Hard-to-figure Friday feature at Fair Grounds

The featured eighth race Friday at Fair Grounds might make you dizzy if you look at it too long.

Ten horses were entered in this one-mile grass race that has a third-level allowance condition or an $80,000 claiming price as the basic characteristics qualifying horses for entry. Of course, it wouldn’t be an allowance race in this era without a couple additional conditions appended to help the race fill.

Parlor, who’s entered for the $80,000 claiming price – the first time he’s run for a tag – is the 3-1 morning-line favorite and will have a strong chance if he can produce a baseline performance. He was unable to do that Nov. 3 at Churchill, checking in sixth at odds of 7-2 facing competition comparable to Friday’s. Trainer Eddie Kenneally will race Parlor without blinkers Friday for the first time in five starts, and as a late-running type in a pace-packed field, Parlor could get a favorable setup. Still, the poor last start and the claiming tag on a productive 5-year-old cast enough doubt to make a short price tough to take.

Mick’s Star will offer much longer odds for trainer Tom Amoss and jockey James Graham, whose task will be to settle his mount behind what figures to be a strong, contested pace. Mick’s Star has led in his best performances, but “that’s not gonna happen on Friday,” Amoss said.

“We’re going to have to be comfortable sitting off the pace, but I don’t think he’s a confirmed front-runner if that’s the way it has to go.”