Wednesday's Best Bet: Bourbon Spirit swallows up competition

Photo: Eclipse Sportswire

Wednesday’s seventh race from Keeneland is an optional claiming event for 2-year-olds traveling 1 1/16 miles on the main track. The scheduled post time is 4:12 p.m. EDT.

Click here for Keeneland entries and results

No. 2 Bourbon Spirit (6-1) stalked and scored as the favorite in his sprint debut in the mud. He battled on the pace from the inside post and occupied the runner-up spot behind runaway winner Lost Ark in the Sapling Stakes last time, and show finisher Major Dude captured the Pilgrim Stakes his next start. He removes blinkers for a recently hot jockey-trainer team.

No. 1 Forbidden Secret (8-1) set a controlled pace and romped in his extended sprint maiden win Sept. 18. He stretches out and should attend the pace from the inside post for the productive Irad Ortiz Jr.-Todd Pletcher team. 

No. 5 Redeemer (10-1) moved to dirt and finished nicely to graduate with the addition of blinkers second time out. Flavien Prat takes the call, and he should get pace to chase. 

No. 9 Confidence Game (15-1) showed marked improvement in his front-running maiden sprint win second time out. He raced wide and was unplaced in the Iroquois Stakes (G3) last time. He can go better in this easier spot. 

Wagers: 

No. 2 to win

Exacta 2/1-5-9

Exacta 1-5-9/2

Recent Best Bet winners

Oct. 3 - Back to Ohio ($4.20)
Oct. 5 - Climber ($5.00)
Oct. 8 - Going to Vegas ($7.20)
Monday - Excess Speed Limit ($19), exacta ($40.20), super ($1,565)

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