The road to the Horseshoe Indianapolis Late Pick 4 this Friday will go through a pair of one-mile turf allowances that drew full fields of 12. The challenging sequence also features an allowance sprint and MSW mile on the main track for Indiana breds. Here’s a closer look and a suggested $36 ticket:

IND 5th race (4:10 EST) -- RAFAELA rallied 4-wide, then pressed the pace 4-wide to finish second in her first two starts over the track. She looks like the one to beat but could have distance limitations. Her sire’s offspring are 1-for-41 in dirt routes and her dam’s two victories were sprinting. J’S NAUGHTY KITTEN gave way while chasing RAFAELA in the 4-path from post 11, but she has the right running style in this speed-laden field and wears blinkers for the first time. CLASSIC KITTEN shows steady gate works in the last month and is the first 2-year-old since 2019 to debut going a route of ground for high-percentage trainer Genaro Garcia. The daughter of Grade III-winning router and millionaire Charming Kitten need not be much to contend.

IND 6th race (4:40 EST) -- MAINTAINER raced close to a solid pace and gave way in a double-key, 1-1/16-mile turf allowance dominated by deep closers. He faded in a 1-1/8-mile marathon at Keeneland two back that produced one winner, two runners-up and six next-out allowance runners that posted 81-plus Beyers. He is eligible for an entry-level allowance but is today’s Pick 4 solo play nonetheless.

IND 7th race (5:10 EST) -- BARN STORMER widened his lead in the final eighth of a confidence-building win in a weak field. But he has some upside on the class hike, facing the likes of On the Raydar (11/3-2-4, $98k) and Follow The Money (12/2-4-0, $76k) in MSW company last year, hailing from a 21 percent ‘repeat’ barn and breezing 4F in :47.2 since his last start. OH SO SOCIAL set comparable middle fractions to a same-day stakes sprint when he held on to win two starts back. Then he battled inside a 4-way duel in the slop and tired to finish fifth – between three next-out winners. DOSSIER won geared down on fast and sloppy tracks and seeks his first allowance victory off similar rest.

IND 8th race (5:40 EST) -- CORONA GRANDE finished in the money behind three-time stakes winner King Ice (4-8, $305k) recently and is strictly the one to beat if he handles the switch to turf. If he doesn’t, it’s anybody’s race in the finale, so I’ll go eight deep on the ticket.

Suggested 50-Cent Ticket
IND 5th Race: 3, 4, 6
IND 6th Race: 6
IND 7th Race: 2, 3, 4
IND 8th Race: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11
Cost: $36