Pick 4 of the Week: Turfway Park Sunday, Dec. 21

Three of the four stakes races carded on the fine Turfway Park Sunday card will be in my Pick 4 of the Week.

Race 7 Wager

• 50-cent 2,3,4,7 with 2,3,5,12 with 3 with 1,4,5,7,10 ($40)

Race 7 – Holiday Inaugural S. 

Fillies and mares will dash six panels on the main strip with a full field signed on. The majority of the field owns at least one stakes win to date in this difficult handicapping assignment. The 2024 Glen Cove S. vixen #2 Ellen Jay (7-2), recent Bessarabian S. (G3) starlet #3 Pondering (5-2), #4 Lithe Spirit (10-1), who is unbeaten from three prior runs on the oval, and Brendan Walsh’s #7 Civetta (10-1) are the four that I will use in the first piece of the play. 

Race 8 – Prairie Bayou S. 

A full field of boys will travel one mile in the second part of the sequence. #2 Horsepower (8-1) has shown nice improvement this season and could be dangerous at a fair price for conditioner Joe Orseno. The gelding ran well at the distance on the grass at Aqueduct most recently and comes in fresh for his local debut under Samuel Marin. 

The Walsh-trained #3 Cameo Performance (9-2), synthetic standout #5 Dresden Row (4-1), and four-time stakes winner #12 Encino (3-1) will also make the ticket. 

Race 9 – Holiday Cheer S. 

An overflow field of 14 is entered for the six-furlong dash. This is a deep heat with numerous talented horses signed on, but the Jose D’Angelo-trained #3 Howard Wolowitz (5-2) will be a single on my ticket. The Grade 1 winner captured this contest in 2024 in his lone prior run on the course, and his best race will top this field with Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the stirrups. 

Race 10 – Maiden Special Weight

A full field of juveniles will run 1 1/16 miles on the Tapeta to close out the card. I have the luxury of spreading in the closing piece since I have a single in the previous race, and I will do just that. #1 Flash the Magic (15-1), #4 Thailand (3-1), #5 Empire West (5-2), #7 Maginnesontap (4-1), and #10 Wargamer (12-1) are the ones.