Saratoga and Del Mar Racing Tips: Mark Milligan has three selections on Friday's cards

Decision to strike on switch to dirt

Saratoga 20:55: Slow Decision 1pt win at 9/4 or better

Slow Decision was only fifth on debut at Belmont in June but that run on turf was much better than it looks and he's of major interest as he switches to dirt for the second start of his career.

Off a little slowly in that $40k maiden claimer, he made a big move into contention while hung four-wide around the home turn before that effort understandably took its toll late on.

He only gave way late in the day but that was a run full of promise and he drops a notch in grade for this $25k contest whilst picking up the services of Irad Ortiz in the saddle.

Bred primarily for the main track, it's to his credit that Slow Decision was able to post such a good effort on turf for that first start and normal improvement should make him difficult to beat.

Class-dropping Priano to get back on track

Del Mar 23:00: Priano 1pt win at 7/2 or better

The winner of a maiden claimer at Los Alamitos in December, Mark Glatt's Priano completely bombed on turf on his next start but clearly just hated the surface switch.

He was back on his game in a dirt starter allowance at Santa Anita in June, where he made all the running to come home a length ahead of Conundrum.

He chased a fast pace when well beaten last time but was essentially in over his head in that optional claimer at Los Alamitos and will be much more at home dropping back into conditioned claiming company here.

A repeat of the form he showed at Santa Anita two starts back will be enough to get the job done and he can grab a third win from just five career starts.

Returning Empire should prove too classy

Del Mar 01:00: Infinite Empire 2pts win at 2/1 or better

As Del Mar maidens go, this one isn't the strongest and I'll be disappointed if Richard Mandella's Infinite Empire doesn't prove in a different league to her opposition.

We've only seen this daughter of Empire Maker once and that was in a maiden here just under a year ago where she ran really well to finish second to a subsequent Grade 2 winner.

That form was franked further still when the filly in third came out and won next time, while several further back also posted improved efforts.

It clearly hasn't all been plain sailing for Infinite Empire since then, hence why she's been off the track for such a long time, but she's been working up a storm in the mornings and the trainer has a really good record with horses returning from a break.

She'll take a world of beating if ready to roll on this comeback run.