Value Plays for the 2024 Mint Julep Stakes

Chad Brown’s #7 Delahaye is the one to beat in Sunday’s $250,000 Mint Julep S. (G3) at Churchill Downs. The talented Medaglia d’Oro filly was a clear third behind a pair of very good stablemates in the Distaff Turf Mile (G2) on the course last time out and will be especially tough to knock off with a similar type of performance in the affair. Tyler Gaffalione will guide the four-year-old. 

Mint Julep Value Plays

• $15 win and place #9 Misread ($30)
• $10 exacta box 7-9 ($20)
• $1 trifecta key 9 with 4,6,7,8 ($12)

The most interesting horse at a price to me in the cast is #9 Misread for conditioner Tom Drury. By Blame, the mare is lightly raced and has shown nice improvement since moving to the turf last season. Second to a very good one in her lone run beneath the Twin Spires, the five-year-old comes off of a fine allowance victory while facing a stakes-laden field. 

The runner-up in that affair was Olivia Miralda, who was last seen finishing a fine second in the Gamely S. (G1) at Santa Anita on Memorial Day. Grade-1 placed stakes winner Sacred Wish checked in third in the race, and she returned with a four-length allowance romp at Aqueduct. 

Misread has a lot of room for ascension while making just her second appearance since August, and she also owns enough tactical speed to avoid being left with too much to do in the stretch on Sunday. Jose Ortiz picks up the mount atop the dangerous miss. 

Likely pacesetter #8 Heavenly Sunday is always a danger for Brad Cox, and she is a Grade 2 heroine on the surface, too. Group 3 heroine #6 Immensitude looked to be a bit short in her U. S. debut at Keeneland off the long absence for Bill Mott, and a move forward seems likely for the Lawman filly. And Saffie Joseph’s #4 Be My Sunshine, who bagged the Tropical Park Oaks in December, will also be in the mix with her best performance.