King's preview: Shedding light on Friday night
The second “Downs After Dark” of the September meet goes under the lights Friday, perhaps with a fuller house than the first one on opening night, Sept. 5, when 11,058 attended – the smallest crowd of 30 such nighttime cards.
First post goes at 6 p.m. Eastern and the 10th and last race goes at 10:42.
Short fields are the norm for the night’s dirt races, at least over the first two-thirds of the card. But the eighth race, a third-level allowance with an $80,000 claiming condition, is a fine race, both in quality and depth.
Nine horses are in the mile dirt race, and a number of them are of stakes quality. The choice among the group is Cameo Appearance (#2, 3-1), who just whipped second-level allowance runners on the Poly at Arlington in his seasonal bow for trainer Wayne Catalano. He should maintain his sharp form moving to dirt, having run third on the surface in the Grade 2 Super Derby and second in the Grade 2 Oklahoma Derby last year.
The competition is headed by Myositis Dan (#5, 5-2), a one-turn specialist who just missed in a three-horse photo in the Derby Trial over this track in April. Most recently, he ran seventh against the nation's best 3-year-old sprinters in the Grade 1 King's Bishop at Saratoga
Those searching for a price should give though to Nicklaus Way (#9, 10-1), claimed for $50,000 by high-percentage owner Maggi Moss in June. He has a third in a stakes race and a second in an allowance in two subsequent races.
Spot plays
Race 2: My Name’s Mud (#4, 7-2): A Canterbury shipper, she fits in this $7,500 claimer on the basis of what she did in Minnesota on dirt. She won 2 of 4 there, with her only poor race at Canterbury coming on turf vs. classier. She owns quality Beyer Speed Figures for the level, having run numbers in the 60-62 range on dirt at Canterbury.
Race 7: Midnight Notes (#1, 2-1), the day's best, won a starter allowance the last time he raced on the Churchill turf course, beating Magna Breeze, a two-time starter winner this summer at Indiana Downs. Midnight Note’s subsequent form has been solid this summer at Arlington; a good single for multi-race exotics.
Race 10: Smartified (#8, 5-1) was freshened after a fifth at Churchill June 22. He is better than what he showed in that race, and owns some of the better Beyers in this race. Expect trainer Tim Glyshaw to have him ready off the bench.