Distance key factor in Florence Stakes
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The $125,000 Florence Stakes, a new addition to Turfway Park’s stakes schedule, kicks off a big weekend of racing at the Florence, Ky., track on Saturday night.
The Florence, for fillies and mares going 1 1/4 miles on Tapeta, precedes a rare Sunday card at Turfway that features four Synthetic Championship stakes worth a combined $1 million. That program, originally scheduled for last Saturday, was shifted to Sunday afternoon, typically a dark day, after winter weather forced its cancellation. Saturday’s first post is 5:55 p.m., while Sunday’s card begins at 3 p.m.
Distance is a key factor in the Florence, and the three entrants in the 12-horse field who have previously won at 1 1/4 miles – Cozee Rags, Dazzlin’ Dictator, and Peak Popularity – are all at double-digit odds on the morning line. Of those, Dazzlin’ Dictator could offer value, as she seems to be moving back to a preferred surface. One of her best career efforts for trainer Rodolphe Brisset came earlier this year at Turfway when she was an 11 1/4-length winner going 1 1/4 miles, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 91.
Since then, she has been off the board in a series of stakes races going both shorter and longer, most recently finishing sixth in the Grade 2 Glens Falls on yielding Saratoga turf in July. She may prefer synthetic surfaces to turf, and has won three of her six outings at Turfway.
The top choices on the morning line are Duvet Day and Ayra Stark, both making their first starts for new barns. Duvet Day, who is winless since taking the Grade 3 Cardinal on turf in November 2024, has been transferred from Michael McCarthy to Conor Murphy. Ayra Stark was previously trained by Ignacio Correas, whose horses were transferred as he planned his retirement. The long-winded runner makes her first start for Horacio De Paz off a 1 1/2-mile allowance win at Keeneland.
Forde starts strong
Apprentice rider Xarel Forde, who will be based at Turfway for the winter, got his season off to an auspicious start by winning with two of his three mounts Wednesday night.
Forde, a five-pound bug who is represented by agent Jose Santos, piloted Hideki to a claiming race win for trainer Ryan Walsh in his first mount at Turfway. Later in the evening, he upset a maiden-claiming race with Spastic Bid, who returned $36.46 for trainer Jon Jazdzewski.
Forde, who began his career in May, has been based at Woodbine, giving him valuable experience riding on synthetic surfaces. Woodbine finished its season on Dec. 14.
Counting his Turfway assignments, Forde has won 55 races from 408 mounts this year, including a victory in the Vice Regent Stakes in August aboard Artemus Citylimits.
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