Let’s take a look at the competition in this wide open race to see how it may all shake out….
#1 Stormy Nile is the morning line favorite at 3-1. I would say she’s a tepid favorite in a field that hasn’t shown much. Making her 3rd career start, this filly seems to put herself in good position but just can’t close the deal. Drops a notch in class and cuts back a half furlongs for this. Figures to be stalking off the pace from her inside position, a revert back to her debut race will put her right there at the wire.
#2 White Lilacs is 8-1 on the morning line. Homebred filly makes her first career start tonight. She was stabled at Highpointe Training Center and then moved her tack up to Turfway. She’s got a couple of works over the surface, but we’ll still take a wait and see approach with her here.
#3 Miss Marple is co-3rd choice at 5-1. Made her debut race here just 1 week ago, where she broke slow and was never a factor. Went off just under 10-1 in that race, so the public (or her connections) thought a little bit of her. Probably was the bullet work from the gate she had prior to that debut. She adds blinkers today and drops a bit in class, she could make some noise at the wire.
#4 Cairo Driver is the other co-3rd choice at 5-1. Seems like a competitive filly, surprised she’s not the morning line favorite. She got claimed as the favorite out of her 2nd race, came back in a notch higher race, where she set the pace and faded to finish 5th. Drops back down in class and cuts back in distance, I think she’s the main competition.
#5 Roses for Ashley is an 8-1 choice on the morning line. Based at Highpointe, she trains over the same track Frosty does. She’s been off since Independence Day last year, but attracts the leading rider at Turfway this meet, by far the leading rider. Got a steady run of works coming into this for her Owner/Trainer with her last coming out of the gate. Didn’t show much in her debut, but I’m sure she’s matured in the 8+ months since. But thinking she may need this one.
We’ll zip over to the #7 Sweet Valeria, listed at 6-1 on the morning line. This filly had a bad break in her first two races, but then got away cleanly in her last, and made some noise finishing 3rd at 28-1. She seems to be a closing style filly, so watch out for her making up ground down the lane.
#8 Merry of Soul is the longshot tonight at 15-1. This homebred filly makes her first career start tonight. Seems like she was close to a start at the end of December, but something must’ve sprung up and she needed a couple months off. Not much to go on with this filly, so I’m going to take a pass on her tonight.
#9 Backyard Hen is the 2nd choice here at 7/2. Another one that could’ve been the favorite, makes me think the oddsmaker has some inside scoop about that 1-horse. This filly got claimed for $7,500 in her debut race here in December, when she finished a clear 2nd at 29-1 odds. New connections raised her up into Maiden Special territory and she responded nicely with the highest speed figure among all the entries tonight. Wheeled right back into a $30K maiden claimer 12 days later and she most likely got squeezed out down on the rail, then had to go 5 wide in the home turn. Has some nice early foot and adds blinkers, suspecting she’ll go to the front and try to carry them all the way to the finish.
Bet suggestions: $5 Exacta 4-1; $10 to Win on the 4, $1 Trifecta Wheel 4/1,3/1,2,3,7,8