Thursday's Best Bet: Cooke Creek mixes it up at Keeneland
Thursday’s eighth race at Keeneland is an optional-claiming event for 4-year-olds and up traveling 1 1/8 miles on the main track. The scheduled post time is 4:44 p.m. EDT.
Click here for Keeneland entries and results.
No. 6 Cooke Creek (7-2) stalked the pace and clearly was second best in a dirt route at Gulfstream Park on March 12, and show finisher Clapton won the Ghostzapper Stakes (G3) in his next start. Joel Rosario hops aboard the Uncle Mo colt, and he had some stakes success in the past.
No. 8 Curbstone (6-1) is a sharp gelding for Tom Morley. He is 3-for-4 at this distance and figures to stalk the pace from the outside post.
No. 1 Vittorio (6-5) split Charge It and Clapton at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 5 and just missed the show in the Essex Handicap (G3) last time. He drops in class and might move forward in his third start after a layoff. He drilled a bullet for this April 14, and Irad Ortiz Jr. takes the call.
No. 4 War Campaign (9-2) ran last as the favorite in his all-weather return March 16. The competent dirt router reunites with his winning rider Corey Lanerie, and he might offer more in his second start of the year.
Wagers
No. 6 to win
Exacta 4-6-8/1
Trifecta 6-8/1-4-6-8/1-4-6-8
Recent Best Bet winners
April 5 – Ego Man ($4.80), exacta ($21.80), trifecta ($39.80)
April 9 – First Peace ($10), trifecta ($207.20)
April 10 – Out Dancing ($9), exacta ($13)
Last Wednesday – Street Swagg ($8.94)
Last Thursday – Curl Girl ($4.06)
Friday – Love Reigns ($7.38), trifecta ($224.64)
Saturday – Twilight Gleaming ($7.54)