Exotics Plays for the Likely Exchange Stakes

A full field of fillies and mares will vie in Saturday’s feature at Turfway Park, the $125,000 Likely Exchange S. The race has a competitive feel to it with a few longshot contenders that I have interest in, and I will spread with four of the ladies in my vertical exotics. 

Likely Exchange Exotics

• $6 exacta 2 with 6,10,11 ($18)
• 50-cent trifecta 2 with 6,10,11 with all ($15)
• 50-cent trifecta box 2,6,10,11 ($12)
• 20-cent superfecta 2 with 6,10,11 with 6,10,11 with all ($10.80)

#2 Earhart decimated a pair of fields at Woodbine to begin her career and will make her stakes debut in the contest for conditioner Josie Carroll. Bred in France, the daughter of excellent sire Siyouni has displayed huge early foot and a powerful closing kick in both outings to date, and she will -she brings that form to the Bluegrass State on Saturday. She is the inside speed of the field with Luis Contreras taking the reins. 

I think that the Paulo Lobo-trained #6 Neverwalkalone is sitting on a big one off the layoff. This multiple Group 1 victress has run evenly in three stateside starts against tough opposition in advance of this engagement, and I expect the Agnes Gold mare to relish the move to the synthetic for the initial time under the guidance of Evin Roman. 

#10 Peignoir showed nice improvement in her sophomore season in 2024 and could be poised for additional ascension this campaign. The Mendelssohn filly is a wildcard in the group having never raced on the all-weather in her lifetime, but she has run relatively well on both the turf and dirt, and the bay should be just fine on the Tapeta. Trained by Rodolphe Brisset, the Kentucky-bred will get first run on the deeper closing types turning for home with Luan Machado in the stirrups. 

Bourbonette Oaks victress #11 Everland ran well in her local return when second behind a sharp winner in the My Charmer S. on the course on December 14. The Eric Foster pupil has earned each of her three lifetime tallies on the oval, and the gray daughter of Arrogate surely has room to move forward second off the layoff, as well. She squared off with some very good fillies in 2024 and looks like a nice fit to me in the field. I expect her to pass a lot of runners in the stretch beneath Abel Cedillo.