Rachel Alexandra fair odds: Fastest horse is worth a bet

Unseen since being no factor whatsoever at 1-5 in the Rags to Riches Stakes on Oct. 29 at Churchill Downs, V V's Dream is set to make her 3-year-old debut Saturday in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra at Fair Grounds.

Off that last performance, she is impossible to like as the favorite. But who among us would want to be judged by our last impression? Both V V's Dream win in the Pocahontas Stakes (G3) and her second-place finish behind Candied in the Alcibiades (G1) are efforts good enough to win this race most of the time. 

The good news from a wagering standpoint is that my 2-1 fair-odds line is less than V V's Dream's morning line anyway. And I don't see how West Omaha doesn't take more money than her 3-1 morning line off a five-length local stakes win last out.

Given my thoughts on the Risen Star, I'm not looking to go deep here in the all-stakes pick 5. My main ticket will single V V's Dream. As for vertically, I'm not as excited about this race because there are only seven horses versus the 12 in the Risen Star. But West Omaha could be the clear underlay, and it'll be worth watching the exacta probables.

Lastly, no. 2 Pennick is an Ontario-bred, and although I have her as an outsider here, she could be a fun watch on the King's Plate trail later this year.