Totally different weather than yesterday. Low 70s, with strong northwest wind (cross/head in stretch) blowing 15-25 mph.
Turf "good," rail in lane 1 exactly.
Race 1 splits for $17.5K maiden-claimers going six furlongs - 22.61, 46.25, 1:11.79. Early leader, big class-dropping second-time starter Fashion Passion, in from Kentucky for trainer Eddie Kenneally, won easily. Those splits and final time are roughly 7-10 lengths faster than what we were seeing Thursday. My
AP picks this week have stunk, but my prediction Friday that times would get faster day by day this week has been born out.
They called turf "good" yesterday, too, and times were quick enough. We'll see bout that starting right now, in race 2.
One more note on the opener: even-money favorite Prairie Fever finished a flat third. She's trained by Don Von Hemel, and right now, its really hard to back anything from the barn of trainer Don or son Donnie at Arlington. Both are stone cold to start the meet.
