Firmer ground helps Will Call in Shakertown, thoughts on the Blue Grass Day Early Pick 5

Perhaps Saturday's $200,000 Shakertown (G2) at Keeneland will serve more of a get-fit trip for for #6 WILL CALL's (6-1) title defense in next month's Twin Spires Turf Sprint (G3), but the Brad Cox trainee surely has the credentials to win this anyway. The good news is that the turf should be a lot firmer this time than it was for last year's Shakertown. Will Call simply didn't handle the soft conditions and finished well up the track, and note he was out of his element as well in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1), though at least his class ensured he beat more than half the field that day In the right circumstances, he handles the Keeneland turf just fine. Unfortunately, Will Call uncorked his rally far too late in the Woodford (G2) and ran out of real estate against Bucchero, losing by a half-length. Expect Javier Castellano to have him a little closer when it's time to strike. I will bet Will Call to Win and play him in Exactas with the logical #9 BOUND FOR NOWHERE (4-1), who cruised in the Shakertown last year and latter acquitted himself on an international stage at Royal Ascot. *** Heavy favorites ruled most of the day at Keeneland on Friday, and the trend could continue through the early portion of Saturday's card. The back end of the early Pick 5 look like the spread races, and here is my ticket: Race 1 #6 PREAMBLE (3-2) won both starts last season in good time, including a first-level allowance over this track. Race 2 #11 HONEST MISCHIEF (1-1), and Into Mischief--Honest Lady colt, will be awful hard to beat with modest improvement off his debut second at Gulfstream. Race 3 I'll take a stand against likely favorite #1 Covfefe and have a look instead at #3 FREE COVER (4-1), who just missed at Fair Grounds at this level and whose only disappointment was around two turns. #6 TAKE CHARGE ANGEL (7-2) was a comfortable debut winner at Churchill last September but no match when favored in a stakes the following month. Should be plenty fit off strong works over the deeper Tampa strip. Race 4 #4 GOTTA GO (10-1) has some back class and was severely compromised at the start of his comeback run last month after a long time on the shelf. #6 ALMITHMAAR (3-1) graduated over this track and enters off a strong run at Aqueduct when he was run down going longer. Aside from a flop on turf against stakes types, #7 ZIPP ON BY (6-1) has done little wrong since joining the Hernandez barn last year. #10 WILD SHOT (7-2) another back-class type with a respectable record around one turn. Race 5 #3 POLISHED (4-1) finally came to hand for Arnaud Delacour when graduating at Tampa with ease, and could make an impact here in a not-so-tough allowance. #4 DYNABEE (5-1) a solid third in an N2X allowance at Fair Grounds in her U.S. debut and figures a bigger threat at this more proper level. #6 LACUSTRE (20-1) was favored in a Longchamp maiden in her only previous try on turf. Runner-up there eventually won a Group 3. This filly wound up on the all-weather, but this is an all-turf pedigree with her dam being a half to Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) winner Domedriver. The 50-cent ticket: 6 with 11 with 3,6 with 4,6,7,10 with 3,4,6 = $12   Will Call: (c) Coady Photography