As always, it is another busy Sunday at 1/ST BET and Xpressbet with action from coast-to-coast. The day not includes solid slates at Belmont, Keeneland, and Santa Anita amongst other venues, but also another opportunity at our Breeders’ Cup Bankroll Builder. For those new to the on-going promotion, it is easy. Just register on the promotional landing page, bet $25 in single-race wagers on select races through October 25 and earn a $5 bonus per race. This afternoon’s select event is the Dowager (G3) in Kentucky at 12 furlongs over the grass. Here is my opinion in the Keeneland Sunday feature, as well as another spot play in the Blue Grass State and a pair of horses I like at Santa Anita Park.


Keeneland, Race 6:
Trainer Brad Cox continued a nightmare Keeneland Fall Meet on Saturday with five losses, which included a pair of defeats at odds-on and three more at 3-1 or shorter. This now puts the veteran conditioner at 2 for 30 with a $0.31 ROI. With that said, Cox sends out another significant ML favorite in this MSW for 2YO fillies at six-furlongs over the main track.

On paper, #10 Appeals to Me is appealing coming in off a neck defeat on debut at Churchill Downs last month. Oddly, the Maxfield filly took little public support going off at over 18-1 in an 11-horse field. She ran well that day, but it is difficult based on the last few weeks in Lexington to expect a move forward for the $240k Keeneland September purchase. I will take a swing instead with #7 First Look. Trainer Rodolphe Brisset does not sport good recent numbers with juveniles debuting at Keeneland, but has proven at least somewhat capable over the years. He sends out #7 First Look. The Winstar Farm filly is bred to win early being by Life is Good out of an Outwork mare that won by more than seven lengths in her only career start at Laurel Park back in April ’22. She comes in off a bullet gate drill on October 10 and meets a modest group on paper. Christian Torres gets the leg up.

Play: #7 First Look (8-1 ML)
Picks: 7-6-10


Keeneland, Race 7: Dowager (G3)
The aforementioned Keeneland Sunday feature and today’s select race for the Breeders’ Cup Bankroll Builder is a long-distance turf race for fillies and mares where I am expecting a moderate early tempo. #12 Modarosa is the likely pacesetter, but draws the far outside and I worry about her ability to get the distance under jockey Junior Alvarado. This should allow one of those stalking the pace to get a dream run at a fair price. I am hopeful that is #10 Somethinabouther. I am not sure if the Mendelssohn filly is at her best going this long on the grass, but the price should be right to found out, Trainer Brendan Walsh has had yet another strong Keeneland stand and his trainee gets some class relief after back-to-back losses to Gimme a Nother this summer. I will need at least the ML offering to get involved, but this could be time for a career best effort from the Keeneland September ’23 purchase.

Play: #10 Somethinabouther (8-1 ML)
Picks: 10-9-2


Santa Anita, Race 5:
My first play at “The Great Race Place” comes in this six-furlong dash over the grass, which kicks off the late Pick 5, as well as the All-Turf Pick 3. The dash at three-quarters should see an honest pace at the very least. This could allow 2-1-favorite #10 Known Idea to work out a perfect stalking trip from the outside, but I do not trust him to out finish this bunch at a relatively short price. I will try a long shot instead with #8 Double Jab. The Cal-bred has been freshened up by trainer Andy Mathis after encountering better in a pair of fifth-place finishes at Del Mar this summer. Now, the son of Vronsky gets back to a turf course he has earned 2 of his 3 career wins over and should sit a favorable mid-pack voyage under Drayden Van Dyke. He is not the likeliest winner, but the best value in this optional claimer over the sod.

Play: #8 Double Jab (12-1 ML)
Picks: 8-10-1


Santa Anita, Race 9
The Sunday finale in Arcadia is a state-bred MSW event at two-turns over the grass where the two fillies exiting a similar spot on August 28 at Del Mar are likely to take the most public support. #7 Miss Mo Brown beat #2 Nyce Shot that day, but did it with a much more favorable voyage. Of the two, I prefer Nyce Shot, but the public is expected to as well since she is listed at 6-5 on the morning line. Nyce Shot is perhaps the likeliest winner, but did not exactly show a ton in the lane on debut, which makes her likely price tough to swallow. Instead, I will try #8 Tiger Luck. The daughter of Smiling Tiger is a half-sister to last year’s Zuma Beach runner-up Third Beer and did show some run late in her first two-turn try on September 7. If they go at an honest clip early, the Tim Yakteen trainee could be ready for her best late run yet with Joel Rosario back in the saddle.

Play: #8 Tiger Luck (5-1 ML)
Picks: 8-2-7