercolour
3. Santiana
GRAN JUDGEMENT tried a tough debut distance and simply tired late. This is dam’s first foal, so no help there. We like that team Morey wants this distance right back. They are 24% with their 2nd time maidens. A weight break helps with front end try if that is indeed what connections want. WATERCOLOUR is by a 14% debut sire. Her dam went 3-1-0-1 for 5K. Of 7 sibs to race, 5 won with the best going 9-3-0-1 for 108K. We spy some solid works all for a barn that is 13% with their debut runners. SANTIANA has speed, distance experience, and draws the attack post. She gets second-time Lasix and goes second out for new barn. LOVE LOVING exits a key race where 2 of 3 returned to win with figs of 64 and 60.
Daily Racing Form is the most trusted source for horse racing news and information. Get an edge when you play the races with DRF.com.
The post Horse Racing Picks Today at Turfway Park for Friday, February 20 appeared first on VSiN.
Leave A Comment