How to bet With, and Against, Live In The Dream in the Woodford Stakes

A dozen turf dashers will vie in the $350,000 Woodford S. (G2) at Keeneland on Saturday. The 5 1/2-furlong sprint on the lawn is led by recent Nunthorpe S. (G1) hero #2 Live In The Dream (3-1), who will be making his first appearance on the course. Trained by Adam West, the four-year-old gelding is 3-for-6 this season and toppled the mighty Highfield Princess at York most recently to add a signature score to his resume.

Live In The Dream – With

• $1 superfecta: 2 with 6,8,9 with 6,8,9 with all ($54)

Live In The Dream – Against

• $.50-cent trifecta: 8,9 with 2,6,8,9 with all ($30)
• $.20-cent superfecta: 8,9 with 2,6,8,9 with 2,6,8,9 with all ($21.60)

By Prince of Lir, Live In The Dream is very fast from the gate and will be sent from the break under regular pilot Sean Kirrane. The chestnut has been very good in 2023, and if the form from his last few races holds up, then the import will be especially tough to knock off on Saturday.

The John Terranova-trained #8 Our Shot (9-2) has been consistently good in his six lifetime races on the lawn and lands in a good spot against this crew. The Kantharos gelding was a neck back in third in the Harvey Pack S. at Saratoga most recently, and the four-year-old makes a lot of sense in the heat with even slight improvement while making his second local showing. The Keystone State-bred, who was a sharp allowance winner in his lone prior race on the surface, will track the tempo from the break with Tyler Gaffalione in the silks.

Wesley Ward’s #9 Kaufymaker (12-1) will face the boys in the event, and I expect her to be in a winning position at the top of the lane. The Jimmy Creed chestnut is lightly raced with room to improve, and she has performed well in each of her three previous Keeneland outings. The Kentucky-bred comes off of a pair of very good wins as of late and will force the pace with Luis Saez taking the reins. 

I don’t love the chances of #6 Olympic Runner (10-1) winning the dash, but the Mark Casse pupil is a hard-trying gelding in very good current form and can get a piece late at a price. The stretch-running seven-year-old will be doing his best work inside the final furlong with Brian Hernandez Jr. in the silks.