Best Bet: Minnesota Ready is ready for Thanksgiving Classic
Thursday’s ninth race at Fair Grounds is the $200,000 Thanksgiving Classic for 3-year-olds and up dashing six furlongs on the main track. The scheduled post time is 5:06 p.m. EST.
Click here for Fair Grounds entries and results.
No. 5 Minnesota Ready (6-1) reconnects with his winning rider Corey Lanerie and he should get pace to chase. He cuts back in distance in his second start after a short layoff, and he won a local six-panel sprint on Jan. 26. He owns competitive numbers and should offer value.
No. 9 Miles Ahead (2-1) frequently earns speed ratings good enough to win a race like this. The relatively consistent gelding hit the board in all five stakes starts this year. He figures to stalk the pace from the outside post.
No. 8 Gilcrease (8-1) disappointed as the beaten favorite at Keeneland last time. The sophomore gelding rates a look if he runs back to his six-panel win at Churchill Downs on Sept. 22, and the runner-up from that heat was a next-out winner.
No. 1 Chasing Time (9-2) could find himself in a nice inside tactical spot behind the speed. He is not the most consistent performer, but he fits with these on his best day.
Wagers
No. 5 to win
Exacta box 5, 9
Trifecta 5-9, 1-5-8-9, 1-5-8-9
Trifecta 9, all, 5
Nov. 9 - Masterof the Tunes/Golden Rocket exacta ($38.20)
Nov. 13 - Comedy Act ($5.40)
Nov. 15 - Allege ($6.22), trifecta ($229.24)
Friday - Memorialize ($4.40)