Horse Racing Picks for Saturday, February 21
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Optional Allowance, Turfway Park, Race #8
Let’s start off with a nice 3-year-old allowance with a full, competitive field. #6 Lorelei Lee will make the second start of her career after a nice win at this course and distance in her debut. She had a rough beginning but always traveled well, showing a very nice kick coming home. She has pace to chase again today to set up her late move, and with a better start, she is the one to beat.
#2 Cadenza is going to be one of the horses on the lead. She just missed here last time against this level after winning on the Saratoga turf. The post is much better today, which should allow her to save more ground. If she does get loose up front, she becomes tough.
#3 Gracie’s Delight is one of the main pace threats as well. She went gate-to-wire last time over this course and distance, but was loose on the lead the entire race. The big question is how she handles pressure up front.
#9 Lotta Alpha is also a logical contender in this spot. She is going to be rolling late since she is going to be traveling the shortest distance of her career today. I don’t think she can get to the wire first, but I do think she is very likely to round out the trifecta or superfectas.
Top 4: 6-2-3-9
The Bets: $50 Win #6
John Battaglia Memorial, Turfway Park, Race #9
Derby points are again on the line this week, but this time we are running on synthetic instead of dirt. #1 Street Beast is the favorite after winning the local prep for this race from gate-to-wire. He got a soft pace that day against a field that I did not love, so I am going to take a shot against him in this much tougher field.
#4 Kilo Tango is a very interesting entry from Brad Cox. He broke his maiden last time while improving first time on the synthetic, and his style fits well here. With a lot of speed signed on, he should be rolling late, and the price is right at 12-1.
#7 Attfield is an interesting new shooter for trainer Tom Morley. He was last seen in November beating stakes company in New York and has only run on turf. Normally, that is an issue in a derby prep, but this synthetic track plays more to turf than dirt, so it is not a concern today. If he is ready to fire off the layoff, he’s dangerous at 8-1.
#12 Two Out Hero ships in from Woodbine after running 3rd in the Grade 1 Summer. He dominated in his first career start, and only start over synthetic, before trying the turf, so we know he likes the surface. The post is the main issue.
Let’s take a crazy shot with #2 Steel Imperium, who is 15-1 on the morning line. This will be the second start of his career, which should allow for improvement off what was an impressive first run. He broke from the rail, was off slow and shuffled to last before unleashing a huge move to win by open lengths. If he can handle the class, he could surprise.
Top 4: 4-7-12-2
The Bets: $50 Win #4
