Turfway Saturday | Late Pick 3

All right, welcome back in final segment on a January 10th

edition of the Kentucky Racing Spotlight.

My name is Louis Robo Studios of ESPN 680, where you can hear me

11:50 every weekday on Robo and Co.

We talk general sports there, but of course we have our Friday

horse racing segment. We find that every Friday at

10:20 AM Eastern Time. You're welcome to join us at

espnlouisville.com or wherever it is that you stream radio or

presented by the Kentucky HBPAKYHBP a.com.

Appreciate them hanging out with us and you should go check out

the website for all the great photos, all the great videos and

all the great interviews from around the Commonwealth, all the

great people and those equine athletes that make our sport go

here in Kentucky. Welcoming Josh Rodriguez from

the Wrong lead on the Wrong Lead podcast.

Excuse me, joins us here. Not a stranger to the show.

I think it's your second time on the spotlight, is it not, Josh?

Yeah, I, I want to say the last time I did this though, was for

Ellis Park and they cancelled. That's.

Right, so. Did like this huge, like pick

four thing for a Sunday and it was 100 and 300° or something.

Yeah, right. I'm just a billion.

Degrees, yeah. So I mean, let's hope.

I mean, I know weather's been been crazy.

I I don't know how it is in Kentucky, but here in, in

Chicago, I mean, we're in the 40s.

I've been outside walking with just like a hoodie and, and

jeans on and, and enjoying the weather.

So you know, hopefully, you know, hopefully we avoid all

this crazy weather nonsense that we've had the last couple years.

Yeah, a rainy day on Saturday, but boy, it's called all weather

for a reason. And frankly, the weather should

stop in the early, early part of the afternoon.

Should be a fine racing day there in Florence tomorrow.

But Josh, you know, as we get into this part of the the

Turfway season, I feel like especially once we get to say

mid January, that kind of thing, when we figure out who the jocks

are that we need to watch this year and who's, you know, whose

horses seem to be translating well this time of year, we see

those payouts kind of get more normal.

But boy, they're still fantastic.

I was looking, Josh. Here are the entry numbers for

Saturday at Turfway Park 121414141412138 and 14.

It's it's nuts, you know, I good buddy, you know, so we, we do a

show on on our side for Hong Kong racing, right?

So we, we handicap Hong Kong and you know, the one thing that

they they always have is they always have those full fields.

You handicap that entire card, you're like a small field is

nine horses. You know, it that that's like,

oh man, like how did they not get a full 14 for this thing?

You know, So Turfway's the same way, right?

And and it's it's part of the reason I love I love betting

Hong Kong. I love like, I love, you know,

handicapping that same thing with Turfway, right?

And you know, you go online and you see, you know, everyone

hates chalk, right? Barry Spears hates chalk.

He's no chalk zone. But like most of the time at

Turfway, you getting chalk, you're getting like 5 to 2, you

know where Like if you're playing Gulfstream, that's like

your third choice, you know? Yeah, no, that's a really good

point actually, is that there's even value in the favorites,

right? And that's, you know, that

frankly, that's how horse racing was for most of our parents

lifetimes. Joshua's, you know, these kinds

of fields and these kinds of payouts for sure.

So it's nice to have a spotlight turfway certainly, you know, and

it's it's it is very much a juxtaposition against other

circuits around the country. But a real, you know, you heard

it from Tommy in the previous segment, a real, you know, he

talked about being a turfway and being able to be there year

round and the guys who were able to do that and what the purses

look like in Kentucky. And you know, a guy with a

reasonable operation could be the top 100 in earnings in in

the United States and, and just never leave Kentucky.

It's a cool part of our circuit here hanging out with Josh

Rodriguez. You can find him at Cherry Drake

on the socials and certainly on the wrong Lead podcast.

Cannot suggest them enough. The guys have a great time over

there, especially if you are into handicapping.

We're going to do the late pick three on Saturday there at

Turfway Park. Begins with an allowance

optional claimer, $25,000 claiming price and a $102,000

purse. Josh, I love these races.

I'm so glad that they card as many of them as they do 10

furlongs a mile and 1/4 here at Turfway Park.

I feel like they run more, man. I would love someone to do this

work for me, but not man. Cuz maybe, maybe a Saratoga gets

up to this kind of number, but 10 furlongs or longer at a

single course at a single year feel like Turfway does it as

much as anyone. This were Phillies and mares 4

and up. We'll be talking about Phillies

and mares in all three of these races.

Josh, where'd you land in Race 7?

Yeah, I thought this was AI thought this was an interesting

race, right when I first looked at this race, right, You look at

#7 Tricky Kitty for Brendan Walsh, Luan Machado rides, you

know, he's he's off to a pretty decent start, 16% here to start

the meet. And him and Brendan Walsh are

33% there in the last 60 days. So.

But I kind of look at this horse and it's like, all right, going

the longest distance that she's gone.

Never run on a synthetic. So it's just kind of AI hate

taking a real short price on a horse like that.

But the horse just to her inside the six Meg's a star now.

I I mean, if you kind of squint, you don't really, I don't know

it. It doesn't look like that much

of a different horse and you're getting 12:50 on the six on the

morning line. And what I do like about the six

megastar is this is a horse that's already got a run over

the surface. And you know, it used to be at

Turfway that you would always see these horses second time

over the surface have a huge advantage over these horses that

are shipping in for the first time.

And you know, you know that this horse at least can handle the

synthetic, right? Ran 4th basically at this at the

same condition. You know wasn't in for the tag

last time out and and it's and you know, was was pretty well

bet I mean was 6 to 1 probably your your third or fourth choice

in that race. So is is coming back here gets

Vinny Chemineau. You know who he's the he's been

doing all right. He's got five wins to start the

meet already. So I I thought I really like the

6th Meg's a star. I I also like the a horse on the

outside for the Joe from Joe Sharpsbarn.

The 11 embraced me another 10 to one shot here.

And you know, you, you just, you look at these horses and you're

just trying to find, hey, who are the horses that have run

this far right? Because you have these young 4

year old horses, right? That I mean, they're most, these

are practically 3 year olds, right?

You know, they, they just turned 4.

And I know one of the old school handicapping angles were for

turf route races going two turns.

You look for the older horses, right?

Because you get these, you get these three-year olds that run

are running against 4 year olds. And it's like the four year olds

just more filled out. They're more ready to go.

They're they're able to take the distance.

And you know, I, I kind of like this 11.

This is the six year old here has run, you know, gone a mile

and a half a mile and 1/4 has run over this track and has run

fine. And in fact, if you kind of look

at her races, her best races have been here at Turfway going

these long distances. So really, really like the 11

Embrace Me. And then another horse that's

the price that I kind of like is the 8 or Auraria.

Yep, Bill Collins here, Manuel Esquivel gets aboard here and

this horse just wired a race going this this distance last

time out. I I mean you're looking at this

field. I don't see any real big world

beaters here. So hey, I'll take a shot with

what might be the speed the speed in this race.

Maybe he's able to go wire to wire.

So I I like the 6th the best in this spot.

Meg's a star, but I'll have some of the 8 and the 11 on my

tickets. Yeah, I went 7-8 and four here.

Piggybacking on Tricky Kitty here.

I just, this feels like a Brendan Walsh move.

It simply does. So a horse.

You're right, we've only seen at at the longest at 8 1/2

furlongs, we're going the full 10 here.

But Luau Machado, I get the leading rider.

I feel good about that. Oriah, I am fascinated by

because of what you just described.

This is one that seemed to get better in the stretch while

others were fading. And this is where, you know, the

rating matter. Manny Esquivel back aboard for

this one. I just with with the ability to

get out front, stay out front. There's a gun runner.

We're going 10 furlongs. I love all of those things.

Bill Collins turning this one around from early December.

The other race that was run just after that at a mile and 1/4 on

the Philly and mare side at this level by the way, finished in

two O 2 and four. That horse won geared down in

two O 3 and three, so the horse doesn't even have to get a full

second better to win the race based on that optional claimer

before. I love a horse that figures it

out after the 7th race, horse finally puts it together, wins

that race, says oh, I can be on the front, nothing bad happens

to me. You know, sometimes horses are

real pack animals that don't want to be out front by

themselves. Josh.

So I think Oriah is really interesting here and Virgin

Colada breaks from the four. This is 1 trying synthetic for

the first time. Mike Maker, my God, this is what

he does. 16% doing that exact angle wins and allowances, wins

and routes does all the thing. He and Walter Rodriguez turning

into a formidable team there hitting at 40% right now.

Their last five runs at Turfway Park as well.

I think this one just makes sense.

Was in a high level allowance last out in A at Churchill Downs

move from the Chad Brown barn to the maker barn, I think for this

kind of thing. And so gets to try the synthetic

here. So I'll go 784 in race 7.

We move on to the feature. It is the likely exchange you

just heard from Tommy. He will have the 8 horse in here

in trial, $125,000 on the line here.

Josh a mile on the synthetic 4 and up on the Philly and Mayor

side again, boy only only. How about that?

Only eight horses in here, but I think a really interesting feel.

Yeah, I I actually really like Tom Drury's horse in the spot,

the a trial probably my top pick now.

It it it is it is a little bit tough.

You know, you look at the you look at the race last time out

and you're like, I got 63 to 1 on this horse last time.

Now you've gotten the seven to two probably likely second

choice in here. You know, I, I thought this race

was pretty, pretty square. I thought the three of the top

four choices made it made a ton of sense in here.

But I like I like the fact that this is a horse that, you know,

came in here from Presque Isle, fired a real, real nice race.

I mean, was ahead at the top of the stretch and just, you know,

kind of got run down there at the end and and and.

Her greatness? Who's one of the best?

Yeah. Synthetic mayors in the in in

North America? Frankly, yeah.

Yeah, but I mean, this is this is a horse that, you know, it

has been well spotted in these stakes races.

You know, ran in the Bourbonnet last time out was kind of, you

know, out of her element there a little bit, but came back, you

know, collected a couple of checks and, you know, finished

second here in this race. So I definitely think she's

she's in here with a with a pretty big shot.

The number 2 literate obviously for Brad Cox.

I mean, you know, finished third in that race last time out.

But I mean, Brad, everything he's sending out is just

running. I mean, he's 30%, which is gaudy

even for him to start the meet. You know, Luan Machado, you

know, sees fit to ride here. So and look at Irad Ortiz is is

probably the best jockey in in the country, you know, if not,

if not second best right in in the country.

But I'll tell you what, man, as a better, there's nothing I love

more than when he shows up at Turfway Park because I just bet

against him because he gets bet down like he's running at every

other track that he runs at all the time.

And you know, there there are people who get Turfway and there

are people who just don't. I mean, there's a reason why

guys like Walter Rodriguez, Luan Machado, Luan Machado and you

know, Gerardo Corrales, if he, you know, he, he gets healthy

and, and comes back fully. There's a reason these guys will

win at 20%. And then you look at them at

other tracks and you know that they'll, they'll usually do

fine, but they, they don't get, they don't get those turfway

numbers. So I I think the move to Luan

Machado is actually a positive move in this spot.

So so I it's hard for me to leave literate off my tickets.

And then you know the other part.

I have this horse as a beat. I thought the four love song for

for Mike Stidham. I mean this I honestly like this

horse basically won the race the that we talked that you talked

about last time, right, the one that was in two and four and

it's cutting back here. I'm AI guess I'm a little

curious why, you know, they're taking a shot here, but that

race actually does stack up pretty nicely with with with

some of these other horses have run.

It's just you know, it is the cutback.

You know, it's a ghost zapper with AP Indy on the bottom.

So this horse just wants to run all day.

So cutting back to the mile, maybe maybe a slight negative.

So kind of why this horse makes my my B side.

But I think that this horse also makes a ton of sense here.

So I'll be using those three horses, the the two, the 8 and

the four. I agree with you on the two and

the eight. I'm fascinated by Velvet Devil

on the inside. Adamus gets another guy who gets

Turfway is aboard there and Michael Tomlinson sends this one

out. I'm fascinated because this is a

horse that's never gone further than 6 1/2 furlongs, and that

was at Ellis Park back in August with a horse finished up the

track under Jaime Torres. Gets back to the six furlongs at

Churchill, wins against winners, Goes back in another allowance

at Keeneland, Wins against winners again.

Does the horse that does win and is 1, you know, at Churchill

over dry go. At Keeneland over Wet Go they

moved the horse up for one of the memorial races up there at

Mahoning Valley. Shout out to Mahoning Valley and

the horse I think is just tired after a 4 race campaign.

A little bit of time off here. I'll bring that one back in this

spot. No Lasix the last time and the

horse did run out of gas. I wonder about that in this spot

here and of course you have to wonder about the distance, but I

think if anyone's going to rate this horse properly, it's going

to be out of miskitsa. And I'd never this horse hasn't

been further back than what, like 3 1/2 lengths at the top of

the stretch in its entire career.

Usually is part of the lead. I'm just fascinated by this one.

We see the Cantharos babies running really well on the turf

as well, so maybe this is one that they're trying to figure

out. Hey, we had some success last

year. Three wins, 3 seconds and seven

runs. Horse made $280,000 last year.

First year running. That's not that's nothing to

sneeze at. Never worse than second outside

of that allowance at Ellis Park. And so I'm I'm just fascinated

by this one. It's an interesting spot and one

that I think maybe they're trying to figure out.

Like I just said, hey, does this one want to be on the turf

moving forward? Maybe back to fairgrounds or

heck, if it likes when the person's at Turfway.

No reason to leave if I if that one's going to be good on, say,

Jeff Ruby Day or something. Yeah, but, and honestly, Velvet

Devil, right that second was to a horse named Stilettos who is

just a hard, hard knocking horse and allowance type, you know, is

won all kinds of races. It's, you know, Keeneland for

for big money. So, you know, I, I think I, I

just, I, I have a lot of questions here.

And I was, I was kind of shocked at the three to 1 morning line

on here. Now, granted on on figures, this

horse absolutely fits in here and and looks pretty good.

But, you know, now you're talking about stretching this

horse out, you know, surface change.

I had way too many questions which is why I left this one

off. No, it makes sense to me that

you would not want to land on that one.

And we will go to the final race of the day.

The nightcap is race 9 there at Turfway Park on Saturday.

This is the Kentucky racing spotlight.

I'm hanging out with Josh Rodriguez.

My name is Louis Roubo Studios of ESPN 680 and 105.7.

We appreciate you hanging out with us starting your horse

racing weekend here on the spotlight.

Final race is race nine, $5000 claimer, non 3 lifers.

We're going a mile in a 16th here.

Josh, I, I love this man. Three straight routes to close

the card here and of course, all of them on the Philly and Mare

side for and up. They're running for 19/1 in this

race as well. Josh, where'd you land in this

one? A little more wide open, I

think, than some of the races we talked about.

Yeah. And, and this was one of the

races where I kind of looked at, I was I guess maybe a little a

little confused about maybe some of the prices here.

You know, it looks like the one champagne on ice is going to be

your your morning line favorite at 3:00 to 1:00.

I don't have this horse anywhere.

You know, I, there's just there's, I don't know, I, I, I

get this horse is dropping in class significantly, but you

know, the, the turf tries haven't looked good and you

know, this horse hasn't tried synthetic yet.

So you know that that's one I'm going to kind of I'll let beat

me there. I my eyes kind of went to some

outside horses. I I think the 12 Hazel Moor

Beach is probably my is my top pick in this spot And and this

is another horse that is dropping in class quite a bit,

but this is a horse with a huge class drop who's getting the

getting the the the hottest jock on the grounds right now and

Walter Rodriguez to ride here. So you know, I, I thought the

Laurel turf races the the figures look OK that they seem

to fit in here pretty well. I, I think the only, the only

thing that could be against this horse is this is definitely

going to be a horse coming from off the pace.

You got to see how, how the track's playing.

You know, we, I, I, I always feel like with Turfway,

especially when you get these warm days, sometimes speed can

just absolutely be, you know, just super dangerous and, and

sometimes these closures just don't get there.

But I mean, if anyone's going to be able to work a trip out from

that 12 post, you know, closing in it, it's going to be Walter

Rodriguez. So I I really like the 12 in

this spot. I thought two other horses that

that were interesting were the 8 Mardeen and the 10.

Those are my. Tattoo in this race, by the way,

8 and 10 are my. Top Yeah yeah I I just think

that you know I I'm looking for recent form and both these

horses you know they they got they they've they hit the board

in in the the last two races or the last race you know and both

of them look look pretty good. I mean the the 8 nearly nearly

won that race and then just got nosed out there at the end.

And then, you know the 10 was kind of kind of come in there at

the end and and kind of the same thing ended up you know just

losing by next. So they both kind of lost in the

blanket finish at this level last time out at this trip.

And so I, I just kind of think, you know, you, you have a lot of

questions here with some of these horses that either

haven't, just have no recent form or, or just haven't looked

that good or, or yeah, or just like I said, like horses like

the one who are, I'm like, I don't know.

It's just going to be way too short of a price, I think for,

for what I want. So I I I'm going to be the 8,

the 10 and the 12 here. Yeah, I'm going to include the

13 if it draws in just because it did win at this level with

non 2 lifers last time. It'll be interesting to see

because Sammy Bermudez is actually named on the 8 horse as

well. And Mardeen, I'm hoping that one

runs because I do think that's your winner should we get to the

race. And so yeah, no, an interesting

field here. So yeah, like I said, I'll land

810 and 13 in case anyone cares. My 3 in each race.

Race 7 I went 784 in the likely exchange.

Race 8 I went 1-2 and eight and in race 9810 and 1333.

And 3 in the old pick 3 means $10.50 if you want to play that

Josh. And even if it chalks out a turf

way, you're still going to make 30-40 bucks on the pick 3, so

it's not a big deal that way. What?

Who are your like top? Top in each race or top two in

each race? Yeah, in the first race I'm on

the 6th, the 8th and the 11 in, in the second race, I like the

two, the four and the 8. And in the last race I got the

8, the 10 and the 12. I'm the same as you.

I got, I got that three by three by three.

And hey, like I'm going to plead with Turfway.

Follow suit with what everybody else is doing.

Give me that late $3. Pick three.

Because with these fields, my goodness, that thing would be

paying in. I'm thinking 4 figures more

often than not. Sometimes, you know, I, I just,

I, I think it's, I think it's a, it's a real fun bet.

I know Churchill Downs just introduced it.

Obviously Del Mar does it. I think Oak Lawn's even doing it

now. So I and obviously Keeneland's

been doing the Turf 1 and stuff. Like I, I love the $3 pick

three. I love the $5 double S More of

that please. He's Josh Rodriguez that cherry

drink on the socials and of course on the wrong lead.com if

you want to go find their podcast.

Appreciate him jumping on Josh. Have a great rest of the week.

Excuse me? Have a great weekend, buddy.

I'll talk to you soon. Yeah, you too, man.

Thanks. No problem at all.

This has been the Kentucky Racing spotlight for January

10th of 2026. I'm Lou.

You can find me on Rabo and Co every weekday 11:50 here on ESPN

681057 General Sports Talk. But of course we mix in the

horse racing there as well. Presented by the Kentucky HBPA,

KYHBP a.com. Really appreciate them hanging

out with us each and every week and you should go check out the

website kyhbpa.com. Great stuff on the website,

videos, photos, all the great people, all the great equine

athletes that make our sport go here in the great common.

Kentucky will be back next week. Brad Cox will be our guest as we

get through the rest of January and get into more and more of

those Derby preps. Lou Urbo with you, thanks so

much for hanging out with us on the spotlight.

Good luck with all those wagers this weekend.