Lack of works a cause for concern for Frances Slocum pair

The two best horses entered in the $100,000 Frances Slocum Stakes on Wednesday at Indiana Grand are lacking in one area of real concern – published workouts.

Lady Fog Horn, the 6-5 morning-line choice, hasn’t raced since July 4 and at press time Monday hadn’t posted a timed work since Sept. 29.

Marina’s Legacy won the Sept. 6 Florence Henderson in her first stakes start against older horses, but as of Monday afternoon had not posted a published work since.

Indiana state racing rules require a published work within 60 days of racing, so both horses are within that guideline. Whether they can be trusted is a different issue for bettors.

The female-restricted Frances Slocum (race 8, post time 5:21 Eastern) is one of two 1 1/16-mile dirt stakes for older Indiana-breds, sharing top billing on an 11-race card with the $100,000 To Much Coffee (race 9, post time 5:49).

Lady Foghorn is the 6-5 morning-line favorite in the Slocum, but if she makes the starting gate, she is a play-against. Lady Foghorn was entered in the Oct. 4 Richmond Stakes but was scratched from the race because trainer Tony Granitz didn’t feel the mare was physically right. Lady Foghorn, Granitz said, has been dealing with muscular issues through the summer and fall and hasn’t started in nearly four months now. Granitz said before the Richmond that the mare had missed two weeks of training, and Lady Foghorn still hasn’t posted a timed workout in more than six weeks.

Marina’s Legacy’s situation seems less tenuous. She’s already a two-time stakes winner at the meet, having captured a dirt-route stakes restricted to 3-year-olds and beating older foes on turf last out in the Henderson. Marina’s Legacy, trained by Aaron West and to be ridden by DeShawn Parker, prefers front-end trips and probably will have to contend with other pace-players. If her training has been interrupted and she’s not fully fit, that could spell trouble.

Cavalleria is worth a look at anything close to her 30-1 morning-line odds. She’s drawn the rail and is in line for a favorable stalking trip, and for the first time in a long time she’s back out to the 1 1/16-mile distance at which she earned a career-best 82 Beyer Speed Figure.

Joyous Lady won the Richmond last out but almost certainly is at her best racing at shorter distances.

Retrospection lacks value

Retrospection might be the most likely winner of the To Much Coffee Stakes, but his morning-line price of 9-5 feels low for a 3-year-old who lost his only previous stakes start against older rivals.

Granted, that loss came on turf in the A.J. Foyt Stakes, and despite a grass-leaning pedigree, Retrospection does appear to be a better dirt horse. But odds lower than 2-1 in a full field lack appeal, especially considering that favorites in dirt races during October at Indiana Grand have come in at a 30 percent clip, a considerable drop from their 39 percent pre-October strike rate.

Trained by Mike Maker and to be ridden by Fernando de la Cruz, Retrospection already has put together an excellent season for owner-breeder Beth Burkett. He has raced eight times at this meet, which began April 17, and has won two stakes and more than $200,000. Retrospection overcame a troubled start to win an open first-level allowance race against older horses Sept. 26, but one wonders how long his form can trend up.

The competition is tough to parse since the leading older Indiana-bred, Bucchero, is racing in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint rather than in the To Much Coffee, which he won by 4 1/2 lengths last year. Second in the 2016 edition was Huntstown, who enters this race relatively fresh, should get a favorable trip, and has some appeal at a price.