Needmore Cash sneaky play in Tuesday allowance

In a field where recent good turf form is scarce, Sneakin Away’s 3-for-5 record on grass, which includes a pair of stakes wins, looks impressive in Tuesday’s $47,000 allowance feature at Indiana Grand Racecourse. But considering that Sneakin Away is coming back just seven days after a loss as the even-money favorite, is drawn far outside in post 11, and shows declining Beyer Speed Figures, he might be a favorite to avoid.

The 1 1/16-mile turf race for Indiana-breds is a prep for the $85,000 A.J. Foyt Stakes here on Aug. 6 and goes as race 8 at 5:21 p.m. Eastern.

Sneakin Away won the 2013 A.J. Foyt with an 82 Beyer and captured the Snack in 2012 with a 91 Beyer. His three races this year, however, have produced mediocre figures of 63, 69, and 62, all at Mountaineer.

The intriguing pedigree play Tuesday is Needmore Cash, a 4-year-old who will be making his turf debut after 13 starts on dirt.

As a 3-year-old last season, Needmore Cash scored by three lengths in the Gus Grissom Stakes on a sloppy main track, which showed he has the talent to compete in statebred stakes. He has a license to run equally well on turf as a full brother to the mare Ain’t She a Saint, who has won 7 of 22 starts and more than $494,000.

Two years ago, Ain’t She a Saint won her turf debut in the Ellen’s Lucky Star Stakes while stretching out following a dirt sprint. Needmore Cash is making the same move following two poor performances to launch his 2014 campaign. He should be a good price after getting trounced at odds of 21-1 and 31-1.

Aside from Sneakin Away, the only horse in Tuesday’s field with more than one turf victory is I’m Boundtoscore, whose two stakes wins as a 2-year-old included the Grade 2 Summer at Woodbine. He missed all of 2013 and has yet to show much in four starts this year, but could improve while dropping to face statebreds for the first time.

Flashy Kid is 0 for 3 on grass but was beaten just a length by Sneakin Away in last year’s Foyt. He switches surfaces and stretches out for the third start of his form cycle.

The 7-year-old Sir Walter’s Oro is winless in six starts over the past two years and has been idle since October, but was second the last time he ran on turf, which came against open company last August.