Final Version: McLean’s Selections for Turfway Park on Friday, Dec. 30

Statistics Are Now Completely Updated

Here’s our looks for Friday to kick-start the super weekend of all holiday parties:

1st: 10-3-8/1/6/2/4-5-7…Last Cookie (10) gets the first bite here in the ole’ lid-lifter at the new and improved Turfway Park on this Friday night. The 2YO gelded son of Bernardini is a home-bred for the great Godolphin Stables and will get the tack from the team at the Brad Cox barn. Off to a terribly slow start this meet. Has just 1 win in the first 16 starts here. Will race as a gelding for the first time here, and will drop all the way to the $15,000 level, too. Gets a new rider, who will take advantage of the apprentice allowance. Should fit here. Code One (3) drops from the MSW ranks to this level, too. Gets the meet’s top rider up. Barn wins with .18% when going MSW to the MCL ranks for the first time. New Art (8) will make the first start for a new trainer here. New barn has won with 1 of 2 in that arena. Should be an interesting watch. I bet the 10-3 across the board here and then box the top 3 in the exactas. I will key the top 3 numbers over the 1-6 in two smaller units. 

2nd: 3/1-5-6-9/2-7-4/10/8…The first “Key Play of the Night” comes here with No Nannette No (3). This Florida-bred ships up from the sunny climate of South Florida. Shock treatment. Won at Gulfstream Park just two starts ago. If she likes the cold? Look out. Will be running late. I bet the 3 across the board and then double down on the win wager. I will key the 3 over/under the 1-5-6-9-2-7-4 in the exactas. More with the 1-5-6-9 than the rest. 

3rd: 11-2/10-6/4-8-12-9/7-5-(13)/1//3…Rolleston (11) drops to half the asking price of last race, and the filly ran well to be 3rd in that one. Just tired at the end. Should be a handful at this level. And, may like the shorter distance here, too. Look out. Dear Beau (2) gets the services of the meet’s top rider and the barn will drop to a career-low price point here, too. Another late closer, but not without a chance here. I bet the 11-2 across the board and then box these two in the exactas. I will key the 11-2 over/under the 10-6-4-8-12-9 in two smaller units. 

4th: 9-6/7-4/2-12/1-5-11-(13)/8-10/3…Aidanike (9) gets the nod here. This 4YO filly has run two solid 3rds in a row and the last over this strip. New rider up and this stalker should get first jump at the quarter pole. Good enough? Shall see. Kanfu (6) goes for a top trainer, who has won with .18% of 289 starts this year. This one had hit the board in 3 straight before the last race, when the move up in class must have caught this one right between the eyes. Came up empty in that one. Back to sprint distance here. That may help immensely. I bet the 9-6 across the board and then box those two numbers in the exactas. Sternly. I will key the 9-6 over/under the 7-4-2-12-1-5-11 in two smaller units. 

5th: 12-11/8-5/2/6-7/(14)/1-3-10/(13)-4…Dante’s Fire (12) drops like another rung in the inferno for a top barn operation. Gets the meet’s top rider, who has won with .25% of the last 32 for this trainer. Has never been on the AW, but this barn wins with .19% when moving from sod to the synthetic. Fed Money (11) has a shot here, too. This one will make the first start for a new barn operation, which wins with .21% of the last 67 to make the debut. Has speed and won impressively against tougher at Ellis Park this past summer. Talent there to be tough her.e I bet the 12-11 across the board and then box these two sternly in the exactas. I will key the 12-11 over/under the 8-5-2-6-7 in two smaller units. 

6th: 4-8-12/7-9/2/5-10-11/3-6/1…Scratchoff (4) drops considerably for this effort and the barn wins with .23% of the last 22 to fall in the class order this much at one time. Gets a rider having a very solid meet. Look for this one to be tough off the bench. Willacy (8) goes for a top barn operation, which does well here. Drops to half the asking price this time around. Barn wins with .14% of the last 155 to pick up the blinkers for the first time, too. Scotch No Rocks (12) could add some spice to the odds rack. Ran well two races ago and will be coming very late. Familiar hands in the reins. I bet the 4-8 across the  board and then box the top 3 in the exactas. I will key the top 3 numbers over/under the 7-9 in two smaller units. 

7th: 5-8/3/1-6-9-11/7/2-4//10…Big Thorn (5) was claimed last time out and drops off the purchase price. Barn wins with .12% of the last 42 to make the first start off a purchase. Has speed. Can use it. May improve at this shorter distance. Look out. Fenestra (8) goes for top claiming barn operation, which has shifted focus from Northern California to Northern Kentucky for this winter. Beaten favorites win .27% of the time for this barn and that is with the last 527. Look out here, too. I bet the 5-8 across the board and then box these two sternly in the exactas. I will key the 5-8 over/under the 3 in two smaller units. 

8th: 3-7-4/2/5-6//1-9/8…Querobin Dourada (3) goes for a top trainer, who is winning at a .35% rate here this Holiday Meet. In 20 starts, the barn has gone 7-3-2. This one returns as a beaten favorite here on Dec. 1. This barn wins with .38% of the last 32 to check this box. Rider has won with a whopping .42% of the last 12 for this trainer. Enough? Is for me. I bet the 3 across the board and then box the top 3 numbers in the exactas. I will key the 3 over/under the 7-4-2-5-6 in two smaller units. 

9th: 5-2-8/10/6-3-4-12-(14)/1-7//9-11-(13)…Blue Norther (5) goes for a trainer who has just 6 starts in this meet. In those starts, though, barn has 2 wins and a Stakes victory. This one ran a very nice 2nd last time out. Gets a good gate rider up here. Look for more this time around. Jay Vee Bee (2) is named after the HOF trainer and father of this trainer, too. Ran huge against tougher two starts ago. But? This one has been off since April. Barn wins withy .18% when away this long. Works of late are good. Ready? Set. Fire. Ministerial (8) goes for a trainer who has won 4 of 9 this meet and traditionally tears this place apart at the seams. Goes as a gelding for the first time here. Chance. I bet the 5-2 across the board and then box the top 3 in the exactas. I will key the top 3 over/under the 10 in two smaller units. 

10th: 9-10/2-6-12-3/4-5/8…Undercover Lady (9) gets the nod in the night’s finale. This 3YO daughter of Fed Biz tired in the last. Now drops all the way to the bargain bin. Barn wins with .25% of the last 16 to drop this much in class at one time. Look out. Azamana Empire (10) is well bred and picks up a handy reins man. Could improve with the returns a sprint distance. Sharp work here on Dec. 21. I bet the 9-10 across the board and then box these two in the exactas. I will key the 9-10 over/under the 2-6-12-3-4-5 in two smaller units. 

Good Luck & All the Best / Gene