King's preview: Soggy turf course

Thursday, Oct. 16, preview

Continued rain in central Kentucky has resulted in an off track at Keeneland for Thursday’s races and the sixth race being moved from turf to dirt. The featured Sycamore Stakes remains on the grass, however, and will be contested on soft going – at least that was its status at 10:30 a.m.

Although untested on such a wet course, my choice to win the Sycamore is RED RIFLE. He looks like the controlling speed of this 1 1/2-mile race, and not being the favorite, I doubt any of the opposing riders are going to want to urge their mounts to challenge him early, with them being worried about others. Red Rifle can also stay. He just won a stakes race at Belmont going a marathon distance on the grass.

HOLIDAY STAR is a couple of noses away from winning two straight stakes, and he showed in his latest at Parx that he likes give in the ground. He rates as the second selection.

UNITARIAN was a good-looking winner of the Elkorn over this course in the spring but hasn't been in action since. That puts him at a potential fitness disadvantage.

Spot Plays

Race 3: Barrymore (#1, 5-1) was unable to make headway last out at Presque Isle on synthetic when trying to rally in a slow-paced race, finishing fourth. Now he returns to dirt, a surface on which he won an allowance at ThistleDown two starts ago. He is favorably drawn on the rail and is a value play.

Race 5: Raton Pass (#6, 8-1) should be a price despite owning the top last-race Beyer, an 82, a number that won't receive the proper respect since it came on turf at Canterbury. This horse isn't strictly a Canterbury grass specialist – take note of his 9-for-36 record on dirt. He is a good fit against starter-allowance runners.

Early Changes

Race 4
#1 Aroseformineshaft Scratched
#1A Littlebitofsense No longer a coupled entry

Race 6
Course – Turf changed to dirt
#1 Puppy Manners First start since reported as gelding
#1A Believe in Kitten Scratched
#4 Taken by the Storm Scratched
#9 Rapscallion First start since reported as gelding
#10 Paroled Scratched
#12 Aripeka Scratched
#13 Geaux Wando Scratched

Race 7
#8 Quadrivium First Start Since Reported as Gelding

Race 8
#8 Aldous Snow Scratched

Race 9
#7 Mean Intentions Scratched