Turfway Park

Turfway: Positive Response slight favorite in field of 12 for Vinery Spiral

Marty McGee|Mar 23, 2011

Patrick Lang/Lang Photography Positive Response, who shipped from California to win the John Battaglia Memorial earlier this month, is the 7-2 morning-line favorite for the Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes.

FLORENCE, Ky. – Positive Response was assigned post 2 as the lukewarm morning-line favorite in a full field of 12 3-year-olds entered Wednesday night in the Grade 3, $500,000 Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes, to be run Saturday at Turfway Park.

Positive Response, based in Northern California with trainer Billy Morey, was a seven-length winner of the John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway and remained here afterward. He will be ridden back by Julien Couton.

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Second choice on the Turfway line is King Congie (4-1, post 8), followed by 5-1 co-third choices Animal Kingdom (post 4) and Decisive Moment(post 10).

Decisive Moment is the leading earner in the Spiral field with $432,330. None of the 12 starters is yet in the Kentucky Derby picture, according to the graded-earnings criteria that dictate inclusion, although the Spiral winner is virtually assured of making the Derby with a $300,000 winner’s share.

From the rail, and with jockeys, this is the field for the 40th Spiral: Preachintothedevil, Junior Alvarado; Positive Response, Couton; Thirtyfirststreet, Kendrick Carmouche; Animal Kingdom, Alan Garcia; Son of Posse, Rafael Mojica Jr.; Rescind the Trade, Jose Valdivia Jr.; Beachcombing, Leandro Goncalves; King Congie, Javier Castellano; Taptowne, Rodney Prescott; Decisive Moment, Kerwin Clark; Twinspired, Victor Lebron; and Glint, Gabriel Saez.

The 1 1/8-mile Spiral is one of five stakes to be run here Saturday during a 12-race card. First post will be 1:10 p.m. Eastern. TVG will have onsite coverage throughout the day, with the Spiral going live at 5:32. Live online streaming of the Spiral also will be available on DRF.com.

Gale-force winds hit this area Wednesday afternoon, forcing Turfway to move the post position draw from its VIP tent to the more secure Homestretch lounge on the first floor of the grandstand. The weather forecast for Saturday calls for showers and a high of only 42.

Grade 3, $500,000 Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes
To be run Saturday at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky.
1 1/8 miles, Polytrack, Post time 5:31 p.m. ET, Watch Live on DRF.com

(PP, Horse, Jockey, TP M/L)

1. Preachintothedevil, J.Alvarado, 15-1

2. Positive Response, J.Couton, 3-1

3. Thirtyfirststreet, K.Carmouche, 12-1

4. Animal Kingdom, A.Garcia, 5-1

5. Son of Posse, R.MojicaJr., 50-1

6. Rescind the Trade, J.ValdiviaJr., 12-1

7. Beachcombing, L.Goncalves, 12-1

8. King Congie, J.Castellano, 4-1

9. Taptowne, R.Prescott, 20-1

10. Decisive Moment, K.Clark, 5-1

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