Thursday's Best Bet: Aquaphobia strong tactical threat in Sycamore

Thursday’s 8th race from Keeneland is the Grade 3 Sycamore Stakes for 3-year-olds and up traveling a mile and a half on the turf course (Post Time 4:57 p.m. ET).

#6 AQUAPHOBIA (5-2) won the United Nations (G1) at Monmouth Park July 18, and was a distant 3rd behind red-hot runner Channel Maker in the Sword Dancer (G1) Aug. 29. I like his tactical speed, and the fresh 7-year-old horse kicked his game up a notch after Mike Maker claimed him for $62.5k Jan. 26.  

#2 Red Knight (3-1) finished 1st of 2nd in six of his last ten stakes starts. He has run fast enough to win a race like this multiple times.  

#10 Ziyad (5-2) shipped from France and finished a close 3rd in the Canadian International (G1) last fall. He started 2020 with a win in France, and finished 3rd in two of his last four races vs. group company in that country. Graham Motion has him now and he might be classier than these. His stablemate #3 He’s No Lemon (15-1) probably did not like soft turf at Kentucky Downs last time. He earned some decent late pace ratings before that and appears capable of hitting the board at a price on his best day. 

#7 North Dakota (10-1) is a lightly raced, improving 4-year-old colt for Shug McGaughey. He captured three of his last four starts from off the pace, and this is clearly his longest and toughest career test. His multiple stakes placed dam Starry Dreamer had plenty of stamina on turf, and she has produced four stakes winners. 

Wagers:

#6 to win

Exacta 2-6-10/3-7

Trifecta 2-6-10/2-3-6-7-10/3-7

Superfecta 6-10/2-6-10/ALL/2-3-6-7-10

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)

Playing the horses can be a rewarding but tough game. Exacta, trifectas, superfectas, Pick 4s, Pick 5s -- there are so many wagers to play, it can get overly confusing. How do you know how much to play or which wagers to try? Unfortunately, part of the learning process can include losing money. But we would like to help you shortcut that process by learning some of the most common mistakes that horseplayers make on a daily basis. Take a look at Horse Racing Nation’s newest eBook -- “Top 10 Mistakes Horseplayers Make” -- and see if it helps you avoid some common mistakes and win more playing the races!