Turf Paradise: Makors Finale tops Lost in the Fog

PHOENIX – Top juvenile honors for the Arizona circuit are on the line at Turf Paradise on Monday, when males will contest the $35,000 Lost in the Fog and fillies will contest the $35,000 Arizona Juvenile Fillies. Both races are carded at 6 1/2 furlongs.

The Lost in the Fog drew a field of 10, and eight will go in the Arizona Juvenile Fillies, in which Southern California raider Lasso From El Paso appears the one to beat.

There is little separating the top half-dozen rivals in the Lost in the Fog, though Makors Finale may end up the favorite. Owned by Karl Krieg 3rd and trained by Valorie Lund, Makors Finale made a splash in his Oct. 7 debut here, romping by 19 1/4 lengths. He was second in an allowance race here Nov. 8, finishing a neck behind Born Force and a nose ahead of Don’t Be Coy Roy, and he faces both again Monday. Az Ridge, who finished fourth, also returns Monday. Those four were separated by just 1 1/2 lengths Nov. 8. The first-, third-, and fourth-place finishers from the Nov. 8 allowance race, Born Force, Don’t be Coy Roy and Az Ridge, are also back for more.

Makors Finale tried turf Nov. 28 in his last start, finishing second by a neck to Silvanus, whom he faces again here. Silvanus has won his first two starts, a main-track sprint here Nov. 13 and the grass race.

Taylors Deal, a winner at Hastings in his Oct. 2 debut and second at Santa Anita Oct. 30, rallied well to finish fourth as the favorite in the Nov. 28 turf race and could be dangerous Monday.

Let’s Get Crackin invades from the Midwest, where he twice placed in stakes at Prairie Meadows. This marks his first start since finishing sixth in a grass stakes at Hawthorne Oct. 29.

In the Arizona Juvenile Fillies, Lasso From El Paso may have the edge. She won a maiden race at Del Mar on Aug. 4, ran third in a stakes at Fairplex Sept. 16, and finished sixth in a stakes at Santa Anita Oct. 22. She comes off a second to Nicos Memory in a $32,000 claimer at Hollywood Park Nov. 12. Nicos Memory came right back to win a claimer Dec. 8.

An interesting foe is Racing for Gold. In her only start, a turf race here Nov. 27, she powered home after a slow start and won going away by four lengths. She runs on dirt for the first time, but obviously has ability and has worked strongly since.