Friday's Best Bet: Tomlin can relax and finish in Holiday Inaugural

Friday’s 5th race from Turfway Park is the Holiday Inaugural Stakes for fillies and mares dashing six furlongs on the all-weather surface (Post Time - 8:12 p.m. ET). 

#8 TOMLIN (15-1) moves to the William Morey barn and this one has run races good enough to compete for a top award in this spot. She captured the Camila Urso Stakes on turf at Golden Gate May 30, and she has struck three times on all-weather ground including the Golden Gate Debutante in 2018. The versatile filly has placed in six other stakes races. 

#4 Artie’s Princess (7-5) is 5-for-6 in all-weather sprints and that lone synthetic loss was a neck defeat in a stakes race last fall. Her early-pressing versatility should lead to another good trip and she is faster than these on paper. She is returning in less than two weeks and that might be a problem. 

#7 Outburst (8-1) turns back in distance and tries all-weather ground for the first time. She started her career with a pair of quality overseas turf sprint efforts last fall, and shipped to the U.S. and won back-to-back turf routes at Tampa Bay including the Florida Oaks (G3). She has struggled in four subsequent starts but did show improved early interest in the Valley View (G3) Oct. 16. She might be ready to spring forward. 

#5 Cambria (8-1) did not have a smooth journey as the beaten favorite in her needed turf sprint return at Keeneland July 8. She is 2-for-2 on all-weather ground and might show more in this spot. 

#1 New York Groove (12-1) might work out a nice ground saving trip behind the speed. She won all four sprints on Tapeta as a juvenile including two stakes. She was nowhere in a turf route in the Florida Oaks (G3) March 7 and was up the track again in the Fantasy (G3) May 1. She stalked from the outside post and ended up a well-beaten 5th in the Star Shoot at Woodbine June 13. Her recent form is suspect to say the least, but her last was not terrible and we know she likes the footing. 

Wagers:

#8 to win 

Exacta Box 4-8

Trifecta 1-5-7-8/4/1-5-7-8

Recent Best Bet Winners

Nov. 25 - Saints N Muskets/Quickfast N Ahurry Exacta ($89.00)
Nov. 30 - Privet Moon/Awesome Gerry Exacta ($29.20)
Dec. 1 - LITTLESTITIOUS ($8.80), Exacta ($37.80)
Dec. 2 - Tracy Ann's Legacy/Catch a Thrill/Sanity Trifecta ($60.00)

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