Keeneland: Saturday carryovers and an enticing tournament

There are three awesome reasons to play the Saturday card at Keeneland.

One, there’s a $26,809 carryover up for grabs in the $1 Pick 6 that starts in Race 5 (3:08 p.m. ET). Two, the $1 Super High 5 in Race 10 (5:48 p.m. ET) features a $7,841 carryover. Three, TwinSpires is hosting a $300 Keeneland Feeder to 10/27 Churchill Downs KDBC/BCBC Qualifier tournament.

The tournament is a $300 buy-in, with $200 funding your bankroll and $100 going to the prize pool. The winner will receive an entry into the 10/27 $1,000 Churchill Downs KDBC/BCBC tournament, and for every 10 entries beyond the initial 10, an additional entry will be awarded.

The full tournament rules can be viewed here, but the basics are simple—you must wager your entire $200 bankroll across at least five races at Keeneland, and you must wager at least $20 in any given race for that race to count toward the minimum.

So why not play the tournament and pursue the Pick 6 and Super High 5 at the same time? While the Pick 6 and Super High 5 aren’t eligible tournament wagers, the handicapping necessary to chase the carryovers can be applied to tournament play and vice versa.

The feature event on the card is Race 9, the $350,000 Raven Run (G2) for three-year-old fillies sprinting seven furlongs on dirt. It’s part of the Pick 6, and we recommend including two horses on your tickets: #5 Emery (7-5) and #3 My Mane Squeeze (4-1), who were separated by two lengths when finishing third in the Aug. 3 Test (G1) at Saratoga.

Emery got the better of My Man Squeeze that day and previously won the Leslie’s Lady S. and Victory Ride (G3) in succession, but she hasn’t run since the Test. My Mane Squeeze, on the other hand, returned to finish second in the Charles Town Oaks (G2) before dominating the seven-furlong Dogwood (G3) at Churchill Downs by five lengths. My Mane Squeeze is progressing in the right direction and can’t be underestimated as a win threat.

For tournament purposes, a $10 exacta boxing Emery and My Mane Squeeze comes with a cost of $20 and should have a fair chance to hit.

Another highlight on the card is Race 7, the Perryville (G3) for three-year-olds dashing seven furlongs over the main track. A strong field has entered, though 2023 Breeders’ Futurity (G1) winner #10 Locked (7-2) is expected to scratch.

Bettors figure to focus on #5 Book’em Danno (2-1), winner of the Woody Stephens (G1) and third in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1) sprinting seven furlongs this year. With a trio of triple-digit Brisnet Speed ratings under his belt, Book’em Danno is a must-use Pick 6 contender.

But two other entrants are highly intriguing. #3 Knightsbridge (3-1) has won both of his starts by blowout margins, including a $75,000 allowance optional claimer at Gulfstream Park. He hasn’t run since March, but there’s serious talent here and three bullet workouts since September suggest he’ll be ready to roll off the layoff.

#7 Patriot Spirit (15-1) must be respected too. After wiring the 1 1/8-mile Illinois Derby by 5 3/4 lengths with a 103 Brisnet Speed rating, Patriot Spirit cut back to 6 1/2 furlongs for a $75,000 allowance optional claimer at Colonial Downs, which he dominated by 4 3/4 lengths with a 104 Brisnet Speed rating.

For Pick 6 purposes, we recommend using all three of these horses. Tournament players may wish to combine Book’em Danno, Knightsbridge, and Patriot Spirit in exacta tickets, or possibly bet Patriot Spirit to win if his enticing 15-1 morning line odds hold up.

Good luck!