Off-the-turf Robellino big boost for Edge of Reality

The shift of Saturday night’s $75,000 Robellino Stakes from turf to what's likely to be a wet main track greatly enhances the chances of 4-year-old colt Edge of Reality.

The 1 1/16-mile race for Pennsylvania-breds drew a field of eight, plus a pair of also-eligibles, but scratches because of the surface shift leaves just five runners.

The Graham Motion-trained Edge of Reality is 3 for 5 on wet tracks, including a wire-to-wire score in the mud in last year's Grade 3 Smarty Jones Stakes at Parx Racing.

The much-improved Page McKenney is capable of handling the surface switch. He won his last three starts that were moved from turf to dirt, but all of those races were on fast tracks. He is 0 for 3 on off tracks, with a high Beyer Speedd Figure of 34.

Robellino Stakes, Race 4

KEY CONTENDERS

Edge of Reality (Last 3 Beyers: 92-81-76)

◗Trainer Graham Motion won the 2011 Robellino with Deal Making. Won the Grade 3 Smarty Jones and a first-level allowance sprint over muddy tracks last year.

Page McKenney (Last 3 Beyers: 87-83-77)

◗Is one length shy of owning a five-race winning streak, with three of his victories during that stretch in events moved off the turf.

Starry Moon (Last 3 Beyers: 75-83-80)

◗ All three of this 3-year-old's victories have come on the main track, including his maiden win on a good track last November. Trainer Bernie Houghton is winning at a 27 percent clip at Penn National this season.

Forest Rim (Last 3 Beyers: 83-73-76)

◗ From the potent combination of trainer Jonathan Sheppard and owner Augustin Stable, he has raced exclusively on turf and Tapeta in his seven-race career. Owns an extremely high 461 Tomlinson rating for wet tracks.

◗Sheppard was third in the 2010 Robellino with two-time statebred stakes winner Auction Watch and eighth with Love of Flying in the 2012 running.

Van Persie (Last 3 Beyers: 78-78-85)

◗ Owns a 2-for-3 record on wet tracks, including a 3 1/4-length score in the slop three starts ago locally.