DRF's Horse Racing Playbook for Friday, December 31, 2021
Daily Racing Form has served as the most trusted source of news and information about the sport since 1894, and moving forward we have decided to provide a free daily playbook – something that both hardcore horseplayers and casual observers can reference to get informed of each day’s action.
12:50 AQU 1stJust a five-horse field, but they could go along here at a solid clip, both early and middle, and COMEDIC TIMING (#1, 9-2) is the one who ought to bide his time and make a run from behind. Suspect the cutback from routes to a long sprint will suit him and trainer G Sacco over the last five years is a fine 12-3-2-3 with horses adding blinkers (not first-time blinkers) in maiden-special-weight races. – Marcus Hersh | Get PPs for this race | Bet this race with DRF Bets
12:58 GP 2nd The usual suspects gather in this wide-open starter mile with HERO TIGER (#1, 4-1) getting the nod returning to the distance of his finest hour when easily handling same bunch two back. – Mike Welsch | Get PPs for this race | Bet this race with DRF Bets
1:58 OP 2nd DERONDA (#1, 3-1) is a DRF Best Bet (Mary Rampellini). | Get PPs for this race | Bet this race with DRF Bets
2:28 GP 5th HARAJUKU (#7, 10-1) has the look of a filly who might be sitting on her best yet making third start for present connections and first locally. Multiple Group 3 placed in Europe prior to coming stateside and barn already with one SW under its belt this past week. – Mike Welsch | Get PPs for this race | Bet this race with DRF Bets
2:38 AQU 5th Last time MICROSCOPE (#7, 8-1) tried this nine-furlong trip was 1/4/21 at Aqueduct, and he won a NY-bred N1X by open lengths. Never got involved last out in a one-turn, sloppy mile one class rung up the ladder, but wouldn’t be surprised to see him take up a forward position and jump up with his best race this cycle. – Marcus Hersh | Get PPs for this race | Bet this race with DRF Bets
4:19 OP 7th APPREHEND (#13, 8-1) is on the also-eligible list, but would be a chief player if he were to draw into the body of the race. In his debut, he ran second to Corniche, who would go on to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. – Mary Rampellini. | Get PPs for this race | Bet this race with DRF Bets
5:00 SA 4th This maiden special-weight for 2yos is a split of race 6. Based on his better-than-looked debut third, B DAWK (#3, 3-1) gets the call over first-time starter MCLAREN VALE. – Brad Free | Get PPs for this race | Bet this race with DRF Bets
7:00 SA 8th ARHAM (#6, 5-2) scored a highly rated N1X in his California debut at one mile; the lightly raced 4yo cuts back to six furlongs as fastest in the field with proven sprint form in the East. He gets top billing in this N2X. He sharpened his speed with recent half-mile workouts here, including a bullet 47:20 on Dec. 18. He drew outside and can make it two-for-two in California. He romped in his career debut at this distance in winter 2020. – Brad Free | Get PPs for this race | Bet this race with DRF Bets