Friday's Best Bet: Olympiad keeps pace in Alysheba
Friday’s 7th race from Churchill Downs is the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes for four-year-olds and up traveling a mile and a sixteenth on the main track (Post Time 2:09 p.m. EDT).
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No. 5 OLYMPIAD (9-5) cruised in his last three dirt routes including back-to-back graded triumphs in the Mineshaft (G3) and New Orleans Classic (G2). He had the tactical edge in all three of those races and it might be deja vu all over again in this spot.
No. 7 Happy Saver (7-2) is classy and his stalking speed might serve him well in this event. This is a good starting point for the lightly raced five-year-old horse and he always finishes in the top three. Todd Pletcher is a quality layoff trainer and this one might benefit from this slightly shorter distance of this race.
No. 1 Max Player (5-2) definitely wants more ground but he is 2-for-2 on a wet track and is classy and fast enough to win this. He showed improved early interest in both of his big wins at ten panels last year in the Suburban (G2) and Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1). He needs to do the dame thing in this spot or he is toast.
No. 2 Weyburn (5-1) moved to the Brendan Walsh barn and looked great in his Sir Shackleton return at seven panels April 2. He is really good in one turn races and mostly struggled in stakes routes last year, although he was only a neck behind Mandaloun at this distance in the Pegasus Stakes last June. He closed last time but was up on the pace multiple times last year, and he will probably try to get forward in this race under Tyler Gaffalione. He might be on the early lead in this spot but is probably best sprinting.
No. 6 Fulsome (8-1) probably won’t get enough pace help for Brad Cox. He won three stakes last year including the local Matt Winn (G3), and returned with a nice late running tally in the Oaklawn Stakes (G3) April 2. He can rally for a share.
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Wagers:
Exacta Box 5-7
Trifecta Key 5/1-2-6-7
Trifecta 1-2-5-7/1-2-5-7/6
Recent best-bet winners
April 25 - Fortheluvofbourbon ($13.00), trifecta ($161.40)
April 26 - Mojovation ($6.00)
April 30 - Blue Stripe/Miss Bigly exacta ($33.40)
May 5 - Tom's Regret ($6.40), trifecta ($430.80)