King's preview: Short field for feature

Friday, Oct. 24, preview

A nice day is on tap for the second-to-last card of the fall meet Friday at Keeneland before it comes to a conclusion Saturday. Fields were surprisingly short in a few races, most notably in the opener and in the featured eighth race, an open allowance for 3-year-old fillies.

Though just five horses entered the eighth race, a $65,000 allowance at six furlongs, I’m intrigued by playing a filly in there: SILVER UNION (#5, 5-2).

She has won her last three races when racing on dirt and seems most comfortable when pressing the pace on the outside. So, her draw on the far outside in post 5 is perfect. She should be able to sit just off the leader on the outside and perhaps get the jump on the late-running HENNY JENNEY (#1, 2-1).

The latter is the class of the race, being a stakes winner and coming off a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Dogwood. She commands respect, having compiled a record of three wins, four seconds, and a third in 10 starts.

CHERIE'S A. P. (#3, 3-1) looks like the speed and has won three in a row, though at Charles Town. She is matched against better company at Keeneland.

Spot Plays

Race 1: TRUE BLUE JULIE (#5, 4-1) has faced better this year in claimers and starters and may rebound at a price with the shift from turf to dirt; four starts ago at Churchill, she ran second for $25,000 on the main track there.

Race 6: LORELEI TRUE (#4, 7-2) has run competitively on turf and Poly this summer at Arlington and gives every indication she should take to the dirt given how well she has trained locally on it.

Early Changes

2nd race
#4 – Bellamy’s Verdict -- SCRATCH

3rd race
#13 – Pepon -- SCRATCH
#14 – Twenty Gauge -- SCRATCH
#15 – Thunder West -- SCRATCH
#16 – Majestico -- SCRATCH

5th race
#4 – Pretty Syrie -- SCRATCH
#6 – Zipso Facto -- SCRATCH
#13 – Bettina Brugge -- SCRATCH
#14 – Dragonberry -- SCRATCH

6th race
#6- Indy Bones – Jockey change to Mathieu Adam

7th race
#13 – Picolata -- SCRATCH
#14 – Helluva Hunch -- SCRATCH

9th race
#3 – Hennyville Slugger – Jockey change to Eddie Zuniga
#7 – Puppy Manners -- SCRATCH
#10 -- Cozetti -- SCRATCH
#13 – English Pound – Jockey change to James Graham
#14 – Coin Broker -- SCRATCH
#15 – Positively -- SCRATCH
#16 – Taken by the Storm -- SCRATCH

10th race
#1 – Angel Lovely -- SCRATCH
#9 – Northern Princess -- SCRATCH
#12 – Nearshore -- SCRATCH