DRF's Horse Racing Playbook for Friday, Sept. 18, 2026

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.

12:00 LRL 1st HOPEFORGREATNESS (#7, 9-2) will ship to Laurel from Penn National after finishing in the money in four straight for Padilla, including two especially strong performances on turf; the filly took a nice step to win a first-level allowance with a 75 Beyer last time out; if she can run back to that stalking effort against claimers in a new locale, she should be in with a live chance. - Patrick Moquin | Get Past Performances for this race

12:45 CD 1st DREAM ABOUT (#4, 15-1) took some action in her debut and lone start, and available workout video looks all right - I'm just throwing out her very poor debut. Looked like she might have hated kickback and decided not to truly participate. - Marcus Hersh | Get Past Performances for this race

12:52 GP 2nd ONE MORE ROUND (#4, 12-1) ran evenly for a while in her debut before calling it a day. She got needed race experience and that is what matters most. Five of eight sibs beat winners. A pair of recent works is just right. - Scott Ehlers | Get Past Performances for this race

1:00 WO 1st JUST FOLLOW ME (#2, 4-1) rallied for second behind Quiet Maddelena when dropping to $7.5K in her latest. She has tons of speed to close at in this $10K seller and should be along for another high placing. - Ron Gierkink | Get Past Performances for this race

1:14 CD 2nd GYPSAN (#4, 15-1) straight into starter competition off the claim by a barn I'm always keeping my eye on these days. Clearly contending form two, three, and four back, though I doubt she's as high as the 15-1 morning line. - Marcus Hersh | Get Past Performances for this race

1:21 GP 3rd IRON THE MONEY (#7, 15-1) might prove quickest and if so then an early breather can be had. His last race was a tad better so maybe this guy is circling around to some of those efforts only 4, 5, and 6 back. - Scott Ehlers | Get Past Performances for this race

1:43 CD 3rd Sure, it was a turf race and this is dirt, but the August start for DEPENCIER (#3, 12-1) says she came back from a long layoff a considerably faster horse - I'd guess that form will carry across surfaces. - Marcus Hersh | Get Past Performances for this race

2:00 WO 3rd MISTY EYED (#1, 5-1) exhibited signs of life last time when a stalking second in her second start of the meet and could be coming around. Ignore her two lackluster performances on the dirt at Assiniboia in the spring. - Ron Gierkink | Get Past Performances for this race

2:04 BEL 2nd CREAM OF THE CROP (#9, 15-1) ran like a filly who needed the experience on debut; got away slowly, launched a mild move around the far turn, took kickback, and responded well into the lane; briefly vied for a minor award before tiring late; subsequently switched to turf, but don't get the sense she really wants that surface; didn't help that she got a 3-wide uncovered trip around both turns; now gets back to the right conditions and should be set for a step forward. - David Aragona | Get Past Performances for this race

2:13 CD 4th High on Charlatan as an emerging turf sire, and CRUISING AGAIN (#6, 10-1), by Charlatan, brings some decently encouraging dirt form into her turf debut. - Marcus Hersh | Get Past Performances for this race

2:39 BEL 3rd CLASSY RUNNER (#10, 15-1) goes out for a trainer not known for recent debut success, though there was a time not so long ago when John Terranova would connect with some big prices in spots like this; Hard Spun is an underrated turf sprint sire, and the dam is a half-sister to G3 turf winner Dream On; she hasn't done anything too flashy in her dirt workouts but that quick Sep. 6 drill matches this barn's 3YO stakes winner Greyjoy. - David Aragona | Get Past Performances for this race

3:25 GP 7th MY HONEY MOTHER (#2, 8-1) is by a 8% debut turf sire. Her dam went 8-0-0-1 on the grass and earned 16K. All three sibs that tried the turf won including a pair of multiple winners (68K, 427K (won turf debut)). This filly wanted the grass in her debut but it got washed off. We like that they ran her anyway even if she beat zero home. Team Barboza are 16% with their 2nd time maidens. - Scott Ehlers | Get Past Performances for this race

4:08 LRL 9th GREAT QUALITY (#6, 4-1) was entered in a much tougher handicap at Delaware last weekend but scratched, as Capuano instead wants to test easier spots first; it's encouraging he even considered that race, however, as the gelding has not run since winning an allowance taken off the turf at Delaware in June; he earned a career-best 72 Beyer that day and might keep moving forward for top connections. - Patrick Moquin | Get Past Performances for this race

4:28 GP 9th BATTLE OF DOVER (#7, 10-1) is a DRF Best Bet (Scott Ehlers). | Get Past Performances for this race

5:24 BEL 7th Added distance is a key consideration as most of these juveniles stretch out for the first time; two exiting the same Aug. 8 maiden race figure to appreciate the added ground; LIVE (#8, 8-1) ran in spots on debut; he broke inward and slowly before rushing forward to chase the fast pace; lost contact on the turn but then stayed on decently once angled out in the lane; is bred to go longer, out of a half-sister to multiple stakes-winning router Mr. Money. - David Aragona | Get Past Performances for this race

5:43 LRC 4th GOLF DRAMA (#5, 4-1) has little to beat in this $8,000 claimer for nonwinners of two at five furlongs in his second start following a layoff of more than six months. Trained by Angela Aquino, Golf Drama finished first in three consecutive races at 4 1-2 furlongs or 1,000 yards at the evening meeting here from early December to mid-February, leading throughout in each race. In his comeback on Aug. 22, Golf Drama was fourth by two lengths in an $8,000 claimer at 1,000 yards, disputing the pace before losing by two lengths. -Steve Andersen

7:28 MED 2nd VICTORS GIRL (#3, 9-2) is the first starter out of the dam, who was best sprinting on the turf, but trainer Chelsea Rabadan -- who took over training earlier this year from her husband, Sergio Rabadan -- has had only two starters on the green, a winner and a runner-up; this filly is working like she's ready and she meets a seemingly average field for the class level. - Kenny Peck | Get Past Performances for this race

7:58 RP 2nd MINNIE'S PEARLS (#3, 6-1) was caught up in a duel in her first start since June and she weakened only in the late stages, posting a Beyer that puts her in the mix right back under the same conditions; she could prove tough to catch if allowed to set her own pace on a loose lead in this one, especially given improvement in her second start off the bench (note trainer Francisco Bravo's 21% strike rate with such runners). - Kenny Peck | Get Past Performances for this race

8:24 MED 4th Thought TWO DOLLAR BILL (#3, 7-2) ran very well in defeat in that loss two back, when he closed with interest while against a speed-friendly pace scenario, and though he failed as the favorite in his latest that was another good effort in vain; can make the last run tonight if he finally gets some decent fractions to chase. - Kenny Peck | Get Past Performances for this race

8:26 RP 3rd SEEKING SAWYER (#3, 10-1) regressed in that last one but while the class rise was a likely factor it also could have been due to the fact that he was against a speed-favoring race flow, as a closer; prior Beyer fits well, and though he was no threat three back a slow start cost him his best chances. - Kenny Peck | Get Past Performances for this race

8:54 RP 4th CAN'T ZAP THIS (#4, 6-1) failed to threaten in her latest but that was her first start since January and she also didn't get enough pace to chase in that off-the-turf route; that was also the case in her two starts prior to that one and she has room to improve tonight given faster early splits. - Kenny Peck | Get Past Performances for this race

10:46 RP 8th CARIBBEAN DREAM (#1, 6-1) was exceptionally game in that narrow loss in his first run over this strip last time, dueling for the lead from the start in a race featuring other legit speeds and weakening only late, to a closer; adds blinkers and gets the rail tonight and he could prove tough to reel in if he gets clear this time around. - Kenny Peck | Get Past Performances for this race