McLean’s Selections for Turfway Park & My Charmer Stakes on Sunday, Dec. 11

(Diamond Solitaire loves Gene’s hair almost as much as her flake of hay)

(Stats to be updated after Turfway Park’s cards are completed on both Thursday night and Friday night)

Here’s our looks at the Sunday matinee card, which will feature the $125,000 My Charmer Stakes. Our very own Diamond Solitaire will be making her career debut against “open company,” and that will come in today’s Stakes event. Diamond will also try her first steps over the new and improved Tapeta All-Weather surface, too.

We are hoping for a huge effort. We are celebrating a little Christmas before Christmas. It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas, isn’t it?

1st: 6-9-3/7/2-5-11/1-4-12/8…Admiral’s Garnet (6) gets the call in the ole’ lid-lifter at the new and improved Turfway Park on this rare Sunday afternoon matinee card. First post is set for 12:45 p.m. ET. This 4YO Florida-bred filly won last time out at this same level at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Has now won 2 of the last 3 and by open lengths in each victory prance. Will make the first try here over the AW. Gets the meet’s top rider up and that should assist. Queen Cordelia (9) drops a link after running 4th last time out at Parx. Gets a new rider, who is still hunting his first win over this surface. In 4 tries at this distance, has a 2nd and a 3rd on the resume. Chance. Devilish Truth (3) is a 4YO Daredevil filly who is trained by a great friend and is owned by another great friend. Hard to go wrong with great friends. This one rolled on the front end last time out across the river. Been off since mid-October. Barn wins with .25% when shipping in from for the tack. I bet the 6-3 across the board and then box the top 3 numbers in the exactas. I will key the 6-3 over/under the 9-7-2-5-11 in two smaller units.

2nd: 10/11/4-6-8-1/5/2-3/7-9…The first “Key Play of the Day” will come in the 2nd tilt of the afternoon and with the 2YO Quality Road colt Magnificent Mile (10). This one cost a hefty $800,000 just a year ago and has not made a dent in the cash register yet. After 3 races has hit the board once and has cash registered less than $20,000 so far. Gets a journeyman in the saddle, and is starts this meet with 1-1-1 mark in 13 starts., Drops to the $30,000 rung here after just 3 starts. From $800,000 purchase to $30,000 tag. Hmmm. But? Looks well spotted. I bet the 10 across the board and then key the 10 over/under the 11-4-6-8-1-5 in the exactas. More with the 11 than the rest. 

3rd: 2-6-9/(13)-(14)/1-7-11…Simpering Smile (2) goes for a HOF barn operation, which has a third in 2 previous starts here this meet. This 2YO daughter of West Coast drops from the $20,000 ranks to just $7,500 here. Barn wins with .26% of the last 146 to drop this much at one time. Barn also wins with .23% of the last 395 to go from a route distance to a sprint. Interesting rider choice here. The apprentice, though, has a 2-1-1 mark in the first 10 efforts. Sure Enough (6) ran 3rd against much, much better last time out. Will try the AW for the first time. Barn wins with .22% when going from the main track to the synthetic. Go On Girl (9) goes for a top barn operation and this Illinois-bred is coming off two straight Ill-bred Stakes. Goes to the $7,500 here. Worth the chance? Gets the meet’s top rider for this one, too. I bet the 2-9 across the board and then box the top 3 in the exactas. I will key the top 3 numbers over/under the 13-14, if they draw in. If not? I key the top 3 over/under the 1-7 in two smaller units. 

4th: 2-7/8/3-6-10-4/1-(13)/5/11…Lookin to Fly (2) drops big time for this one and the barn wins with .21% when lowering the asking price this much. Will be coming late. Deep, deep stretch runner. Don’t know if that plays well here, or not, but I am a bit suspect that this one will have too much to do in the final 100 yards. Epsom Gratus (7) could be the benefactor if the top pick gets geared up too late. This daughter of Include won last time out and the barn wins with .22% when trying to repeat in the claiming ranks. Threat. I bet the 2-7 across the board and then box these two in the exactas. I will key the 2-7 over/under the 8-3-6-10-4 in two smaller units. 

5th: 12-9/1-7-11/2-5-8-10/3-6…Hockaday Girl (12) will be making the career debut here for a top barn operator. This one has been training over this synthetic track. and the rider can hold his own against these types. Dam of this one has 2 winners from 3 starters. Hmmm. Nom de Plume (9) is a 2YO Uncle Mo filly who will make the career debut here. This one has been training lights out at the Churchill Downs Training Center. Gets a top rider fort this assignment.I bet the 12 across the board and double down on the win wager. I will box the 12-9 in the exactas. I will also key the 12-9 over/under the 1-7-11-2-5-8-10 in two smaller units. 

6th: 8/9/10/5-6/3//2-4/1-7…The second “Key Play of the Day” comes here with Bourbon Heist (8). is still looking for win #1 after 12 career efforts. Not wins yet, but does have 6 runner-ups and 1 third. At this distance, this one has made 3 starts. Has 2 seconds and a third, as well. The blinkers seemed to have helped some…but it’s time for a trip to the circle. Soon. Charleston Strong (9) could be the spoiler here. Has run 3 seconds in a row and has a 0-3-2 record in 10 career outings. I bet the 8 across the board and then key the 8 over/under the 9-10-5-6-3 in the exactas. 

7th: 6-1/2-5/8-7-12-4-3/11-(14)-9…My Charmer Stakes…This is a $125,000 Stakes event for the Fillies & Mares 3YOs & Up at the distance of 11/16-miles. Our very own Diamond Solitaire (12) will make her first start outside of Indiana and Horseshoe Indianapolis here. Also, she will face open company for the first time ever and will try the Tapeta AW surface for the first time, too. Lots of firsts. To be sure. But the 4YO home-bred filly is coming off her best race ever in the last effort and she has a perfect deep-stalking style that should fit this oval just perfect. Indiana-based rider takes the reins and he may fit our gal perfectly. If she takes to the “new things” in her life, she may have an outside shot at some good ones. The best of the “good ones” appear to be Burning Ambition (6) and Kate’s Kingdom (1). The former has run in 4 straight Stakes events and was 3rd at KEE last time out. Tired in that one, though, and must race longer here. Hmmm. The latter won a GR 3 last time out over the synthetic at Woodbine. But she will face tougher here. In 6 tries at this distance, has a 3-2-1 mark. In 7 AW races, has gone 3-2-1. Gets a rider who has won with .08% here this meet. Hmmm. I bet the 12 — our filly — across the board and then key here over/under the “all button.” Looking for a pre-Christmas Christmas. 

8th: 3-7-8/9-12/1-6-10-11/5/13-14…The day’s finale is a nice 11/4-mile marathon and I saddle up with Tiberius Mercurius (3). Has run this long distance twice before. Won both of those races. Both of those came here, too. Won the last race at Saratoga. Lots to like here. Lots. I bet the 3 across the board and then double down on the win wager. I will box the top 3 numbers in the exactas. And…I will key the 3 over/under the 7-8-9-12-1-6-10-11-5 in two smaller units, as well. 

Good Luck & All the Best / Gene