Exotics Plays for the 2023 Maker's Mark Mile

A fantastic field of eight will travel one mile on the Keeneland lawn in Friday’s $600,000 Maker’s Mark Mile S. (G1). The feature attracted a superb group turf specialists and marks the four-year-old debut of Godolphin’s Champion homebred #7 Modern Games (3-5), a fabulous winner of the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) on the course in November.

The stellar Charlie Appleby trainee will not be much of a price, however, and I will search for value in another place.

In a field lacking early speed, I believe that Javier Castellano will put #4 Emmanuel (4-1) on the front end in the opening stages of the tilt. The four-year-old son of More Than Ready is three-for-four in his career on the sod and might have everything his own way on Friday. He has won a trio of races in wire-to-wire fashion in his career, and he has impressed me with two straight Grade 3 tallies to kick off 2023.

Emmanuel is not the most talented horse in the contest, but he has a lot of ability, and I feel that he will run a huge race from up top in the deep cast. The bay has posted four solid morning drills in advance of his third run of the campaign and will be a nice price for conditioner Todd Pletcher.

Modern Games needs no introduction and is the clear one to beat in his return to North America, where he has finished first in classy style in each of his trio of prior jaunts across the pond. The four-year-old chestnut will be difficult to deny with something resembling his best effort with regular pilot William Buick coming in to ride.

#1 Speaking Scout (15-1) was an admirable third in the Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) in his four-year-old bow and is well placed on the rail for conditioner Graham Motion. The Mr. Speaker gelding has shown vast improvement since removing blinkers four races back, led by a fine triumph in the Hollywood Derby (G1) two back. The bay cuts back in distance on Friday but has the turn of foot to rally into a minor award off the layoff with Luis Saez taking the reins.

Maker’s Mark Mile Exotics Wagers

• $10 exacta: box 4-7 ($20)
• $1 trifecta: 4 with 1, 7 with all ($12)
• $1 superfecta: 4, 7 with 4, 7 with 1 with all ($10)
• $1 superfecta: 4, 7 with 4, 7 with all with 1 ($10)