Thursday's Best Bet: In Love is under a spell in Tapit Stakes

Photo: Eclipse Sportswire

Thursday’s ninth race from Kentucky Downs is the $400,000 Tapit Stakes for 3-year-olds and up traveling a mile and seventy yards on the turf course. Post time is scheduled for 5:57 p.m. EDT.

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This is a specialty course, and I like playing horses with good prior local form. No. 12 In Love (7-2) got good late last summer into early fall. He rallied to win the restricted TVG Stakes at this course and distance and followed that up with a 12-1 upset in the Keeneland Mile (G1). He was in tough in the Breeders' Cup Mile, Marker’s Mark Mile (G1) and Manhattan (G1) in his last three starts, and he is back at his winning course, level and distance for profitable turf trainer Paulo Lobo. His winning rider Alex Achard stays put, and he can run these down if he works out a clean trip.

No. 1 Ramsey Solution (8-1) is versatile and consistent. He is capable of wiring the field if they leave him alone early, and he stalked and scored in this race last year. He returned with a late-running win on all-weather grind at Gulfstream Park June 18, and his new rider Edgard Zayas should have options from the inside post.

No. 11 Megacity (5-1) was briefly a stakes winner in his first start after the Mike Maker claim June 16, but he was disqualified and placed second at Lone Star that day. He is a four-time winner at this distance and is probably the one to catch over a course that can be kind to speed horses.

No. 4 Peace Achieved (20-1) won a local juvenile stakes in 2019 and captured the Bourbon (G3) at Keeneland after that, and he has not won since. He needed his stakes return when finishing fourth on July 9, and he might be able to spice up the exotics. 

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Wagers:

No. 12 to win

Trifecta 1-12/1-4-11-12/1-4-11-12

Trifecta 12/ALL/1-4

Recent Best Bet winners

Aug. 5 – Ready to Purrform ($9.80), trifecta ($469.00)
Aug. 6 – Nations Pride/Annapolis exacta ($29.20)
Aug. 7 – With the Moonlight ($4.30), exacta ($7.50)
Aug. 8 – Loyalty ($7.00), exacta ($23.80)
Aug. 10 – Running Bee ($6.70)
Aug. 12 – Bankit/Sea Foam/Brooklyn Strong trifecta ($378.00)
Aug. 14 – Slew's Tiz Whiz ($8.80)
Aug. 17 – Legends Can't Die/Mackillop/Mo Rewards trifecta ($480.48)
Aug. 20 - Spenderella/Bellabel exacta ($16.20)
Aug. 22 - Carpenters Call ($4.40), exacta ($52.80)
Aug. 23 - Best Actor ($7.00), trifecta ($278.20)
Aug. 24 - Nimble Beast/Uncle Buddy/Tribal Notion trifecta ($45.00)
Saturday - Gufo ($10.80)
Monday - Comedic Timing/Cash Now exacta ($59.60)

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