Escape Artist enters allowance in fine form

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – An Oct. 11 victory by Escape Artist at Keeneland typified the way the last month has gone for Randy Morse: really well. The 53-year-old trainer entered the first full week of racing at the Churchill Downs fall meet on a 5-for-8 streak in races on the Kentucky circuit while also having enjoyed a three-win night with his Remington Park string on Oct. 28.

“We’ve just been getting some pretty nice horses in the right situations,” said Morse. “It’s always good to get lucky.”

On Friday, Morse will lead over Escape Artist for the lone allowance on a 10-race card at Churchill, a $60,000, second-level, main-track route that’s also governed by a $62,500 claiming option. Escape Artist, a last-out winner for $40,000, is one of two in the seven-horse race entered for the optional tag, along with likely favorite Hazards of Love.

“I thought I’d save the condition in case he shows he’s good enough to win it down the road,” said Morse, a Texas native whose top horses in a 35-year career include the multiple stakes winners Jonesboro, Morluc, Moonshine Mullin, Testify, and Prospector’s Song.

Escape Artist will break from post 4 while having Robby Albarado back aboard for Race 9, which, with its smallish field, is the exception to the Friday rule: The other nine races drew a collective 126 horses (including also-eligibles), for an average of 14 per race before scratches.

First post is 12:40 p.m. Eastern.

KEY CONTENDERS

Hazards of Love (Last 3 Beyers: 82-95-89)

◗ Earner of $499,208 is back in the care of trainer Tom Amoss, who returned this week from a 45-day suspension for a long-ago medication violation; comes favorably drawn on the rail with perennial leading jockey Corey Lanerie to ride.

For Goodness Sake (Last 3 Beyers: 82-77-65)

◗ Perhaps more notable than his recent easy triumph over conditioned claimers at Keeneland is the way he won maiden and first-level allowances over the Churchill surface at the 2014 spring meet; the son of Big Brown can really turn it on when things unfold in his favor.

Escape Artist (Last 3 Beyers: 86-79-63)

◗ Tiznow gelding was 15-1 when rallying for that last-out Keeneland win but should garner more respect here on the slight stretch-out to 1 1/8 miles.

Raagheb (Last 3 Beyers: 83-66-80)

◗ Shadwell Stable homebred faces older horses again after splashing home a convincing winner in a first-level allowance at Keeneland for Dan Peitz.

Jack Tripp (Last 3 Beyers: 63-83-51)

◗ Two-back winner at the September meet at Churchill “obviously is better than his last race,” said trainer Dale Romans, referring to an Oct. 11 drubbing at Keeneland.