Friday's Best Bet: Whitmore gets right setup in Phoenix Stakes
Friday’s 8th race from Keeneland is the Grade 2 Phoenix Stakes for 3-year-olds and up dashing six furlongs on the main track (Post Time - 4:57 p.m. ET).
There is plenty of early zip in this race (#1 American Pastime, #2 Cove Blue, #4 Recruiting Ready, defending champ #7 Promises Fulfilled, #9 Heartwood, and #10 Zipp On By), and a contested pace might set the table for the patient runners.
#3 WHITMORE (4-1) won this race in 2017 and missed by a head in this event last year. His recent form is not great, and he may have lost a step at age 6, but he is fresh and clearly does his best work at this distance. He shows two Churchill Downs bullets for this.
#6 Hog Creek Hustle (5-1) is a quality late-running sophomore sprinter. His recent form is solid and he should be rolling late, but will he run out of ground at six panels?
#8 Engage (8-1) was a decent 3-year-old sprinter for Chad Brown in 2018, but went off form and moved to the Steve Asmussen barn a few months ago. He got back on the beam in the Bensalem at Parx Sept. 2, and I like his stalking running style. This is his best distance but he might be a cut below the top contenders.
#5 Diamond Oops (8-1) was originally my second choice, but he is cross-entered in Saturday's Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) and is expected to go in that spot.