Turf to Poly, Poly to Turf

- Graham Motion is one of those trainers that I've mentioned at Keeneland, and today he took the Grade 3 Ben Ali on the Polytrack with 26-1 Jade's Revenge, who just barely held off 14-1 Minister's Joy, who I had a big bet on the last time he ran (and ran second). The latter easily transferred his turf form to the Polytrack, unleashing his usual late burst to miss by a nose. Same goes for Mustanfar, another nose back in third completing a $6400 triple, who'd been running strictly on turf. The biggest impression I've gotten from my first experience of intense handicapping on a synthetic surface is the interchangeability of turf and Polytrack form. I've heard that that's the case, and I can say with no reservation that it's certainly true, at least at Keeneland.

I picked three winners in the Special today, two of them in off-the-turf races in which the winners won the way I expected them to, for a change. In fact, I didn't even know that they had come off the grass, and I wouldn't have cared anyway. I knew it was supposed to rain there today, but didn't bother doing an off-the-turf contingency pick, because I really don't think it matters. Of course, like everything else, there's nothing 100% certain, as those who lost on Wait A While would tell you. But at the end of the three week meeting, I make virtually no distinction between turf and Poly form. At Keeneland anyway.

First year sire Sky Mesa, undefeated at two including the Grade 1 Hopeful, had a winner in the baby race. Twenty Eight Hours, 15-1 morning line, went off at 3-1 and got up by a head over the Asmussen horse. Woo-hoo, don't you love this game? He's out of a Clever Trick mare who's a half-sister to the dam of Langfuhr.