Super Screener: For multi-race bets, spread in Bourbonette
The next three weeks are must-see TV on the Kentucky Derby 2025 trail with an octet of 100-points-to-the-winner races starting with the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds and Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at Turfway Park on Saturday.
Both races are a part of the nine-race Super Screener that also covers the Kentucky Oaks (G1) prep races at Fair Grounds and Turfway as well as the New Orleans Classic (G2), the first leg of the Bayou Bluegrass Pick 5.
With some big scratches in the New Orleans Classic leaving champion 3-year-old male and Breeders' Cup Classic winner Sierra Leone a huge and worthy favorite to kick off the sequence, Mike Shutty has some price alternatives elsewhere.
The Bourbonette Oaks is a competitive race, which means beating the favorite is on the table. However, because many will identify it as the spread race, narrowing on only a few price contenders is the way to go when navigating this sequence.
"This year’s edition of the Bourbonette offers a terrific wagering opportunity as we are treated to an overflow field of 12 fillies that will compete over the 1 1/16-mile distance on the Tapeta surface," Shutty says. "No handicapping help from the pace as it will clock in around par with just moderate pace pressure."
White Rocks is the 3-1 morning-line favorite, and Horse Racing Nation actually projects her to as low as 2-1 in the wagering. That's a short price for a competitive 12-race field.
"The top win and top value pick is no. 2 Somethingbouther. The Brendan Walsh trainee is making her second start off a nearly four-month layoff and really needed that last race," Shutty said. "She got the fast pace she needed as a filly that owns a decidedly late energy-distribution profile but was too far back in the early going, leaving her with too much to do in the closing furlongs of the race. Form-cycle analysis results now call for at least a five-point move forward over that previous start."
No. 7 As Catch Can and no. 8 Golden Sunshine are the other top win contenders, making the 2-7-8 a nice trio to lean in on multi-race wagers.
Each Super Screener includes top win, most-reliable board hitter, top value and top long-shot designations. Shutty then takes that information to develop wagering strategy for each race.
The Super Screener Triple Crown bundle is available now and includes every week of Super Screener through the Belmont Stakes as well as daily Power Picks and Horses to Single reports.