How to bet with, and against, Hidden Connection in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes

Six of the 11 sophomores fillies entered for the $300,000 Rachel Alexandra S. (G2) at Fair Grounds on Saturday have enjoyed previous stakes success. In addition to the quality of the field, the top-four finishers of the 1 1/16-mile affair will receive qualifying points (50-20-10-5) in the 2022 Road to the Kentucky Oaks series event.

2021 Pocahontas S. (G3) heroine #11 Hidden Connection (3-1) will make her season debut for conditioner Bret Calhoun. By Connect, the $85,000 two-year-old purchase dominated in her initial two lifetime tries prior to checking in fourth behind the sensational Echo Zulu in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Del Mar in November.

Hidden Connection is training like a horse who is ready to roll, and the Kentucky-bred is also proven capable of running off of morning works as she did on debut. Dark bay filly fired a bullet five furlongs in her most recent morning drill on the surface, and she will retain the services of regular pilot Reylu Gutierrez.

The morning-line choice is obviously quite talented, but she faces a tall task in this endeavor, especially while breaking from the widest post.

Golden Rod S. (G2) victress #4 Dream Lith (6-1) will also make her season debut in this offering for Diodoro. Following a stylish victory at Saratoga at first asking, the Medaglia d’Oro dark bay failed in her first pair of graded races, but the addition of blinkers seemingly made the difference in her juvenile finale at Churchill Downs.

Unbeaten #1 La Crete (8-1) is a half-sister to the 2021 winner , La Clairiere. Trained by Asmussen, the daughter of Medaglia d’Oro led throughout in a first-out score beneath the Twin Spires prior to a game late tally in the Silverbulletday S. Joel Rosario will once again guide the top prospect.

#2 North County (8-1), also unbeaten, rallied bravely to annex the Untapable S. on the course last time out. Brendan Walsh pupil has passed each test to date, and the daughter of Not This Time can’t be ignored at a nice number.

The Doug O’Neill-trained #9 Awake at Midnyte (7-2) exits a fine runner-up performance in the Santa Ynez S. (G2) at seven furlongs, and the Nyquist sophomore figures to improve with the added ground in her local bow. The $320,000 yearling purchase will be forwardly placed from the start under Mario Gutierrez.

Hidden Connection – With

• $4 trifecta key 11 with 1,2,4,9 ($48)

Hidden Connection – Against

• 50-cent trifecta 1,2,4,9 with 1,2,4,9 with all ($48)