Padding Your Bankroll – Today’s Horse Plays

There are just three days left in the Keeneland meeting, and then it will be off to Churchill Downs, which opens its spring meeting on Saturday.

From opening day, there will be just one week until the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby. That does not leave us much time to pad our bankroll for the big day.

We have a Pick 3 sequence today that includes a couple of 15/1 longshots, and if we can just get one of them home first we could be lined up for a good score.

Today’s play of the day is from the Big A:

Today’s Play of the Day from Aqueduct:

AQU Race 4 Clm $8,750 (2:27 et)

#6 Debating 7/2

#5 Curvature 4/1

#9 Indian Hawke 3/1

#4 Dreamin of Victory 12/1

Analysis: #6 Debating drops in price from $14K to the $8,750 level, the first race of the meet at this unusual tag. The Arroyo barn lost this guy for $14K last December and claimed him back two back for $7.5K. In between he was in a couple of other sharp barns with Contessa and Levine. The gelding likely will appreciate the stretch out to a mile where he has racked up a 10-3-3-1 record at the distance. Ramon departs to ride for Parisella while our top pick gets Castro who has hit at a 31% clip overall for the barn with limited starters, 1 for 5 at the current meeting.

#5 Curvature stalked the early pace while saving ground and angled out four wide for the stretch drive and finished well for the runner up spot versus $10K in his first start off the claim by the Barrera barn. The gelding owns solid late pace numbers and he should see a solid early pace in front of him here in this spot.

Wagering

WIN: #6 to win at 5/2 or better.

EX: 5,6 / 4,5,6,9

TRI: 5,6 / 4,5,6,9 / 2,4,5,6,9

Today’s Pick 3 Play from Keeneland:

Starting in Race 7: $1: 1,3,8,11 / 4,5,8 / 2,5 = $24

KEE Race 5 Md Sp Wt (3:05 et)

#8 Distorted Love, #11 Teen, #3 Tempo Approved, #1 Yes It’s Barbara

#8 Distorted Love ships in from the left coast where the filly was fourth and fifth in her first two career starts, both highly graded affair. She came up the inside to get into the mix in her debut before weakening to finish fourth in a race in which the top two came back to win next out. The winner Heartless Vixen returned to beat Alw-1 company at Santa Anita on 3/5. Last out our top pick raced evenly in a non threatening fifth in a race that also produced a couple of next out winners. The winner Witty beat Alw-1 foes on 4/12. The filly has a nice pedigree, by Distorted Humor out of the stakes winner Any for Love ($237K), her first foal to race. The filly is in good hands with Harty and she has had four drills over the surface.

#11 Teen debuts for the Asmussen barn that is 18% winners with first time starters. The $35K purchase is by Trippi (15% winners with debut runners) out of a Meadowlake mare that has dropped four other foals to race, a pair of winners, top earner 15 time winner Shane Jules ($187K).

KEE Race 6 Alw $54,000N2L (3:35 et)

#8 Miss Canada, #5 Prytania, #4 Lydia’s Smile

#8 Miss Canada gets the call here and she should be a generous price, we just need her to take to the grass. She is by Distorted Humor (8% first turf) out of a Rahy mare that has dropped two other winners, one turf winner. Last out on the main track at Mountaineer she battled for the early lead and weakened to finish fourth behind repeat winner Rivie, who returned to beat Alw-3L foes on 4/11. Two back on poly she ran fourth behind three next out winners. The winner of that race two back was Hot Cha Cha, who won the G3 Bourbonette in her next start. She will need to jump up and show improvement on the surface switch.

#5 Prytania made a good late rally to graduate last out at Tampa over the lawn in her second career start. She shares top last out speed fig honors with the ML fav and she still appears to have plenty of upside potential.

KEE Race 7 OClm $100,000N3Y (4:05 et)

#5 Knights Cross, #2 Carnacks Choice

#5 Knights Cross makes his first start since January for the Kenneally barn. His last start was at Gulfstream Park on the main track where he set a sharp early pace and weakened to finish third against optional claiming company. He owns the edge in early pace numbers and may prove tough to catch in this spot. The five year old has not raced on the fake stuff since ’07 but has landed in the exacta in 4 of 5 trips on poly.

#2 Carnacks Choice is also making his first start since January where he was ninth in the Sunshine Millions Sprint. The five year old has done some of his best running over the poly here. His career top Beyer came in a win here against optional claimers and he also won the Lafayette and was third in the G3 Phoenix over the surface.

Price Plays From Aqueduct:

These are price plays to watch today. A small win-place wager is in order or if your pockets are deep enough, use these runners in your trifecta and Pick 3 and Pick 4 wagers. One or two of these could be the difference between a regular day at the track and hitting the IRS window with a signer.

R1: #1 Doughdaddy 15/1

R3: #3 Mr. Again 10/1

R4: #4 Dreamin of Victory 12/1

R5: #9 Princess Maura 12/1

R6: #1 Kelsew Special / #1a Karakorum On Black 8/1

R7: #8 Couth 10/1

R9: #9 Bad Action 8/1

R9: #1 Body Blows 12/1

Good luck padding your bankroll today!