Horse Racing Picks from Keeneland and Belmont Park

Keeneland opens its 17-day fall meeting today, and if opening day is any indication, it is going to be a fun meeting.

There are plenty of large fields to handicap, and a couple of stakes on today’s ten race card.

Jut in the next three days there are eight Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” races. The winners of the races will earn automatic starting berths in the corresponding Breeders’ Cup races on Nov. 6-7 at Santa Anita.

There are plenty of opportunities to pad our bankroll today between Keeneland and Belmont Park.

Today’s Play of the Day from Belmont Park:

BEL Race 3 Possible Mate S. (2:04 ET)

#3 Exotic Indy 12/1

#1 Bubbly Jane 8/5

#4 Diamond Dina 5/1

#6 Zaskar 10/1

Analysis: #3 Exotic Indy was outrun last out in the mud in the Ruffian (G1) and looks like a she is in a better spot here. Two back she rolled in the slop in the Omnibus, winning by eight lengths in a good looking effort. She has only been on turf twice, her best showing a third while a maiden at Churchill Downs. She has the pedigree for turf and for this marathon distance. She is by A.P. Indy out of a Exceller mare that has dropped six other winners, four of them turf winners, and five of her sibs are stakes winners. Among them are Mash One ($549K) and Reciclada ($384K). We’ll give her another look on turf here and we should see a generous price.

#1 Bubbly Indy is a multiple Group 1 winner from Brazil who won the Donor Stakes in July in her first U.S. start. She checked in fifth last out in the Glen Falls (G3) and drops into an easier spot here. Blinkers go on and she looks like a legit threat here as the likely chalk.

Wagering

WIN: #3 to win at 6/1 or better.

EX: 1,3 / 1,3,4,6

TRI: 1,3 / 1,3,4,6 / 1,2,3,4,6

Today’s Play of the Day from Keeneland:

KEE Race 8 Phoenix S. G3 (5:45 ET)

#3 Ez Dreamer 8/1

#4 Capt. Candyman Can 5/2

#7 Fatal Bullet 2/1

#10 Sing Baby Sing 10/1

Analysis: #3 Ez Dreamer ships in from Zia where last out the colt pressed a sharp early pace, drew off late to win the Premier, and earned the top last out speed fig in the effort. He finished behind a couple of these two back at Remington after setting a very brisk early pace and running out of gas. This will be his first trip over the fake stuff, but #10 Sing Baby Sing won this race last year at 26/1 in his first go over poly. The colt owns solid early and mid pace numbers and has only run that one poor race two back when sprinting, his overall record at the distance at 8-5-2-0. We should catch a fair price on this guy.

#4 Capt. Candyman Can was put up via DQ last out in the Kings Bishop (G1) and is making his third start of his current form cycle. He only has tried poly once in his career, a sixth place finish in the Arlington Washington Futurity (G3), but that effort came at a mile and was his first go against winners and his second career start. He has done little wrong since, in addition to the Kings Bishop he has won the Matt Winn, Hutcheson (G2), and Iroquois (G3). He has had a couple of trips over the fake stuff at the Skylight Training Center and is in good hands with the Wilkes barn.

Wagering

WIN: #3 to win at 9/2 or better.

EX: 3,4 / 3,4,7,10

TRI: 3,4 / 3,4,7,10 / 3,4,7,8,10

Today’s Pick 3 Play from Belmont Park:

Starting in Race 7: $1: 7,8 / 3,5,6 / 2,6,9,13 = $24

BEL Race 7 Md $35,000 (4:12 ET)

#7 Rosalie’s Dance, #8 Magical Solution

#7 Rosalie’s Dance drops in for a tag for the first time here in her third career start. She made a mild late run to finish third in her debut, then was not a real threat last out trying the turf. Her sibs have run pretty well on turf but her pedigree really seems more suited to the main track. The blinkers go on and Ramon takes the call.

#8 Magical Solution tracked the early pace while down along the inside and weakened to finish sixth in her debut. She caught a gate to wire winner over a speed friendly racing strip in the outing. She was dead on the board, sent off at 20/1 and comes back here as the 8/5 ML fav with the class drop. She does own the top last out speed fig and is in a win early type barn, but beware how low the price goes here.

BEL Race 8 Clm $30,000 (4:45 ET)

#3 Marina Market, #5 Stungbythestorm, #6 Fearless Vision

#3 Marina Market did not fire last out in the mud at the Spa but very few of the Levine runners fired their best at the meeting. The gelding was claimed out of the race by the Arroyo barn, who must really like this guy because he has reclaimed him twice. Two back the gelding was a good second for a $20K tag for his current connections. The gelding is reunited with CVel who was aboard for his last win and I give this guy a shot of bouncing back with a better effort here at a decent price.

#5 Stungbythestorm faded to finish seventh last out against Alw-2 optional claimers and drops into a better spot here for a straight tag. The third place finisher in his last outing was Ea, who came back to beat Alw-2 optional claimers here yesterday. Two back in July this guy beat Alw-3 optional claimers. He owns back numbers that are a good fit and he looks like he can bounce back with a better effort in this spot.

BEL Race 9 Md $16,000 (5:17 ET)

#13 Captain Booyah, #2 Frenchonionsoup, #9 Orthodontist, #6 St. Augustine

#13 Captain Booyah makes his second start after sitting on the bench for nine months. Last out off the layoff the colt set the early fractions and tired to finish sixth for a $35K tag. The colt was claimed last year by Chip’s brother for $60K and the drop in here for $16K is not exactly encouraging. However, he catches a weak looking group and owns solid early and mid pace numbers. If he shakes loose he may prove tough to catch here.

#2 Frenchonionsoup made a good late rally to finish in the runner up spot last out in his first go for this tag. The winner of the race was Jazz Hands, who crossed the wire second and laced first via DQ against $25K non winners of two. The third place finisher Crazy Charlie graduated in his next start against state bred $16K maiden claimers. Levine runners are firing well here after a tough Spa meeting.

Price Plays From Belmont Park:

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.

R2: #5 Barefoot Babe 10/1

R2: #6 Eleni’s Hope 10/1

R3: #3 Exotic Indy 12/1

R3: #6 Zaskar 10/1

R5: #5 Singing My Song 8/1

R6: #8 Crown Point 8/1

R8: #3 Marina Market 10/1

R9: #9 Orthodontist 12/1

Good luck padding your bankroll today!