Keeneland Picks for Thursday, April 9:
GOOD NEWS, SAD NEWS: Mr. Ed is halfway to Keeneland. His Wednesday picks were not worth the drive. Those who did well on Wednesday included trainer Bill Mott and jockeys Junior Alvarado, Jose Ortiz and Luis Saez — all with a pair of wins apiece. At the windows, the average $2 win ticket returned less than $7. It was Chalk City, but Mr. Ed’s GPS failed to find it. On to Thursday. JOCK WATCH: Popular Tyler Gaffalione is mired in a deep slump. Look for him to break out, the sooner the better. The nine-race card goes to post at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT. With sunny skies predicted, let’s check out Mr. Ed’s exclusive VSiN selections.
Mr. Ed Keeneland Selections for Thursday (4/09)
Race 1 — $90K MAIDEN SPECIAL WEIGHT for 2YOs going 4½ furlongs
Mr. Ed likes either of these two to begin DD: #2 CROSSFIRE (9-2 morning line) gets Tyler Gaffalione back to the Winner’s Circle. If not him, no one’s better than trainer Wesley Ward with young sprinters. Bet #8 RUIVA (3-1). Either gets the job done.
KEENELAND SELECTION: $5 Daily Double of 2,8/5,11. ($20)
Race 2 (1:32 p.m. ET/10:32 a.m. PT) — $48K MAIDEN CLAIMING for fillies and mares, 3YOs & Up going 7 furlongs
Mr. Ed likes either #5 SHARING WISDOM (3-1 morning line) for veteran trainer Kenny McPeek, or #11 CLICK (9-2) for conditioner Bret Calhoun. Both of these are capable of taking a step forward.
Race 3 (2:04 p.m. ET/11:04 a.m. PT) — $55K STARTER ALLOWANCE for fillies and mares, 3YOs & Up
Speedball #8 SWEET SCORECARD (5-2 morning line) gives jockey Gaffalione an excellent chance to end his current slump for sharp trainer Tim Eggleston. May never look back.
KEENELAND SELECTION: $10 to Win & Place. ($20)
Race 4 (2:36 p.m. ET/11:26 a.m. PT) — $120K ALLOWANCE for 3YO fillies going 1 1/16-mile on grass
Mr. Ed likes #3 AMBERGLEN (4-1 morning line) with Flavien Prat getting the nod for savvy trainer Brad Cox. She needs to be in the mix early.
KEENELAND SELECTION: $10 to Win & Place. ($20)
Race 5 (3:08 p.m. ET/12:08 p.m. PT) — $110K MAIDEN SPECIAL WEIGHT for 3YOs going 1 1/16-mile on the turf
I’m betting on three: #4 SPARTACUS (6-1 morning line) for trainer Todd Pletcher, who hires Flavien Prat to reverse the colt’s fortune after a dull debut; #6 MR. MIRACLE (5-2) no relation to Mr. Ed — for Chad Brown with Joel Rosario, and #8 ROYAL CRESCENT (3-1). Trainer Brendan Walsh sticks with Gaffalione.
KEENELAND SELECTION: $5 Exacta Box of 4,6,8. ($30)
Race 6 (3:40 p.m. ET/12:40 p.m. PT) — $120K ALLOWANCE for 3YO fillies going 1 1/16-mile on grass
Mr. Ed likes #7 KOKOMOTION (7-5 morning line) for trainer Whit Beckman, who had a winner on Wednesday, trusts Gaffalione to get the job done in the filly’s third start.
KEENELAND SELECTION: $20 to Win. ($20)
Races 6-9 — $.50 Pick 4*
R6: 6,7
R7: ALL
R8: 2,5,9
R9: 2,12 ($36)
*In the event of a scratch, the post-time favorite is the substitute pick.
Race 8 (4:44 p.m. ET/1:44 p.m. PT) — $130K ALLOWANCE for 4YOs going a mile on the turf
Mr. Ed likes three for the money: #2 RISK TOLERANCE (3-1 morning line) for leading trainer Chad Brown with Prat returning to ride; #5 CLEVER AGAIN (8-1) with rider switch to sharp Irad Ortiz Jr., and #9 McRAVIN (4-1) for Jim Toner with big rider upgrade to Luis Saez.
KEENELAND SELECTION: $5 Exacta Box of 2,5,9. ($30)
TOTAL WAGERS: $176
FRIDAY (live) AT KEENELAND: An excellent 10-race program, featuring R9 $650K G1 MAKER’S MARK MILE for 4YOs & up on the turf, going off at 5:16 p.m. ET/2:16 p.m. PT. The rest of the card offers juicy wagering opportunities for every serious-minded horseplayer. With sunny skies expected, the first race goes to post at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT. Mr. Ed will be at the track to compete in the annual $400 Spring Betting Challenge and offer his exclusive VSiN selections.
