Friday's Best Bet: Stunning Sky looks marvelous in Valley View
Friday’s 9th race from Keeneland is the Grade 3 Valley View Stakes for 3-year-old fillies traveling a mile and a sixteenth on the turf course (Post Time 5:30 p.m. ET).
#11 STUNNING SKY (7-2) might finish full of run at this shorter trip, and she exits a key stakes race at Kentucky Downs. The top two from the Dueling Grounds Oaks returned to finish 1-2 in the QE II Challenge Cup (G1) last weekend, and show finisher Luck Money won an allowance event at Keeneland Oct. 2. My top choice was an even 4th in that race, and stalked and landed the place in back-to-back turf stakes routes at Saratoga before that.
#1 Duopoly (9-2) exits back-to-back front running wins, and Chad Brown’s lightly raced filly improved her numbers in all three starts. All of her races were productive affairs and she is probably the one to catch from the hedge.
#5 Witez (8-1) fired trifecta shots in seven of her ten turf starts. She rallied for the place in the Jessamine (G2) at this course and distance last fall, and exits a late running close-up show finish in the Lake George (G3). Her numbers jumped up in her last pair at Saratoga and she should get pace to chase.
#12 Antoinette (3-1) fired trifecta shots in his last eight starts, and she defeated Stunning Sky in the Saratoga Oaks Aug. 16. She was second best in the Belmont Oaks (G1) last time, and she should attend the pace from the outside post.
#6 How Ironic (30-1) was a non-threatening 7th in the Dueling Grounds Oaks last time, and the deep closer had no shot in that slow early/fast late affair. She looked good winning an entry level turf event at this distance at Ellis Park Aug. 7, and she can pass some tiring runners and grab a small slice.
Wagers:
#11 to win
Exacta 11/1-5-12
Exacta 1-5-12/11
Trifecta 11/ALL/5-6
Superfecta 1-11/1-5-11/ALL/1-5-6-11-12
Recent Best Bet Winners
Oct. 4 - MUTASAABEQ ($6.00), Exacta ($93.60), Trifecta ($317.65)
Oct. 5 - SWEET SOUPER SWEET ($5.00), Trifecta ($98.95)
Oct. 6 - PORTAL CREEK ($4.00), Exacta ($12.60)
Oct. 9 - NORTH COUNTY GUY ($7.80)
Oct. 10 - HARVEY'S LIL GOIL ($9.20)