DRF's Horse Racing Playbook for Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026

Daily Racing Form has served as the most trusted source of news and information about the sport since 1894, and moving forward we have decided to provide a free daily playbook – something that both hardcore horseplayers and casual observers can reference to get informed of each day’s action.

1:06 LRL 3rd BULLISTIC (#12, 15-1) will make his debut for Meyers and offers a mixed bag of signals ahead of his first start; sire Raging Bull has dreadful statistics with first-time starters of any sort, but that's at least partially because many of his best runners excel at going longer on turf; this gelding will try that right off the bat, and he's with a trainer that has become notorious for winning in that exact manner; the dam was a stakes-placed runner going longer on turf as well; don't let him get away at a price. - Patrick Moquin | Get Past Performances for this race

1:39 LRL 4th READY FOR MAGIC (#3, 5-1) missed a start because of an illness in August and returned in about the same shape in September, finishing fourth in an $8,000 claimer with a 51 Beyer; she is now in for a $6,000 tag and seems to fit in a field that seems to collectively struggle to find the winner's circle. - Patrick Moquin | Get Past Performances for this race

2:36 KEE 4th Perhaps the good win for the French imports A Delacour and F Prat with Overtime Rules still is coloring my thinking, but while there are no work videos for first-time GRAY EMINENCE (#6, 10-1), the work pattern and entire vibe holds appeal. Delacour's firsters in turf routes don't win that frequently but often deliver contending performances. I'll guess this is a live one. - Marcus Hersh | Get Past Performances for this race

2:41 LRL 6th SKYRUSH (#8, 6-1) won two straight starts at Monmouth in August before snipping for a very ambitious start at Belmont earlier this month, where he stood no chance for Ramirez; he will drop back in for a $16,000 tag this time, and the jockey is scheduled to come with him to Laurel; this seems like a prime opportunity to get back to business. - Patrick Moquin | Get Past Performances for this race

2:44 WO 4th HOT GYAL MOSSOP (#3, 8-1) brings improving Tapeta form to this seven-furlong main turf event and is bred for the grass on the dam's side. Note that Cole has solid first-time turf and synth/turf stats. - Ron Gierkink | Get Past Performances for this race

2:58 GP 6th LEXI'S BREEZE (#5, 8-1) showed speed, faded late debuting against much tougher on Tapeta then she'll encounter switching to turf, dropping for this tag. Broke slow, rushed, got hung wide in her bow with runner-up flattering effort a bit returning to beat similar $50K competition with 60 Beyer in her next start. - Mike Welsch | Get Past Performances for this race

3:08 KEE 5th ROCKIES BALBOA (#8, 10-1) has three wins from his last 10 starts, but I couldn't support him off any of that form. It's his race 11 back, in what I termed the best 2yo maiden of the 2025 KEE fall meet, that stamps him a potential winner - that and work video suggesting he's coming to this KEE fall start in good form. - Marcus Hersh | Get Past Performances for this race

3:56 BEL 8th BRUNCH WITH AMY (#1, 6-1) is a DRF Best Bet (David Aragona). | Get Past Performances for this race

4:04 GP 8th SAYTARA (#2, 10-1) worked in promising fashion leading up to her debut this summer at the Spa but surprisingly was disappointing to say the lead at first asking. Did encounter far better than she's going to meet shipping locally for her second try, that race having already yielded three next out MSW winners at Churchill Downs, Belmont and earlier this week when Psalm Beauty graduated at Keeneland. One more chance in this spot. - Mike Welsch | Get Past Performances for this race

4:21 WO 7th EPISODE (#1, 8-1) raced at least four-wide all the way over a rail-biased track when fifth at this non-two class three weeks ago. Her two previous races weren't bad and she could make some noise as a longshot with Nicholls back aboard. - Ron Gierkink | Get Past Performances for this race

4:29 BEL 9th Get the sense that there's better to come from SHARP SWINGER (#3, 10-1) than we saw in his first couple of starts for the Linda Rice barn; that first start off the claim at Churchill was just a means to an end to satisfy KY claiming rules; then missed some time at Saratoga, only getting to the races at the end of the meet; ran like a horse who needed the race, just run off his feet; has never gone this far, but is bred to stretch out as a half-brother to 12F Elkhorn winner Desvio. - David Aragona | Get Past Performances for this race

4:44 KEE 8th Any one of AMBER CASCADE's (#5, 8-1) four turf races from 2025 - she was switched from dirt last year - would probably win this, and while she ran well over 11 furlongs, her one-mile try coming back from a layoff, was almost as strong. Sure, something that lowers her baseline might've precipitated the long layoff, but that's still TBD, because her first start back came on dirt, and her second over a KD course that many horses don't handle at all. Worked back three times from that, which is a plus, though a wet course would be a new experience for the mare. - Marcus Hersh | Get Past Performances for this race

4:54 WO 8th TOSSING (#8, 3-1) is a DRF Best Bet (Ron Gierkink). | Get Past Performances for this race

5:02 BEL 10th Respect the overall body of work for WHAT SAY THEE (#2, 8-1) who has been competitive against tougher fields than this in the past; tailed off for Mike Maker and changed hands for just $25k earlier this year; has subtly gotten back on track for Horacio De Paz this season with the lone exception of his last race where he got a poor ride at Colonial; has more tactical speed than he displayed that day and can rebound here at a fair price. - David Aragona | Get Past Performances for this race

5:08 GP 10th HIGH GREATNESS (#7, 6-1) giving away a lot in experienced coming into the finale with just two races on his resume' and as a first time gelding to boot but projects to be loose on an easy lead with this group. Might not look back if able to handle the surface switch, added distance at what figures to be a very square price. - Mike Welsch | Get Past Performances for this race

5:16 KEE 9th Can't really imagine WITH A KISS (#10, 20-1) being as high as 20-1, but can imagine her upsetting the Raven Run. If this were John Doe shipping the filly off a mere two starts, and with no stakes experience; and if we didn't have workout video, WAK might look like an easy toss. But trainer T Pletcher sports a grand record in Keeneland dirt stakes, and we do have several workout videos leading into WAK's race in September, her first since a one-start 2-year-old campaign last fall. - Marcus Hersh | Get Past Performances for this race

5:35 BEL 11th There appears to be plenty of speed in here, which should set the table for some late runners; CONCORDE SPIRIT (#3, 8-1) is an intriguing turnback after focusing on longer races for much of the last year; was once an effective sprinter, and is coming into this race with some recent excuses; blew the start three back at Aqueduct, and last time was stuck down on a dead rail; his best efforts put him squarely in the mix. - David Aragona | Get Past Performances for this race

6:09 SA 5th IS THAT YOU WING (#10, 4-1) finished sixth in a maiden race for statebreds at a mile on turf at Del Mar on Sept. 4 after an eventful trip. Starting from the outside in a field of 12, Is That You Wing was wide for the first six furlongs, and led entering the stretch before he faded in the final sixteenth. He was beaten 4 1-2 lengths but the margin is deceptive. Is That You Wing was jostled in the last sixteenth when beaten. The Sept. 4 race was his first at a mile on turf. He returns against the same sort of group and has another tough draw in post 10 of 11. Still, if jockey Armando Ayuso can save some ground Is That You Wing can win his fourth start. - Steve Andersen | Get Past Performances for this race

6:27 WO 11th VOLCANIC (#5, 10-1) has worked strongly since beating $7.5K conditioned stock Sept. 11 and retains Aebly for the move up to open $10K company. Sid has a 20% strike rate with last-out winners. - Ron Gierkink | Get Past Performances for this race

7:58 RP 2nd BEAR DOWN ELEVEN (#8, 4-1) not only has lots of works to indicate a foundation, but some of them are brisk indicating speed for a barn that's having a super meet and does very well first time out. - Michael Hammersly | Get Past Performances for this race

8:09 SA 9th ZALAMO (#3, 9-2) will need a runner such as the recently gelded DHITJARI to set a fast pace to aid his come-from-behind style in a $32,000 claimer at a mile on turf. Zalamo, claimed by Dean Pederson for $25,000 at Del Mar on Sept. 6, races as a closer, which does not always work. Zalamo won a $32,000 claimer at 1 1-8 miles on turf here in March but is winless in his last four starts, including two third-place finishes. On Sept. 6, Zalamo closed from 10th of 12 to finish fourth by 1 3-4 lengths, a very good effort considering the race had little pace. - Steve Andersen | Get Past Performances for this race