Turfway Park Friday November 30, 2018
Mike McEntire
Twitter: @Gorgonzola44
Mike has been an avid horse handicapper since he discovered the Daily Racing Form in his Econometrics
and Forecasting Data class at Erskine College (SC) in 1992. He has worked as a field auditor, employee
benefits consultant, martini bar owner, and is currently a business insurance broker in Columbia, SC.
Since his 2009 thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, Mike has been an avid couch potato and horizontal
horse handicapper. He loves cheap night racing, cheap bourbon, cheap women, sarcasm, and a good
cuddle. He hits 3/4s, 4/5s and 5/6s on the regular. His girlfriend is an equine pharmacist and she
supports his love of horses and handicapping by driving eight hours to various race tracks and reminding
him not to hedge.
Welcome to the Turfway Park night racing bingo parlor.
Fade me.
Race One: 6:10 post – Claiming 5000n1y 6 ½ F 3YO&Up F&M
8-2-6-1
The ML favorite is #2 Tiz Beauty and, honestly, why not? She was a winner in her last race, she has been
in the money 4/6 here at Turfway, and she might be in the best form of her career. Still… at this level
and at Turfway, let’s beat her. The most experienced AW runner is the 9YO #1 Prom Theme for
owner/trainer Doug Danner. I can’t see her on top, but I will definitely use her underneath. Slightly
better than the #1, #6 Lusty Git Yer Gun has thirteen trips over this Turfway surface for owner/trainer
Bill Sandmann. She’s dropping in class and keeping Cory Orm and is dangerous should she return to her
early 2018 Turfway form. I’m going to start my Turfway meet with #8 Put Sarah On. Though she has
never run on an AW track, I only need her to like it just a little bit to get her picture taken. Salvador
Arceo has placed her well since claiming her on May 20 th and she has definitely improved for him. She is
Armando Martinez’s only mount of the night and I don’t think he is coming to Florence without a
purpose.
Race Two: 6:41 post – MC 7500 1 Mile 3YO&Up F&M
4-3-6-5
#5 Safari Heat is the ML favorite and I don’t want a horse that hasn’t been within ten lengths of the
winner since March 2018. She hasn’t won in 13 tries and if she finally does tonight, she will burn every
one of my tickets. #3 Head Dress makes sense for owner/trainer David Rider and Rafael Mojica in the
irons, but I am a bit curious as to why Rodney Prescott jumped off of her for the #6 True Simplicity as
this Kim Hammond owned/trained horse hasn’t really shown an affinity for the AW track. I’m taking a
stab with #4 Fun Sucker, and I hope to get at least two-thirds of her ML price of 15/1. In the second
start for Adolfo Macias since changing barns, after showing a lot of improvement in the first, she only
needs to improve a little tonight to win. She had a rough trip in her last race and gets a huge jockey
upgrade to Abel Lezcano. This isn’t a strong bunch and I think she’s got enough.
Race Three: 7:11 post – MSW 18.5K 6 F 2YO
4-3-8-5
This race is truly Turfway Bingo as there are ten entered with eight first time starters. Yeah, you read
that right. #5 Russian to Tapit seems to be the better of the experienced runners, so I’ll use him as he is
getting first Lasix after being claimed from Donegal in her only race. Surely the Wesley Ward runner #3
One Flew South will go off as the favorite, but Luan Machado moves over from the scratched Ward
runner, which tells me that the #3 might not be all that. #1 Zypto is likely to be backed on connections
alone, but Mike Maker doesn’t win at first asking too often. #8 Wellfield has been training up a storm,
but I’m going to fade the 5% FTS trainer stat on McKeever. This leaves me on the #4 Harlinsdale. You
don’t see too many Sisterson horses and this one is Calumet owned. He has great morning workouts
with two from the gate, telling me that he has been trained to win at first asking. If he likes the AW at
all, he’s our winner.
Race Four: 7:41 post – OC 12500 5 ½ F 3YO&Up F&M
8-7-1-4
#7 Erin’s Wish has had twelve trips over the AW, and she certainly makes some sense. She ran a clunker
in her last, but if you can draw a line through it and look back to her Turfway form, she makes even
more sense. #4 Atlantic Slew has probably run the best race of any of these, but her last effort was a
true stinker. #1 Truly Val loves Turfway and might get it done tonight. John McKee stays with her and
she looks to be in career-best form. #8 Desert Thief is entered in the first start off the claim for Cipriano
Contreras. There has been a lot of buzz for new Kentucky jockey Luan Machado and he gets the nod
tonight. She is 6/10 in the money at this distance and has some AW experience.
Race Five: 8:41 post – MC 15000 6 ½ F 3YO&Up F&M
1-6-2-8
I can’t take #8 Fairly Honest off of a seven month layoff, but she could certainly win this race. It won’t
take much to win this race, so the lone first time starter could take it. I feel like the connections might be
hiding some talent as all of the workouts for #2 Reinita aren’t that great except for the last one.
Hmmmmm. Interesting. Watch the tote action on her and use if her odds drop. The blinkers go on for #6
Ameribelle, but I am not a fan of the trainer move. My lukewarm choice is #1 Lucy’s Town. Her last race
was the first back from a long lay-off and she clearly needed it. She had a rough trip that day at Churchill
against weaker and she only needs to return to her early Turfway form to win this race.
Race Six: 9:11 post – Holiday Inaugural Stakes $50000 6 F 3YO&Up F&M
11-3-1-6
#3 In the Mood has been installed as the ML favorite of this feature stakes race and she looks to be
tough to beat. She loves Turfway, never finishing out of the money here and she has the most back
class. She might very well win. #1 Glamanation is entered or the first time in the Steve Asmussen barn
and sprinting on AW is her game. You can’t ignore her. Ben Colebrook’s #6 Grand Prix showed some
speed in her return from a seven month layoff before she spit the bit. She loves the AW and she likely
neede the last race anyway. #11 Miss Gossip could be super sneaky in this spot. The blinkers go back on,
she likes the AW surface, and she has had some formidable workouts since taking a break from graded
stakes company.
Race Seven: 9:41 post – Allowance 18500n2L 6 ½ F 3YO&Up
7-5-1-2
A short field full of plenty of question marks, the only horse that excites me is #5 It is Dejavu, and he has
never run on the AW surface. I think the #1 Tew Ways is good enough for a minor share, but I believe his
race on September 22 is fools gold and I am not buying it. #2 Ludlum always seems to hang around for a
piece, but I don’t think he has the winner’s instinct. #7 Majestic Valley is lightly raced and Euclyn
Prentice stays aboard. In races like this where no one looks like “much the best,” I try to identify the
horse that looks like it can improve the most. Based on the 11/17 Turfway Park workout, he’s the one.
Race Eight: 10:11 post – Claiming 1500n2L 1 Mile 3YO&Up
5-10-2-7
I really like #10 Red Kite, but he looks to be our post time favorite, yet I am not sure I can beat him.
Euclyn Prentice crawls off of the #2 Pourmeanotherone which tells me the #10 might be the play as I
like the #2 just fine. #7 Regal Look might be the controlling speed, but I don’t want a horse that is taking
this huge of a drop on a surface he has never tried. My pick is #5 Tizabreeze. His last two races might be
a bit of a mirage as I think he wants longer. Villasana stays aboard and there is some AW in his running
lines. His March 2018 maiden race here at Turfway is likely good enough to win this one; let’s hope he returns to that form and picks up the check.