How to bet With, and Against, Carimba in the Menard Memorial Stakes

A talented field of nine fillies and mares will dash about 5 1/2 furlongs on the Fair Grounds turf in Saturday’s $100,000 Nelson J. Menard Memorial S. Recent Pan Zareta S. heroine #3 Carimba (3-1) aced her initial local test last time out and is the one to beat in the dash. Trained by Rey Hernandez, the mare was purchased for a bargain $13,000 in January of 2023 and has delivered five nice races in succession leading up to Saturday. 

Carimba – With

• $10 exacta 3 with 2,8,9 ($30)
• $3 trifecta key 3 with 2,8,9 ($18)

Carimba – Against

• $1 trifecta 2,8 with 2,3,8,9 with all ($48)

The Indiana-bred chestnut is five-for-eight in her career on the green and has proven to be capable of winning from on or off of the early pace in the past. By Kantharos, the speedy six-year-old defeated a nice field when going off favored in her most recent endeavor, and a repeat of that showing will make her tough to knock off in the affair with Marcelino Pedroza retaining the mount. 

#2 Brandon’smylawyer (6-1) ships in from California and the lightly-raced five-year-old surely fits with this cast if she takes to the local lawn. The daughter of Astern has big early speed and is capable of passing horses in the lane, and the Peter Eurton pupil also has room for improvement with just nine lifetime races to her credit, too. This dark bay Kentucky bred will be making her third appearance since November of 2022 and will have Brian Hernandez, Jr. in the irons. 

#8 Poppy Flower (9-2) is not in perfect current form, but the Bill Mott trainee has a big turn of foot in a field with a lot of speed and makes sense in her local bow. The multiple stakes victress has compiled a nice 6-2-3-0 mark at the distance, and improvement is expected as she makes just a second run since the summer in this affair. The Lea chestnut will take back early and make one run late with Ben Curtis in the silks. 

#9 Breeze Easy (20-1) is a bit of a flier in the heat but has appeal to me at a huge price. The recent $180,000 purchase was elevated to first in a recent allowance dash on the course off the bench, and she was consistently solid against some tough foes in the Empire State earlier this campaign, as well. Now in the hands of conditioner Wayne Catalano, the Bated Breath five-year-old will stalk the tempo from the opening bell with David Cohen picking up the mount.