Not a hunch bet (given weather): Coming in Hot wins Prevue
A Turfway Park stakes recap/preview by Kevin Kerstein (Coady Media photo of Coming in Hot winning Saturday’s Turfway Prevue)
FLORENCE, Ky. (Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025) – Coming in Hot surged clear in mid-stretch to capture the 30thrunning of the $124,250 Turfway Prevue Stakes under jockey Irving Moncada for trainer John Ennis. Coming in Hot, who is owned by Rose Hill Farm, Vincent Colbert, John Trumbulovic and James Connor, came into the stakes off a 5 1/2-length allowance victory at Turfway on Dec. 18. It was the first stakes victory for Moncada.
A field of nine 3-year-olds lined up for the evening feature. Killjoy set the early tempo from the rail, tracked closely by Special Creed to his outside, posting an opening quarter-mile in :22.17. Even-money favorite Touchy, ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Joel Rosario, made a middle move down the backside to get into contention but was in need of racing room while pinned along the rail as the half-mile went up in :45.93.
As Killjoy began to tire nearing the stretch, Touchy seized an opening at the rail and briefly took the lead. However, Coming in Hot tracked Touchy’s every move around the turn and had all the momentum when Moncada tipped him to the two-path, kicking clear in mid-stretch to win by 1 ½ lengths.
Seventeen days removed from an impressive allowance victory, the son of Maclean’s Music completed 6 ½ furlongs over Turfway Park’s Tapeta surface in 1:17.86.
Up to No Good rallied late to secure third, followed by Killjoy, Special Creed, Star’s Image, Vehemently, Relator and Warheart.
Sent off at odds of 3-1, Coming in Hot rewarded his backers with $2 mutuels of $8.38, $3.52, and $2.54. Touchy returned $3 and $2.58, while Up to No Good paid $8.44 to show.
Overall, Coming in Hot’s record now stands at three wins from seven starts while banking earnings of $165,741.
Coming in Hot was bred in Kentucky by his owners.
Live racing at Turfway Park is set to resume on Thursday, following the postponement of Wednesday’s program to Sunday, Jan. 12, due to snow and wind chills expected to dip into the single digits. Racing is scheduled to commence at 5:55 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, while Sunday’s card will kick off at 1 p.m.
LATE PICK 5 CARRYOVER OF $180,036 SET FOR THURSDAY – A Late Pick 5 carryover of $180,036 will highlight Thursday’s racing program at Turfway Park Racing & Gaming after no bettor successfully selected all five winners in Saturday night’s sequence.
The carryover was bolstered by 44-1 longshot Pnutbutter Whiskey capturing the opening leg of the bet and 13-1 Alder taking the evening’s penultimate race. The sequence also featured victories from Coming in Hot ($8.38), Musical Maestro ($7.82) and Nile Candy ($14.40), who closed out the night with a win in the finale to cement the carryover.
The Pick 5 at Turfway Park is a 50-cent minimum wager with a 15% takeout rate, offering one of the most competitive wagering opportunities in horse racing.
First post for Thursday’s card is scheduled for 5:55 p.m., with the Late Pick 5 sequence set to begin in Race 5 at 7:55 p.m.
UNDEFEATED EARHART STEPS UP TO STAKES COMPANY IN $125,000 LIKELY EXCHANGE – LNJ Foxwoods’ undefeated 4-year-old filly Earhart (FR) will take her first step into stakes company in next Saturday’s $125,000 Likely Exchange Stakes at Turfway Park Racing & Gaming, the final race in the Claiborne Farm “Make Your Mare Series.”
The one-mile contest, scheduled as Race 6 at 8:25 p.m. (all times Eastern), headlines a nine-race card beginning at 5:55 p.m.
Trained by Josie Carroll, Earhart has dazzled in her two career starts at Woodbine, beginning with a 6 ¾-length maiden victory, followed by an 11-length romp against first-level allowance company. Luis Contreras will be in the irons from post No. 2.
The Likely Exchange Stakes also features proven talent, including Bourbonette Oaks winner Everland, accomplished Argentinian Group I winner Neverwalkalone and recent maiden special weight standout She’s Fancy.
Likely Exchange field from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):
- Stay Lost (Yarmarie Correa, Jim Corrigan)
- Earhart (FR) (Contreras, Carroll)
- Queen Leca (URU) (Albin Jiminez, Paulo Lobo)
- Catmint (Gerardo Corrales, Rick Hiles)
- Pendulum (Adam Beschizza, Brendan Walsh)
- Neveralkalone (BRZ) (Evin Roman, Paulo Lobo)
- Peak Popularity (Gabe Saez, Brittany Vanden Berg)
- Always Wanting (Fernando De La Cruz, Michelle Elliott)
- She’s Fancy (Sophie Doyle, Chris Davis)
- Peignoir (Luan Machado, Rodolphe Brisset)
- Everland (Abel Cedillo, Eric Foster)
- Hurry Up Hannah (Joe Ramos, Doug Cowans)
- AE: Katie’s Checkride (Walter Rodriguez, Jon Jazdzewski)
As the concluding event in the Claiborne Farm “Make Your Mare Series,” the top three finishers in the Likely Exchange Stakes will earn stallion credits to the famed breeding operation – $10,000 for first, $5,000 for second, and $2,500 for third.
For more information about racing and gaming from Turfway Park, visit www.turfway.com.
