Sunday's Best Bet: Mutasaabeq tries a turf route in Bourbon Stakes

Sunday’s 8th race from Keeneland is the Grade 2 Bourbon Stakes for 2-year-olds traveling a mile and a sixteenth on the turf course (Post Time 3:45 p.m. ET).

Click here for Keeneland Entries, Results

#10 MUTASAABEQ (3-1) looked good in his dirt sprint bow as the favorite at Saratoga Aug. 8, and was best of the rest in a distant show finish in the Hopeful (G1) last time. His last two moves were on turf including a Sept. 25 bullet, and his dam Downside Scenario graduated in a turf sprint. He figures to stalk the pace under Luis Saez and Todd Pletcher is strong with his first route starters.

#4 Into the Sunrise (7-2) switched to turf second time out and showed marked improvement in a front running sprint win at Ellis Park that day. He added blinkers, carved out moderate splits, and missed by a neck in a turf sprint stakes at Woodbine last time, and winner Gretzky the Great returned to capture the Summer Stakes (G1) at that same venue. The $325k purchase has some stamina influences in his pedigree and he reconnects with his winning rider Rafael Bejarano. He fired a local bullet for this Sept. 29 and his numbers are climbing.

#11 Barrister Tom (6-1) won both of his turf starts and his numbers are on the rise. Florent Geroux chose him over #6 Abarta (12-1). The latter got up to score by a nose in his Ellis Park turf route debut as the favorite Aug. 28. Umberto Rispoli takes the call and Brad Cox shows a profit with his graded stakes starters, his second route runners, and with his recent grads trying winners for the first time.

#8 Arrest Me Red (20-1) scratched out of yesterday’s Laurel Futurity at this distance on yielding turf at Pimlico. He stalked and cruised to a very easy win as the favorite in his turf sprint bow and Arnaud Delacour is outstanding with his first route starters.

#9 Nathan Detroit (10-1) stalked and gamely scored in his flat mile turf bow at Ellis Park, and the 2-3 finishers earned improved numbers as next-out maiden winners and both are entered here as well. He has been stabled at Keeneland all along and fired a local bullet for this Sept. 22.

Wagers:

#10 to win

Exacta 10/4-6-11

Exacta 4-6-11/10

Trifecta 4-10/4-6-10-11/4-6-8-9-10-11

Recent Best Bet Winners

Sept 23 - Shoe Game/Semi Sweet Exacta ($76.00)
Sept 25 - BIG RUNNUER ($5.00), Exacta ($14.80)
Sept 26 - MUCHO UNUSUAL ($8.80)
Sept 30 - Kaylasaurus/Sunny Dale Exacta ($23.40)

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