Illman: How I'd play Keeneland on Saturday, April 4

It's a fantastic Blue Grass Saturday card at Keeneland with four graded stakes races, including the historic Kentucky Derby prep itself.

I'm going to key the following horses in multiple-race wagers and will play them to win if they meet my odds requirements:

Race 6 – Madison Stakes

I'm against multiple Grade 1 winner Stopchargingmaria (3) as she cuts back in distance for her first start since late September for Todd Pletcher. While she's working quickly and has won fresh sprinting in the past, it's not like she has a gigantic figure edge over this field. Plus, she might not be 100 percent cranked up for her seasonal debut.

Instead, I'll play Wedding Toast (2), who cuts back slightly after a third-place effort in the Grade 3 Rampart Stakes at Gulfstream. A graded stakes winner at nine furlongs, Wedding Toast's career had been interrupted due to knee issues. She returned to the races with a workmanlike win in the Miami Shores Handicap on Jan. 7 and didn't have the easiest go of it in the Rampart. She was bumped in the opening furlong, was taken off the rail to press two other horses from in between rivals, and was stuck on the inside for the final five-sixteenths of a mile. She battled on gamely to finish a head behind Sheer Drama, a filly who exploded to a 97 Beyer Speed Figure in the Grade 2 Royal Delta Stakes on March 21.

Wedding Toast could be in closest attendance to Lady Sabelia (4) on the backstretch and will be prominent when the real racing begins. I'd play her to win at her 4-1 morning line and will use her in multiple-race bets.

Race 9 – Ashland Stakes

I'm not going to get too clever here. Lovely Maria (6) looms as the main speed and can take these on a merry chase if unpressured for the first half-mile or so. She went gate-to-wire in fast time two starts back and was hung out chasing three wide for the first five furlongs of the Grade 3 Rachel Alexandra Stakes on Feb. 21. She made a smooth move to the front on the final turn and was courageous to finish second behind her streaking stablemate, I'm a Chatterbox.

Lovely Maria has two bullet workouts leading up to the Ashland, indicating that she retains her sharp form. I'd take 5-2 to win while keying her in the multiples.

Race 10 – Blue Grass Stakes

I'm not looking forward to investing much money against Carpe Diem (5), the logical heavy favorite, but perhaps Pepper Roani (3) can spice up the exotics at big odds.

The gray colt must prove himself on dirt against better competition, but he was up against a strong speed bias when second to Royal Son in the $116,000 John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway on Feb. 28. In that race, he finished ahead of both Firespike and Task Force Glory. Both of those horses returned to outrun their 37-1 and 70-1 odds when third and fourth in the Grade 3 Spiral Stakes.

Pepper Roani is a reach, to be sure, but I'll make an action bet to win on him at 15-1 or greater and will use him underneath Carpe Diem in exactas.

As for some of the other races:

I'll try to beat the heavily favored Ramsey entry with Sky Blazer (2) and War Dancer (6) in the fourth.

Yockey's Warrior (8) looked very good in winning his debut in fast time at Fair Grounds. He could simply be too fast for his opponents in the fifth race, but he'll likely be bet very hard.

I'll fool around with Kobe's Back (2) and C. Zee (7) in the Grade 3 Commonwealth and will use Mosler (7) and Tightend Touchdown (12) in the Shakertown.