Saturday's Best Bet: Mr Dumas a suitable choice in Prairie Bayou
Saturday’s 5th race from Turfway Park is the $100,000 Prairie Bayou Stakes for three-year-olds and up traveling a mile and a sixteenth on the all-weather surface (Post Time - 8:14 p.m. EST).
No. 3 MR DUMAS (9-2) has always been a useful sort. He won the Commonwealth Turf (G3) at Churchill Downs in 2019 and placed in the 2020 Bernard Baruch (G2) at Saratoga. He moved to the John Ortiz barn this year and showed signs of life in an even show finish Oct. 23. This is his first all-weather attempt.
No. 1 Megacity (9-2) wired the field in three of his last five starts including a 24-1 upset over Big Dreaming and Mr Dumas in a turf route at Keeneland Oct. 23. He is a viable threat if he can get out there and control the tempo.
No. 2 Big Dreaming (4-1) stalked and cleared in an easy local optional claiming score at one mile Dec. 3. He might work out a decent inner tactical trip again.
No. 7 Rushie (4-1) removes blinkers and that is a strong angle for Michael McCarthy. He owns competitive dirt speed ratings and is a logical threat if he handles synthetic footing.
No. 4 Snapper Sinclair (3-1) is a classy, versatile veteran with decent form on dirt and turf, and he fired a local bullet for this Dec. 7.
No. 8 Cross Border (8-1) won the Bowling Green (G2) on turf at Saratoga in July and he has won on all-weather ground before.
No. 11 Betwithbothhands (30-1) enjoys this course and distance and figures to impact the pace if he has an alert beginning from the outside post.
No. 5 Hush of a Storm (8-1) adds blinkers and might move forward in his third start after a layoff. The sophomore gelding does some of his best work at Turfway Park and should be heard from late.
Wagers:
No. 3 to Win
Exacta 3/1-2
Exacta 1-2/3
Trifecta 1-2-3-7/1-2-3-4-5-7-8-11/5-11
Recent Best Bet Winners
Dec. 2 - MUSED ($6.80), Exacta ($61.80)
Dec. 7 - WITTY ($6.60)
Dec. 10 - Professors' Pride/Big Novel Exacta ($13.20)
Dec. 12 - AVENUE DE FRANCE ($17.00), Exacta ($53.20), Trifecta ($312.40)
Dec. 14 - Nine Toe Johnny/All Tacked Up Exacta ($11.20)
Dec. 16 - ISOLATE ($6.60), Trifecta ($35.20)