All Stakes Pick 3 at Keeneland on Friday
Nakatomi wins at Churchill Downs (Photo by Coady Photography)
October 2nd, 2024
A trio of graded stakes tilts with major Breeders’ Cup implications will highlight the opening-day card at Keeneland.
Race 7 Wager
- $2 Pick 3: 1,4 with 6,7,8,10,12 with 7,8 ($40)
Race 7 – Phoenix S. (G2)
The winner of the six-furlong dash will receive an entry into the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at Del Mar on Nov. 2. Eight will go postward in the heat and I will settle on a pair of talented runners to kick off the wager. #4 Nakatomi (7-5), third in the Breeders’ Cup last campaign, comes off a game tally in the Vanderbilt H. (G1) at Saratoga in his latest outing and is my top pick. The Wesley Ward trainee was a close runner-up in the 2023 race and shows a pair of bullet morning drills at this locale in advance of Friday.
The lightly raced #1 Federal Judge (3-1) is the pace of the race and exits a huge allowance score at the Spa in his second run since joining the Brad Cox barn. Army Mule gelding will have to prove himself at the level, but he will be tough with even slight improvement off of his last performance. Flavien Prat will ride.
#1 Nakatomi goes right on by by Skully to win the G1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. at Saratoga! 🏆
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) July 27, 2024
The 5YO gelding is trained by Wesley Ward and was ridden by @tyler_gaff! pic.twitter.com/inbGAUDj0d
Race 8 – Jessamine S. (G2)
Juvenile fillies will travel 1 1/16 miles on the lawn in the middle leg, and I’ll spread with five contenders in the "Win and You’re In" affair. #8 May Day Ready (8-1) bagged the Juvenile Fillies S. at Kentucky Downs most recently and will be tough with any kind of forward move in this one.
In addition to the Joseph Lee pupil, I will also include Natalma S. (G1) fourth #10 Italian Soiree (20-1) as well as Kentucky Downs maiden winners #6 Destino d’Oro (3-1) and #7 Ballerina d’Oro (8-1), and #12 Correto (8-1).
Race 9 – Alcibiades S. (G1)
The dirt feature for two-year-old fillies attracted a field of eight, but this looks like a two-horse race to me to close out the sequence. Godolphin homebred #8 Immersive (2-1) and Shortleaf Stable homebred #7 Quietside (5-2), who finished first and second, respectively, in the Spinaway S. (G1) at Saratoga on Aug. 31, will be imposing in the race despite drawing on the outside of the field.
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