Happy New Years! Here is to hoping 2025 is the best year yet!
Turfway Park gets back it at on January 1 for the start of their Winter/Spring Meet. The program will have a special start time of 1 PM eastern, instead of the normal 5:55 PM, which will pick back up on Thursday evening. Here are a few horses I will key around on the Wednesday matinee slate.
Race 2:
There certainly should be an honest pace in this open $12,500 claimer to kick off the early Pick 4. I am hoping that sets things up for the Indiana-bred #8 Star Wisher. The Stormy Atlantic mare competed over turf in her first 13 starts, but tried the all-weather in Florence going one-mile just six days ago. The Turfway debut did not go well, but that in large part was because the 5YO mare was caught five-wide into the first turn and four-wide on the backstretch before somewhat understandably tiring badly in the end. The lack of form over this surface is an obvious concern, but I am willing to give the Anthony Granitz trainee another shot on the cutback. Granitz sports a solid 17%-win rate when wheeling horses back on ten days rest or less and goes to the bug boy Irving Moncada this time around. The Lucky J Stable homebred should be rolling late if she gets a cleaner trip and takes to the surface.
Play: #8 Star Wisher (7-2 ML)
Race 6: Gowell S.
The first stake race of 2025 at Turfway Park features a group of seven newly turned 3YO fillies competing at six-furlongs led by morning line favorite #7 My Lil Punky. The Outwork filly ran well in her first start over the all-weather on December 13 when she made the lead, but had to work throughout before pulling away late to win by two lengths in the end. The $70k EAS May 2024 purchase draws favorably to the outside in this compact group, which should give jockey Adam Beschizza options after the break. With #5 Keyana and #6 Wisconsin Gal drawn immediately to her inside, my hypothesis is My Lil Punky stalks just off the pace in a more comfortable position than last out. Either way, she should handle this field making her a single in my late horizontal wagers.
Play: #7 My Lil Punky (2-1 ML)
Race 8:
This allowance event for non-winners of three is one of the better wagering opportunities on the New Year’s Day card. I like #2 Driana. The daughter of Kantharos makes her first start since an off the board finish over the main track against similar at Horseshoe Indianapolis in mid-August, but the layoff is not a concern. Not only does her new trainer Susan Anderson sport a $2.07 ROI over her last 147 starters making their first try off a 90+ day break, but this mare put forth a much career best performance on Thorograph in her lone run over this surface last March. That win against first-level allowance foes last spring also came after significant time on the sidelines. If she can relax early under jockey Walter Rodriguez, she has a big shot to spring the upset!
Play: #2 Driana (12-1 ML)
Good luck and Happy New Year!
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