Best Horse Racing Bets Today |Turfway Park, December 14

Turfway Park could soon be the synthetic surface capital of American racing. On Saturday, the Northern Kentucky oval will launch an impressive card over its synthetic Tapeta surface. A quartet of $250,000 stakes make up the brand new Turfway Park Synthetic Championships and each of the four have drawn big fields. Wide open affairs and great betting opportunities will begin with the My Charmer for the distaff set with Dana’s Beauty pegged as the morning line favorite. 

Sprint females will go next in the Holiday Inaugural, while the males will vie for the winning prizes in the Holiday Cheer and the Prairie Bayou. Grade 1 winners Exaulted and Stilleto Boy are the biggest names in the latter, while another Grade 1 winner, Howard Wolowitz, is the headliner of the former. Without further ado, let’s get to my top picks and plays for this strong evening of racing at Turfway Park.

Race #4 My Charmer Stakes $250,000 1 1/16-Miles Synthetic - 7:33pm EST

After a successful campaign on the grass during the warmer months, Dana’s Beauty returns to Turfway Park as the mare they will have to beat in the $250,000 My Chamer Stakes on Saturday night.

Trained by Mike Maker, the 6-year-old daughter of Not This Time was 2-for-2 earlier this year at Turfway Park, including a convincing score in the Latonia Stakes. Very experienced on all-weather surfaces, she comes into this rich test with good form on the turf, having won stakes in Texas and Oklahoma since leaving Northern Kentucky. With good early speed, she could be the early leader in this one. 

Chief among her opposition here could be the mare who nipped her last time in a Churchill Downs allowance race. Also 6, Ghostly Gal has won three straight on the grass and has plenty of experience on synthetic surfaces. A 12-length winner of a Turfway Park claiming race last December, she will be looking for her first stakes victory here.

All with good stakes experience, Canisy, Everland, Forever Dixie, and Take a Stand are four more to take a good look at in this one, especially when talking about playing underneath the win spot in the exotics. I can’t look past Dana’s Beauty for the top spot, however. Her controlling speed and record of winning races makes her the top pick in this one.

My Play

• $10 Daily Double Part Wheel - Dana’s Beauty with Sunday Shoes, Upper Case, and Nice as Pie = $30

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Race #7 Holiday Inaugural Stakes $250,000 6-Furlongs Synthetic - 8:11pm EST

Exiting a nice stakes victory at Churchill Downs, Upper Case rates as a tepid morning line choice against a full field of sprinting females Saturday’s $250,000 Holiday Inaugural Stakes on the Tapeta track at Turfway Park.

The win in the Dream Supreme five weeks ago was the first stakes victory for the improving 4-year-old daughter of American Pharoah. Her recent solid form, which includes nothing worse than second in her last five starts, has all come on the dirt. Bred to run on anything, however, the Paulo Lobo-trained filly broke her maiden on this track back in February.

A major rival of the morning line favorite in this 6-furlong affair will be the 3-year-old filly Nice as Pie. Unbeaten in four starts at Turfway Park, the Tapiture filly clearly appreciates a synthetic surface, and this oval in particular. Competitive against strong competition since leaving her favorite track, she should enjoy her return to Turfway on Saturday.

Other serious contenders here include the stakes winning pair of Sunday Shoes and Love Appeals. The former won a fast stakes race two starts back on the all-weather surface at Presque Isle Downs, while the latter brings in strong turf form, but will be making her first start on a synthetic track. Overall, though, I cannot overlook the record of Nice as Pie at Turfway. She is the top pick in this one.

My Plays

• $5 Exacta Part Wheel - Nice as Pie over Sunday Shoes, Upper Case, and Love Appeals = $15

• $5 Exacta Part Wheel - Sunday Shoes, Upper Case, and Love Appeals over Nice as Pie = $15

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Race #6 Prairie Bayou Stakes $250,000 1 1/16-Miles Synthetic - 8:49pm EST

In a wide open edition of the $250,000 Prairie Bayou Stakes on Saturday evening at Turfway Park, Wadsworth has been named a 3/1 morning line favorite against eleven other males going 1 1/16-miles.

Trained by Brad Cox, the 4-year-old gelding has won two of three career starts at the Northern Kentucky oval, with his only loss coming behind the classy Two Phil’s in last year’s Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks. The son of Quality Road has made only one start this year, but it was a strong effort, just missing in a solid Churchill Downs’ allowance race last month.

The second choice on the morning line is Paros from the barn of Mike Maker. The reformed claimer has won four straight races at Aqueduct, Saratoga, and Keeneland, all of which came on the grass. This will be his toughest test yet, however, as he debuts on a synthetic surface.

A number of other runners merit respect in this strong field, with Dresden Row being the one who interests me the most. The lone 3-year-old in the field, he has been a model of consistency in Canada for trainer Lorne Richards. The son of Lord Nelson has good tactical speed and has never finished out of the money in seven starts on the synthetic surface at Woodbine. He comes in with excellent recent form against graded stakes competition. He is the top pick.

My Play 

• $20 Win & Place - Dresden Row = $40

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Race #7 Holiday Cheer Stakes $250,000 6-Furlongs Synthetic - 9:27pm EST

A Grade 1 winner two starts back, the lightly raced Howard Wolowitz is the headliner against a full field of talented male sprinters in the $250,000 Holiday Cheer Stakes on Saturday at Turfway Park.

Although he came up short last time, the 3-year-old son of Munnings was beaten only three lengths in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) last time at Del Mar. Before that he earned his Grade 1 win at Kentucky Downs in the rich Franklin Simpson Stakes in only his fourth career start. The talented colt merits favoritism, but will face another talented field here. 

Chief among his competition in this 6-furlong sprint is the Canadian invader Patches O’Houlihan. With a record of 11 wins from 14 career starts, he has proven himself to be a classy sprinter time and time again in his native country. Equally adept on turf or synthetics, the speedster has won four stakes races this year in five tries, with his last three wins coming against graded competition.

Of the rest, Run Carson could prove the most dangerous. He has yet to run on a synthetic track, but has proven himself a talented sprinter on the turf. He has won half of his career starts and comes into this one off two sharp scores at Aqueduct and Churchill Downs. A serious sprinter north of the border, I believe Patches O’Houlihan is the one to beat here, however. He is the top pick.

My Play

• $20 Win & Place - Patches O’Houlihan = $40

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