Bewitch fair odds: Play these long shots with the favorite

Forever After All figures to spot her rivals in the Grade 3 Bewitch Stakes some lengths in the 1 1/2-mile turf contest closing day Friday at Keeneland. But her record at the distance coupled with Irad Ortiz Jr. getting up for hot trainer Brendan Walsh gives me confidence in her as the most likely winner.

Brisnet (get free Ultimate Past Performances here) shows the pace Forever After All chased in The Very One (G3) last out was very slow, but she still closed on to be fifth, beaten by less than two lengths. She got there two back in the 1 1/2-mile La Prevoyante (G3) to overcome another slow pace. 

Sand and Sea could be the speed in here, stretching back out to 1 1/2 miles. The last time she ran this distance she opened 22 lengths on the field before fading to last beaten 55 lengths. John Velazquez up here signals maybe a more relaxed approach, but she will be on the lead and maybe alone there.

Youknownothing was in that same The Very One as our top selection. She had no real punch there, but with Sand and Sea in here, along with Dazzlin' Dictator, there should be more pace for her to close into. Strikingly Spun has never gone this far, but I love her breeding by Hard Spun out of a Smart Strike mare to go this distance. She has come from the back in those middle-distance races so could lie a little closer under Brian Hernandez Jr., which I see as a positive.

Forever After All is the 9-5 morning-line favorite, but the other three mentioned are all at least 8-1. Assuming that holds, I will key Forever After All with that trio. If any of my three long shots are longer than 20-1 I'd use with Immensitude, who was second in The Very One.