Kentucky specialist Miss Wellspring draws rail

The unwieldy nature of record-keeping being what it is in the sport of racing, no one knows for sure whether Miss Wellspring is a horse of true distinction. But what is certain is that few, if any other, horses have won at least one race at all five Kentucky racetracks the way that Miss Wellspring has.

Indeed, during a productive but otherwise undistinguished 41-race career, Miss Wellspring has managed to spread her seven career wins among Churchill Downs, Keeneland, Kentucky Downs, Ellis Park, and Turfway Park. And at the last of those tracks, Turfway, the 7-year-old mare will try to tack on a little extra when she goes postward as one of the favorites in the New Year's Day feature at the Florence, Ky., track.

Miss Wellspring, with Brian Hernandez Jr. to ride, will break from the rail in a field of seven fillies and mares in a $28,000 classified allowance that occupies the usual race 9 feature slot on a 10-race Tuesday card. Owned by John Eaton and Steve Laymon and trained by Greg Foley, Miss Wellspring will be looking for her first victory in a little more than a year, having last won on Dec. 23, 2006, in a Turfway allowance.

If the losing skein for Miss Wellspring is to extend to nine races Tuesday, the most logical winner might be Now More Than Ever, who makes her second appearance of the season after having finished eighth in the Dec. 8 My Charmer Stakes. Owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey and trained by Mike Maker, Now More Than Ever will break from the outside post with John McKee aboard.

Another solid contender is Jill Indy Pulpit, who will break from post 2 under Julio Felix. Trained throughout her 24-race career by Jesus Suarez, the

5-year-old Pulpit mare was overmatched in her latest start, the Grade 2 Falls City Handicap, but was good enough to win a third-level allowance over the Keeneland Polytrack in her

previous start.

The rest of the field is Serna's Gold, Jacaranda Jane, La Perouse, and Jungle Storm.

First post Tuesday is 1:10 p.m. Eastern. The program is the first of the 2008 winter-spring meet; the final card of the 2007 holiday meet was scheduled for Monday. Wednesday will be a dark day, with live racing set to resume Thursday afternoon.