Questions surround Gift Receipt in turf sprint feature
On paper, Gift Receipt is the fastest horse in Tuesday’s $36,000 turf feature at Indiana Grand Racecourse and fits well after clearing her second allowance two starts ago at Churchill Downs.
There are also a few red caution flags, however, that make Gift Receipt a shaky proposition as the 5-2 morning-line favorite among eight fillies and mares going five furlongs on grass in a second-level optional $40,000 claimer that goes as race 5 at 3:57 p.m. Eastern.
For starters, Gift Receipt has been off for seven weeks after failing to display her usual early speed in a $100,000 stakes on dirt at Mountaineer Racetrack. She also runs for a claiming tag for the first time since last November.
In addition, trainer Michael Ewing has given the mount to teenage apprentice Jack Gilligan, who has yet to win a race in limited opportunities since coming to the United States from Britain. Gilligan won his first race at age 16 in August 2013 at Newbury and was 4 for 21 in the United Kingdom, but 0 for 3 so far with mounts at Kentucky Downs, Belterra Park, and Indiana.
Posts 7 and 8 are also a combined 2 for 33 in turf sprints at Indiana this season, which means Gift Receipt will be bucking a trend breaking from the far outside.
The live longshot in the field may be Wild About Irene, who defeated optional $50,000 claimers three starts ago racing a mile and is cutting back sharply in distance.
The two inside fillies, Maco Light and Angie’s Prim Lady, look logical coming off turf sprint wins in their most recent starts.
Race 5
KEY CONTENDERS
Gift Receipt (Last 3 Beyers: 10-85-65)
This 4-year-old filly will be difficult to beat if she runs back to her June 12 performance at Churchill Downs, in which she beat second-level optional $62,500 claimers. But there are many question marks about her current condition after she was a dull ninth sprinting 4 1/2 furlongs at Mountaineer in early August.
Wild About Irene (Last 3 Beyers: 48-73-82)
Returns to the level where she was claimed in late June while cutting back following three straight longer races, including a win going a mile on July 4.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Trainer Marvin Johnson is 7 for 32 (22 percent) with horses returning from a break of 31 to 60 days in a turf sprint.
Maco Light (Last 3 Beyers: 75-75-54)
Makes third start of current form cycle following back-to-back solid races against similar horses at Ellis Park. The horse she beat by three-quarters of a length last time, Soul of Comete, returned to finish 10th with a 50 Beyer at Kentucky Downs.
Angie’s Prim Lady (Last 3 Beyers: 78-76-65)
Steps up to the next logical class level after a three-length score locally on Aug. 20. The horses who finished behind her are a collective 0 for 5 in their next starts, including runner-up Great Red Beauty, who finished third with a 69 Beyer at 2-1 on Sept. 10.
Franks Officer Gal (Last 3 Beyers: 76-43-75)
Will be making her third start since Sept. 5 in quest of her first win on turf. Her trainer, Paul Holthus is 0 for 15 this season in turf races, but 2 for 5 with horses returning in seven days or less.