Alcibiades Stakes Highlights Opening Day at Keeneland

Opening day at Keeneland will feature the Alcibiades Stakes. The race is a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Keeneland Friday Race Card

The opening day card at Keeneland is set to begin at 1:00 pm Eastern time. 7 of the 10 races will be contested over the dirt track. The remaining 3 will be run on the turf.

Weather Forecast

Keeneland did receive some rain during the day on Thursday, but appears to be warm and dry for the foreseeable future. Whether or not management will deem turf racing advisable remains to be seen, but conditions would suggest it’s a possibility. ALmost assuredly the dirt will be fast.

Wagering on the Races

Keeneland has its own wagering platform that players can use known as Keeneland Select. However, players with existing online wagering accounts through other platforms should be able to watch and wager on the races using their current platform.

Analysis of the Keeneland Opening Day Card

Race 1- Start of the Keeneland Early Pick 5

Post: 1:00 PM ET; Purse: $32,000 Claiming, 1 1/16 Miles on Dirt; Entries: 6

#2 SWANAGE is the 2nd choice and rates best on speed and form. #1 SUPER READY is at odds of 10-1 and will be right price. This one looks to get the best of the race flow. #6 COINMAKER has run well at this distance. The horse for course angle is critical at Keeneland. #3 SUM KINDA PRETTY will be winging it on the front end for top rated connections.

Selections: 2-1-6-3

Race 2

Post: 1:35 PM ET; Purse: $84,000 Maiden Special Weight, 1 Mile on Turf; Entries: 16

#9 RUM 'N TONIC is has the experience factor that could be crucial in this spot. #16 FAITH RUNNER is bred for the distance but will have to overcome a tough post. #5 GINGRICH looks really good here as well based on speed figures. #3 OVERANALYTICAL is a generous price given the connections.

Selections: 9-16-5-3

Race 3

Post: 2:10 PM ET; Purse: $33,000 Starter Allowance, 1 1/16 Miles on Dirt; Entries: 7

#5 FAMILY MAN is at odds of 1-1 looks incredibly tough to beat in Keeneland’s 3rd. The next likeliest winner is #1A NIETZSCHE is at 5-2. Players would be wise to one of the top 2, but not both as it appears a lot of money will run through them. Other interesting players include #2 CABERTOSS and #4 ALLEN.

Selections: 5-1A-2-4

Race 4

Post: 2:45 PM ET; Purse: $42,000 Claiming, 6 Furlongs on Dirt; Entries: 9

#1 AWESOME SATURDAY is 6-1 on the morning line which is a bit of head scratcher. The horse looks formidable on speed figures, stamina, pace and form. He’s my best bet of the day at Keeneland based on the value he provides. #4 DON'T FORGET and #5 MY MAN FLINTSTONE are both good alternatives at solid prices. The favorite #2 TOWN CLASSIC is a definite player, but I prefer the others.

Selections: 1-4-5-2 (Best Bet: #1)

Race 5- Start of the Keeneland Pick 6

Post: 3:20 PM ET; Purse: $42,000 Claiming, 6 Furlongs on Dirt; Entries: 8

#4 BRAD'S TIME is 5-1 on the morning line and the race may just set up perfectly for him. #8 ROB THE RICH is another price that has a lot of positive signals pointing toward a good run. #7 SAVVY looks like the class of the field in this spot and that could be enough in the claiming ranks. #1 VULCAN has been proven at the distance.

Selections: 4-8-7-1

Race 6- Start of the Keeneland Late Pick 5

Post: 3:55 PM ET; Purse: $84,000 Maiden Special Weight, 6 Furlongs on Dirt; Entries: 13

#5 HALO OF FIRE is in the right form coming in and should build on past experience. #8 FANNIE AND FREDDIE has a lot of positives as well heading into the race including best last out speed figure. #11 THEDEVILYOUSAY is at odds of 8-1 has to be respected. #12 FUNNY BUSINESS is yet another price with a good shot hear. This is a race players will want plenty of coverage in.

Selections: 5-8-11-12

Race 7

Post: 4:30 PM ET; Purse: $90,000 Allowance, 1 1/16 Miles on Turf; Entries: 13

#6 BEACON HILL is proven at the distance and is a definite player to be in the number if not win the race. #4 KENTUCKY GHOST is 5-2 and has the best power rating in the group. That doesn’t always mean as much on turf, but the horse definitely has a shot. #5 DYNADRIVE is at odds of 4-1 and should have a conditioning edge on the group. #1 VALID POINT seems like good value to hit the board at 10-1.

Selections: 6-4-5-1

Race 8

Post: 5:10 PM ET; Purse: $250,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix S., 6 Furlongs on Dirt; Entries: 7

The first of 2 stakes from Keeneland looks like it goes squarely through #6 SPECIAL RESERVE and #5 ALOHA WEST. Special Reserve has the class while Aloha West has the speed. After that there is a clear second tier headed by the likes of #4 JUST MIGHT and #7 SIR ALFRED JAMES both at odds of 9-2.

Selections: 6-5-4-7

Race 9

Post: 5:45 PM ET; Purse: $400,000 Darley Alcibiades S., 1 1/16 Miles on Dirt; Entries: 12

The feature race from Keeneland is the “Win and You’re In” Alcibiades Stakes. These are young horses and based on current form I don’t see any of them doing damage at Del Mar in November. For that reason I am going to play for value and hope that a price jumps up and changes my opinion of this field.

#4 DREAM LITH is at odds of 15-1 and is near the top in several handicapping factors. #2 MISS INTERPRET has kept the best company and may be able to spring the upset here. #1 JUJU'S MAP is probably likeliest on paper, but 5-2 is too short for my taste. I may toss this one around underneath in exotics, but will keep her out of the win column. #12 RUNUP is at odds of 12-1 and wouldn’t be a total surprise either.

Selections: 4-2-1-12

Race 10

Post: 6:20 PM ET; Purse: $86,000 Allowance, 1 1/8 Miles on Turf; Entries: 16

#8 NEWS BREAK could get a good run of things here given the projected pace. #1 CAMP HOPE comes into the race in proper form and looks ready to run a top effort. #13 SCARLET FUSION has the speed figures to win if he can overcome the post. #6 ASSIDUOUSLY is at odds of 20-1 and could be a major player underneath at a major price.

Selections: 8-1-13-6

Keeneland Saturday Coverage

Keeneland has more incredibly competitive stakes races set for Saturday’s card. The racing includes more “Win and You’re In” races for the Breeder’s Cup. Check back to Betting News Saturday morning for a race by race analysis of Saturday’s Card.