Litfin's preview: Turf feature in jeopardy

As has been the case repeatedly during a fairly wet autumn in New York, a rainy forecast puts both of Thursday’s scheduled grass races, the fifth and ninth, in jeopardy of being moved to a wet main track.

Race 5, for fillies and mares, is the classiest event on the card, a $69,000 optional claimer with second-level allowance conditions.

As a two-turn turf mile, it shapes up as a logical next step for Marbre Rose, an Irish-bred import who recently won her U.S. debut stylishly on yielding turf from off the pace as a poorly kept secret at 8-5.

Marbre Rose, who also won on soft turf in France as a 2-year-old, would benefit from a potential pace duel between Daddy’s Boo, who went wire to wire in both of her turf starts at Monmouth Park in August, and Party Now, who has been sidelined since leading through the first six furlongs of the $200,000 Wonder Again Stakes as the second choice back May 25.

As a one-turn mile out of the main track chute, the race would go through House Rules, who when not running against the likes of multiple Grade 1 winners Untapable and Sweet Reason, is 2 for 2 in non-stakes races this year by a combined margin of better than a dozen lengths.

The equalizer, however, could be a sealed wet track. Lotsa Noodles has won all five of her starts on sealed surfaces and has done so at Calder, Parx, Delaware, Saratoga, and Laurel. Her only loss on wet dirt was a second on a harrowed “good” track at Calder.

Bounce prospects?

Something has to give in race 8, a $67,000 preliminary allowance at seven furlongs in which veteran geldings M J Plus (94), Indy Sea (92), and Apex (92) respectively come off wins with new top Beyer Speed Figures in their 32nd, 19th, and 20th respective career starts.

Each among the trio is stepping up in class from either the starter-allowance or restricted-claiming ranks.

They probably all will be chasing Celebrated Talent, who wired a starter allowance in the slop Oct. 4 at Belmont and returned 12 days later to finish a clear second at this level after leading to deep stretch.

Horse to watch

BEATLE BOOTS
Trainer: Tom Morley
Last race: Nov. 2, 1st
Finish: 2nd by 1
Beyer: 60

Rallied from nine lengths behind down the backstretch and was whittling into the 2-5 winner’s margin through the closing stages of his six-furlong debut on a muddy track.