Turfway Saturday Synthetic Championships | JD Fox

Friday 10/20 segment, which means we're going to talk

horses. We're going to do that with JD

Fox today. Course synthetic championships

up there at Turfway Park tomorrow and what I think

synthetic racing and usually Woodbine, but hey, we'll lean

into it for Turfway today, I think.

JD Fox at horse tickets on the socials.

JD Good morning, my friend. How are you?

Good morning Louis. This is a rare time when you are

someplace warmer than I am, so I am a little bit jealous.

Very, very unusual indeed. Hopefully Arizona treating you

just fine though, my friend. Look, man, this is, this is

becoming an event where look, we're we're seeing the full

fields. I think the smallest one for any

of these four races is going to be 11.

I made the case that people can hear tonight on the Kentucky

Racing Spotlight that JDI think with, you know, with the

installation of of a synthetic track at Belmont.

Obviously they've already got one in the training area at

Santa Anita. Obviously Turfway Park rise to

prominence. Not a single a single purse

under $100,000 coming up on Saturday.

I think in about a decade we're going to talk about synthetic

racing, maybe not alongside dirt and turf racing, but it's going

to be in the range of 10 to 15% of our races here in North

America. What do you think about the

future synthetic racing? Well, I think we were there 15

years ago and we're rolling our way back there again.

I think really it's the ability to run on less ideal weather

conditions, the lack of wear and tear on the horses that we've

seen over the years. I mean, there was obviously the

big push in the early 2000s. We saw a lot of the California

tracks move over to it. And then, you know, anything for

a while. You know, we even, you know, we

had a, we had a Breeders' Cup at Woodbine over synthetic.

I mean, these are things that happened in the past and they

could be happening again. I think it's excited for people

who like year round racing because the synthetic surface as

we've proven, you know, even with how cold it's been so far,

let's meet at Turfway, the surface is fair and the surface

is good for the horses even with the cold conditions.

So I do think we're going to see more and more synthetic racing

becoming a a bigger deal here in the US going forward in the next

5 years like you said. JD Fox with us at horse tickets

on the socials. Let's get into some of this

handicapping essentially on the card.

If you are unfamiliar with synthetic racing, one mile races

are a big deal in the United States.

They've been happening at all, all times.

And then 6 furlong races as well.

So they're a pair for three and up on the Philly and mare side

and a pair for Colts and horses on the three and upside as well.

The My Charmer starts the Philly and mare runs.

It's a mile on the synthetic there and we get a Woodbine

chipper that I know you know well.

And Caitlin, her greatness, a daughter of Omaha Beach, she's a

past winner just this year of the Ontario Matron under Flavi

and Pratt, who gets the mount here.

How has that Woodbine form been translating to Turfway so far

this year? I think what we're going to see

here is kind of the the the real horses, Not to say that, you

know, horses that have run so far haven't been, you know,

solid horses, but we've got solid stakes horses coming down

from Woodbine. And I think really these are the

cream of the crop of some of the best out up in Toronto.

So while the Woodbine horses have not been fairing great so

far, this is just a different level of competition.

So Caitlin are great with the 2024 Kings Plate winner.

She beat the boys. That's the equivalent of the

Kentucky Derby essentially for Canadian horses.

You know, she's she's been right there this year and I think

she's primed to be in a good spot here.

The one question will be if she inherits the lead.

I don't like her in the spot if she inherits the lead, if the

five horse Nana Bush or the six horse landed doesn't get out and

get the lead and Caitlin, her greatness inherits it.

I don't like Caitlin, her greatness up front, but if she

sits A stocking trip, she'll be really tough to beat in the

spot. Louis.

What do you make of literate in this spot?

4 for eight lifetime on the synthetic.

Much of that is woodbine as well.

Well, Literate beats Kaylin or Davis back in the Trillium in a

big upset in July and unfortunately really hasn't run

since. 6 feet and 14 1/2. Eight feet and eight and a

quarter. 6 feet and 10 gets Irad back for the second straight

time as Irad just rode her in at Churchill with the barn switch

to Brad Cox. I think it's been a lot this

year for Literate. I don't necessarily like

Literate in the spot, but I do like another Woodbine horse if

Caitlin or Greatness gets the lead to pick up the pieces and

that seems command for Marty Drexler.

The four horse 12 to one morning line high Synthetic.

Tomlinson finally saw the debut on synthetic as a six year old

last time out in the Grade 3 Maple Leaf.

Just got beaten by a head. Was very impressed with that

performance and as Queen's Command can come back to that

performance, it's going to be competitive in this spot.

My long shot in here is Next up, the other Machado for Matthew

Sims, a daughter of Accelerated here.

Coming out of the Valley View. I thought she was really good

under Mario Gutierrez there. Hasn't run on synthetic since

her maiden breaker or her initial run in March this past

year. Going to be running for the

eighth time this year. Has hit the board six of seven

runs this year. I'm going to try her in all of

my exact trifecta kind of plays in Race 6.

Race 7 is the holiday inaugural. We're talking with JD Fox at

Horse Tickets. If you'd like to go follow him

on the social. Quarter million bucks on the

line and this one as well. Six furlongs on the synthetic on

the Philly and Mayor side. We get Ellen J in here out of

the Cox barn. She has run before at Presque

Isle and one in the Presque Isle Downs Masters, and we've seen

that Presque Isle form translate really well, JD, to a turfway so

far this meet at least. But as you point out, those are

not necessarily racist at this level.

Where'd you land in this one? Well, I think Ellen J is

obviously a must use, but you have to think that Ellen J has

been a little bit disappointing for the owner breeders Ellen J

Foxwoods, they have a lot of horses.

They actually named a horse Ellen Ji think they thought this

daughter constitution was going to be the real deal coming out

of Covfefe. I mean, if this horse would have

sold on the open market, this would have been a A7 figure

horse and has been a little disappointed so far in the

career. So while I think you have to use

L&J just to the outside pondering, he was the morning

line favorite at 5:00 to 2:00 when when she gets out of the

gate, she's very good. Declan Tanning has been dumped

by this horse twice already this year but came back last time.

The best Arabian at Woodbine I don't know how we got back on

that horse and let alone won a grade three race on her beat

Caitlin her greatness, who we just talked about here.

I think pondering is is going to be tough to beat, but I I would

include the two and and one of the horse that I've loved that

I'm just going to throw in on the on multi race exotics and on

the back end of your trifectas and supers is the five.

She's a funky drummer for Russ Arnold was previously trained by

Larry Rubelli. This is a horse I loved as a 2

year old. Was actually entered at Woodbine

in to Catch a Glimpse, which is one of the main 2 year old

features on the Kings Click card last year and I was going to bet

the house on her. Ended up scratching her from

that spot, sent her to Kentucky down.

She ran in the untappable and finished second which was you

know, $1,000,000 race. It was a strong performance

there. Hasn't been the same this year

so far, but she's a funky drummer, 21 in the morning line.

A long shot I like to throw in there.

Long shot for me and here's Nikki 9 doors for Chris Davis

will break from the 11 vessel and Shamino gets the ride there.

He's 4 for 13 already this meet at Turfway.

This is a daughter of Cairo Prince, the four year old and

man, she is really, really good on the turf.

Sprinting is always at in the you know, in the final equation.

As I say, JD there as far as hitting the board over and over

and over hasn't won yet this year.

So 3 seconds and 2/3 and seven runs this year.

Just Pepper and the board. But boy, would love to see her

get over the top here. But I think for sure it include

in exactas and try as we're talking with JD Fox at horse

tickets on the socials. If you'd like to go find him

there ahead of the synthetic Championships tomorrow at

Turfway Park, The Prairie Bayou will be a $250,000 list of 6A

mile on the synthetic up there and three and up in this one.

Open company, interesting field here.

We see Encino in here that people will remember as a

Lexington winner who decided not to run in the Kentucky Derby,

but we have seen him back winning in different places,

including a Presque Isle in the mile.

I love him in this spot. I saw him up on Indiana Derby

day run really well on the turf as well.

Where'd you land on this one? I, I just look at that

performance in the River City last time out for Encino at

Churchill on the turf. Obviously a different act than

what they're asking today, but that was just not a not a strong

performance. So hopefully Encino can bounce

back here. But there's a horse I really

like at a decent line on the decent price on the morning

line, it should say. And that's the 2 horsepower for

Joe Orsino, 8 to 1 on the morning line.

Look, you're you're getting Samuel Moran, who's the leading

jockey at Tampa Bay Downs coming up for this one to finish beaten

third in Artie Schiller. Good resolved individual beat no

balls earlier this year which is a good running line to have and

the call boys up at Presque Isle and we talked about you know

Presque Isle shippers are are doing well here.

Obviously you know finish strong individual with grade three

event at Woodbine. I I think this horse gets the

right trip. I think they can the horse can

stalk right behind whoever ends up getting the lead here,

whether it's the fourth Eisman or the one Wagstaff.

The you know, we there's a couple speed signed on

horsepower just needs a citizenship behind whoever that

speed horse is and I think can be a good shot to be there at

the end along with Encino and make another interesting horse

is the 11 Surly Furious 126. The Turfway in 2024 hasn't

necessarily been the same running in lower company, but

sometimes you've got a horse for course and I think surely

Furious is a horse for course at Turfway Park.

Dresden Rowe ran second in this race last year, is back in here,

was under Martin Garcia Munger gets a ride here for Lauren

Richards coming out of a bunch of stakes up there at Woodbine.

Dresden Rowe must include or no. I think you include them on a,

on a, on a pick 5 ticket, which the big 5 starts in the first

race we talked about, you know, this is your sovereign winner,

this is your champion 3 year old in Canada last year.

But obviously, you know, struggled to start and it's hard

to say struggled. I mean, it's hit the board every

time this year, but finally one in the autumn and through a

through a 97 buyer speed figure. So must include I, I think needs

the right trip to finish, but you know, certainly somebody

that's going to hit the board and somebody you need to

include. The holiday cheer will be Race

9. We're talking with JD Fox at

horse tickets on the socials. If you want to go, follow him

there. The holiday cheer is a six

furlong Sprint on the synthetic. Quarter million bucks on the

line here, 3 and up in this one. And this to me is either I think

a a single or a spread kind of race here.

Where did you end up landing in this one?

I'm fascinated, I got to say, because roll on Big Joe was in

here and he hasn't been on the synthetic in a really long time.

But man, we see occasionally those shippers from Churchill

Downs. If they're just fast, it doesn't

matter. They like Turfway.

It is what it is. No balls is in here.

As you mentioned, lucky score. Howard Wolowitz, of course, out

of the the barn of Jose D'Angelo, back-to-back winner in

the Breeders Cup this year. Where'd you land in this one,

bro? It's a fun one.

Yeah, I I ended up taking the chalk with Howard Walwick, who

is defending champion in this race, been facing much tougher.

You look at the field in the turf Sprint at Kentucky down

only beating 1/2 length there. Obviously Turf Mile, that's a

big African team and 1st sprinter didn't like that.

Gets back to the synthetic. Obviously won this race last

year and won second career start at Gulfstream on the synthetic,

you know, 2 best speed figures we've seen there.

Yeah, I, I really like Howard Wallowitz here.

You know, there's some interesting horses underneath

you can talk about. Well, I'm Big Joe no balls.

Obviously a Breeders' Cup champion on the latter stages of

of his career at this point is interesting.

And also want to shout out out on bail here, you know, get

proud aboard for Mike Maker trying synthetic for the first

time. But the pedigree says I should

enjoy it and it's, you know, all all out on bail done is hit the

board in nine to 10 races. So obviously a competitive horse

and suddenly you want to take a a stab underneath that 12:50 in

the morning line. Yeah, I think Arrest Me Red is

that horse for me. Two for Three with a second

lifetime at Turfway Park did win the Big Daddy Stakes, which is

the March version of this race this year in fact.

And so he's a horse that seems to like it at Turfway Park, won

the four go or ran second, excuse me, in the four go last

year as well. So I think he's won.

That makes a lot of sense here. I'm totally putting you on the

spot because we did not talk about it.

Do you do you have a play of the last leg by chance in the end,

the maiden? If you don't, it's totally fine.

Yeah, we can. We can talk about it.

So maybe special way it's an interesting.

Assortment, yeah. 2 year old race here, Yeah.

Yeah, 2 year old race. I I was looking at the five

Empire W obviously Brad Cox finished second like debut at

Churchill. I think another must include is

Mcgeen's on tap. I hope I'm saying that

correctly. The 7th horse, 4 to one on the

morning line for Brendan Walsh. You know, been second beaten

quite a bit, but those were the tough fields at Kentucky Downs

in Keeneland I think finds an easier spot here and I think one

other must include is going to be the 10 War Gamer, another

Brendan Walsh entry with Morales aboard.

Didn't show much on debut at Keeneland but has a good

pedigree out of a very expensive British sire.

Blinkers are going on things to look at and and think so for

made and second start, Brendan Walsh sitting at 18%.

Yeah, No, it's awesome stuff. Is Omaha Beach potentially the

first Great American synthetic sire?

Is that what we're looking at here?

Is that, is that the next, the next, or at least the next one

at least? Is there a chance?

Yeah, I, I, I think so we're Yeah, this was actually a

conversation. I had it at dinner with some

much smarter people than me earlier this week at the

composing here in Arizona. And that was that was a topic

that was brought up is interesting.

I think we're going to start seeing synthetic specific sires

that are going to stand out on the page.

And I, I think he hit the nail on the head with, with who I

would vote for right now as, as being a standout in North

America for it. So, you know, Omaha Beach, you

know, obviously has done just an exceptional job and it's been at

pretty much every synthetic track.

It's not been a specific blend of the surface or something

crazy. It's, it's just been all

synthetic surfaces. So something to keep an eye on

for sure. Well, there you go.

He's he's JD Fox. You got to pick in the free

charity. I'm just kidding.

All right, you have a you have a good weekend, my buddy.

I'm sure we'll talk to you soon. We've got we got plenty of turf

way to talk this this winter. So we'll, we'll get you back on

all right. I, I would see, I, I was

thinking you're going to have me make an FCS pick or something

that was ready for anything today, Louis.

OK. Do you have an FCS pick?

These are always, by the way, JD Fox, FCS expert.

Do you do you have an FCS pick? So we're in the quarterfinals

tomorrow. 5:25 UC Davis is going to win at home against Illinois

State. Book it.

Boom, book it Football Friday. Play the Sounders act Football

Friday with our guy JD Fox here on the Friday.

You're damn right, all right. They appreciate you joining us

on the program. Have a good weekend, buddy.

You too. There you go, all right, there

you go at horse tickets on the socials, of course, for JD Fox,

head of the big day there at Turfway Park.

Bundle up if you're headed up there, but it is a very, very

fun day of racing full fields. I mean, it is a spectacular

betting card. So make sure you get in at

Turfway Park tomorrow. Really fun racing as well.

The state bread program down at Fairgrounds.

And like I said, that fraternity out at LaSalle.

We'll have SoCal Saturdays this afternoon.

Barry Spears is at a wedding. And so my friend Josh Rodriguez

from on the lead on the wrong Lead, excuse me podcast will

join me for that one. I'll look for that to release

this after nude 437-9680. Our UPS jobs text line.

A couple of interviews I did yesterday.

Going to play those next. Mike Pollock and Sean flew Hardy

from down here at Nickel. Geez.

A couple of the members of the board here as part of the

conference. You hear from them next.