Trio of allowance races, intriguing maiden race highlight card

A sleepy Friday card at Ellis Park? Not quite.

Friday’s 10-race program (first post 11:50 a.m. Central) offers purses, including Kentucky-bred supplements, worth about $769,000. The card includes three $100,000 maiden special weights, a first-level dirt -sprint allowance, a second-level turf-route allowance, and a basic third-level turf-sprint allowance.

The turf sprint, race 7, which has multiple allowance conditions and a $62,500 claiming option, drew nine entrants. And if you thought Mo Stash, off since December, had a decent shot to win the $250,000 Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint Preview Stakes this past Sunday, you have to accord him a good chance to top this allowance race. The field also includes One Timer, a millionaire who has been off his game this season, and the stakes-class Oceanic, unraced in more than 13 months and set to make his first start for trainer Kelsey Danner.

Race 6, a 2-year-old maiden sprint, might be coming in hot. Brad Cox sends two first-time starters, Valiant and My World. Valiant has turned in some encouraging drills, but the lone workout video for My World shows an even better drill, his most recent on Aug. 3. At a better price, though, try Spirit of a Walkon, who’s bred for turf, has a turfy stride, but looks quite capable, based on workout video, of winning this dirt sprint.

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