Illman: How I'd play Keeneland for Saturday, Oct. 10
DRF handicapper Dan Illman outlines his best plays on Saturday's card at Keeneland.
Dan IllmanOct 09, 2015
DRF handicapper Dan Illman outlines his best plays on Saturday's card at Keeneland.
While American Pharoah and Beholder were the major names working at Santa Anita on Friday morning, the unbeaten 2-year-old colt Nyquist stayed on course for his appearance in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Oct. 31 at Keeneland with an easy half-mile work in 52 seconds for trainer Doug O’Neill.
The two contenders that constitute the speed of Sunday’s $100,000 Harris Farm Stakes at the Big Fresno Fair come into the race from opposite directions, but both won their previous start.
The 8-year-old gelding Hazards of Love will make his 70th career start on Sunday at Keeneland in the nominal $60,000 feature, a second-level optional $62,500 claimer at 1 1/16 miles on the main track.
Hammers Vision encountered trouble at the top of the stretch in his most recent start in the Grade 2 Summer Stakes on Sept. 12 and will be looking for a cleaner journey in Sunday’s $250,000 Cup and Saucer Stakes for Canadian-bred 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Woodbine.
Sweet Grass Creek has rounded back into form since being gelded on Sept. 1 and comes back quickly for Sunday’s $125,000 Bunty Lawless Stakes for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds and upward over one mile on turf at Woodbine.
Minding crushed nine rivals in the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile on Friday at Newmarket, stamping herself as a major contender for the 3-year-old filly classics next season in Europe.
Things haven’t gone so well for Bobby’s Kitten this year, but that won’t preclude the 4-year-old from attempting to defend his title in the Oct. 31 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland.
Trainer Scott Becker saddles Wildwood Kantharos (#5, ML 5-1) in Friday's third race at Hawthorne, a six-furlong allowance optional claimer. Since Jan., 1, 2014, Becker is winning at a 34 percent clip when saddling a horse switching from turf to dirt, for a return on investment of $3.89. Check out the Positive ROI report as part of DRF Plus. Sign up for DRF Plus here.
Jockeys James Graham and Corey Nakatani have been suspended for repeated violations of a new whip rule, according to rulings released by the Santa Anita board of stewards.