DRF's Horse Racing Playbook for Friday, October 14, 2022
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.
12:40 LRL 1st The Farrior barn has shown signs of life (8 for 19, 42%, $4.33 ROI between Oct. 6 and Oct. 9), and DIVINE FASHION (#1, 10-1) makes first start for the outfit following a maiden win around two turns at Timonium. Pushed a quick pace on turf two back before faltering, but gave a decent finish over course and distance against two next-out maiden winners during the summer meet. Toledo lands here instead of Walks Like a Lady and Bourbon Gypsy. -Dan Illman | Get PPs for this race
1:00 KEE 1st CATECHISM's (#3, 20-1) two most recent starts were poor and will make her a big price in this $16K claiming sprint, but she's capable of much more than she showed in those starts. Just running back to her fourth-place finish facing tougher foes at the 2021 KEE fall meet puts her in the hunt, and those tightly grouped recent workouts are suggestive. -Marcus Hersh | Get PPs for this race
1:21 GP 3rd MOMZA (#4, 10-1) stepping up off easy N2L win but made big splash in first start over the Tapeta and has since had effort flattered with hit three most immediate victims all coming back to capture their next starts, two of them with Beyers in the low 70's. -Mike Welsch | Get PPs for this race
1:32 KEE 2nd No holes in the work pattern for first-time starter GRIMES (#3, 10-1), who worked a fast half-mile at CD on Sept. 29. Shows a $34K auction price and debuts for $50K, and trainer Eddie Kenneally's firsters in these higher-level maiden claimers often are live. -Marcus Hersh | Get PPs for this race
2:36 KEE 4th While passing on the 2-1 morning-line Mike Maker trained Invaluable in race 3 , NOT YET CHARLIE, (#4, 15-1) 15-1 on the line and from the same barn, interests me in race 4. She flopped off the SAR claim on a wet Kentucky Downs course, but it's hard to hold that against her, and look at the subsequent dirt works. Claimed for $25K, in for $20K - can live with that. -Marcus Hersh | Get PPs for this race
2:54 WO 4th BROWNING ISLAND (#1, 8-1) dueled up front along the rail over an outside-biased track last time before weakening to third when dropping to this $15K NW3 class in his second start off the bench. He could wire this field if things go his way after breaking from the one-hole. -Ron Gierkink | Get PPs for this race
3:50 BAQ 7th ONCE A GIANT's (#7, 5-1) lone win to date came over this track and trip back in April; easily made the lead that day en route to earning a 78 Beyer, then faced tougher in his next two starts; ran better than it looks when dropped to this level two back, as he was forced to move early with class-dropping favorite Ampersand making a run and tired after dueling that horse; has been listed as a vet scratch recently but this is a good spot if all is well. -Mike Beer | Get PPs for this race
4:22 BAQ 8th WONKA (#10, 5-1) showed some potential in her first two starts early in the year going longer; cut back a bit for the Soaring Softly after a bit of a layoff and ran pretty well in that spot after a bit of a conservative ride; cuts back again after drawing the far outside going a mile over the inner at Saratoga last time. -Mike Beer | Get PPs for this race
4:54 BAQ 9th LADY FIREFOOT (#4, 6-1) is a DRF Best Bet (Mike Beer). | Get PPs for this race
5:16 KEE 9th BALTHUS (#10, 12-1) has won a maiden special, N1X allowance, and N2X allowance since being stretched out to 10 and 12 furlongs, and he's had nearly two more months of development time since his last start. Has he run fast enough yet to win this? No, but at double-digit win odds, and with his pedigree and trainer Chad Brown's confidence to try the spot, I'll take my chances. -Marcus Hersh | Get PPs for this race
5:57 FNO 3rd DR. TROUTMAN (#3, 10-1) has won two of his last six starts at a mile, and takes a significant drop in class to this restricted $8,000 claimer. Dr. Troutman was a well-beaten fifth as the 7-5 favorite in an optional claimer for California-breds at a mile at Los Alamitos on Sept. 16, setting the pace before fading on the turn. He led throughout a $12,500 claimer at Los Al in July and a repeat of that performance would be good enough to win here. -Steve Andersen | Get PPs for this race
6:27 FNO 4th SALTO DE TIGRE (#3, 5-1) is a DRF Best Bet (Steve Andersen). | Get PPs for this race
6:55 YR (Harness) 1st GLENGARRY KNIGHT N (#5, 3-1) has been toiling for a couple of months now but we are talking about a veteran pacer who has some class to him (with over $200K earned the last two seasons) so a wakeup is expected eventually. Leading driver Jason Bartlett gets the call tonight. – Matt Rose | Get PPs for this race
7:00 WBS (Harness) 1st OH LINA (#2, 6-1) has been racing decently lately but she had the misfortune of facing streaking trotter The Prince four times in a row. I’ll give her the nod to upset tonight. – Garnet Barnsdale | Get PPs for this race
7:57 FNO 7th EMILY SMILES (#3, 6-1) could be well-placed midway through this allowance race-optional claimer at 5 1-2 furlongs. She tends to stalk the pace and will be in pursuit of such speedy runners as HIIS REINA, Miss Union and Baby Kristen. If they set too quick of a pace, Emily Smiles can benefit. Trained by Tim McCanna, Emily Smiles was a disappointment when sixth of seven on turf at Golden Gate Fields on Oct. 1, but had much better sprint form in June and September. -Steve Andersen | Get PPs for this race
8:52 MED 5th DETERMINED KINGDOM (#9, 6-1) faded after dueling for the lead in his latest, at Colonial, but he is much better when he's able to sit off the pace and make one run, and there is plenty of speed to set him up in this Born To Run Stakes; can run them all down on the wire if he gets a clean trip and a fast, contested pace up front. -Kenny Peck | Get PPs for this race
9:03 RP 3rd CUPIDS LOVE (#5, 10-1) gets her first shot with Oklahoma-breds. She is back sprinting on the main track and she's run well under such "conditions" in the past. -Mary Rampellini | Get PPs for this race
9:20 MED 6th CANDLESTICK MAKER (#9, 9-2) is an upgrade candidate off her last pair, as she had a race flow excuse in her latest and she ran into traffic trouble and had to steady two back; obviously good enough to win this if she can run back to that 70 Beyer she posted three back. -Kenny Peck | Get PPs for this race
9:59 RP 5th DUBRONSKY (#1, 8-1) is a versatile sort who caught a quick crowd last time when facing higher-priced foes. -Mary Rampellini | Get PPs for this race
11:51 RP 9th QUARKY (#3, 15-1) figures to be strong through the stretch on the cutback to one turn, where he is a multiple winner. He's a four-time winner facing some less-experienced foes and could be sitting on a peak effort in the third start of his form cycle. -Mary Rampellini | Get PPs for this race