Surface switch would favor Hard Luck Justice in Snack Stakes

A wet Tuesday forecast at Indiana Grand could force Wednesday’s Snack Stakes and Ellen’s Lucky Star Stakes from the turf onto the main track. Both are $75,000 3-year-old stakes for Indiana-breds going one mile, with the Ellen’s Lucky Star for fillies.

The connections of Hard Luck Justice would not at all mind a surface switch for the Snack. On June 23, stretching out from a pair of sprints to start his campaign, Hard Luck Justice rolled to a 6 1/4-length win in the Hoosier Breeders’ Sophomore Stakes. He was entered for the main track only in the Snack, and would be hard to beat with anything approaching his recent performance.

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On turf, Troubled Justice figures to take plenty of betting despite having made only one start. In that race, Troubled Justice made a sustained rally into a modest pace and won an Indiana-bred turf-route maiden race by 1 1/2 lengths while going away. He beat older rivals in that start. But with a lack of speed and no truly established baseline performance level, Troubled Justice would be worth playing against at something like his 5-2 morning-line odds.

Compass Point caught a yielding grass course while sprinting last out in his first turf try and is very much bred to handle grass. He’s 30-1 on the line, and while he likely will be a shorter post-time price, he will offer value.

In the Ellen’s Lucky Star, Mizzen Ash and Everyotherwon could prove the prime players on turf, while Diamond Solitaire might be favored if the race is rained onto the main track.