Stakes spot plays for opening day at Kentucky Downs

The popular all-turf meeting over the unique grass course at Kentucky Downs gets underway on Labor Day with a quartet of ultra-competitive stakes races.

Complicated exotic wagers aren’t necessary for cashing big tickets at Kentucky Downs. Thanks to large fields full of evenly-matched runners, even win bets can yield lucrative returns if you select the right horses.

With this in mind, let’s take a straightforward approach to playing the four stakes on Labor Day, betting one horse to win in each event:

Race 8: Juvenile Fillies S. (4:55 p.m. ET)

I’ll take a shot outside the box here with #12 Oliviaofthedesert (10-1), a stoutly-bred daughter of Bernardini making her third start for trainer Kenny McPeek. The gray filly rallied from behind a slow pace to finish fourth in her debut going a mile at Ellis Park, gaining ground steadily despite running into traffic down the stretch.

Switching to dirt for her second start, Oliviaofthedesert cruised by 5 1/2 lengths after tracking the early tempo. She’ll return to turf at Kentucky Downs, a positive move since her dam was stakes-placed on turf and has already produced a turf winner. With a couple of runs under her belt, Oliviaofthedesert should be better-equipped for her second try over the lawn, and McPeek wins at a 32% rate with horses running on turf for the second time.

$15 to win on #12 Oliviaofthedesert

Race 9: One Dreamer S. (5:28 p.m. ET)

Though she’s 0-for-3 since dead-heating for victory in the Lake Placid (G2) at Saratoga last summer, I still believe #3 Varenka (4-1) has the talent to be a highly capable turf horse. She was rank when reserved off the early pace in the July 18 Matchmaker (G3) at Monmouth Park, but still produced a respectable rally down the stretch to finish fifth in a fast race, gaining two lengths through the final furlong to earn a 105 Brisnet Late pace rating.

A daughter of Ghostzapper out of a Dynaformer mare, Varenka has the pedigree to thrive over the testing course at Kentucky Downs. Running 1 mile and 70 yards should suit this Graham Motion-trained filly just fine.

$20 to win on #3 Varenka

Race 10: Juvenile S. (6:01 p.m. ET)

#2 Indy Tourist (5-1) failed to fire in his debut sprinting, but relished the chance to stretch out over a mile at Indiana Grand. Favored at 6-5, the son of 2015 Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) winner Tourist led all the way and sprinted the last quarter in :24.67 to beat next-out winner Niagara Charlie by 15 3/4 lengths.

Racing for the hot jockey/trainer combo of Florent Geroux and Mike Maker (both high-percentage winners at Kentucky Downs in recent years), Indy Tourist should relish the conditions of the Juvenile S. He’s already proven over a mile, and his sire was a stakes winner at Kentucky Downs. At 5-1, Indy Tourist looms as a great play.

$25 to win on #2 Indy Tourist

Race 11: Tourist Mile (6:32 p.m. ET)

Geroux and Maker will team up again with #10 Parlor (5-1), who appears well-spotted in this 1-mile test. The 6-year-old gelding has shown steady improvement since being claimed by Maker last winter and enters the Tourist Mile off a runner-up effort in the Makers’ Mark Mile (G1) at Keeneland, beaten just a nose by 2019 Preakness (G1) winner War of Will.

Parlor has cracked the trifecta in three of his four starts at Kentucky Downs and appears as likely a winner as any in this deep and competitive field.

$15 to win on #10 Parlor

Good luck!